Question :

I am using a KPN Planet.nl eMail-account on my Mac, my iPad and my iPhone, but when I open (or delete) an eMail on one device, the same eMail will remain unread on my other devices, so I have to redo all actions I do with my eMail on all three devices. That’s a complete waist of time and enormously annoying ! Isn’t there any way to get around this ?

Answer :

Yes there is !

A little background info :

Internet-hosting providers used to give free eMail-hosting with your subscription. In the days that most people only had internet-access from only one computer and one location (home), the POP3-protocol was a good way to handle this and every internet provider therefore offered POP3-eMail services…

…nowadays most people have multiple internet devices and want to access the same eMail-account/mailbox from all those devices. With POP3 that is possible, but it comes with the problem you’re describing…

The best way to get around this problem is to use an IMAP-eMail service (like Gmail) or wait until your local internet-provider also supports IMAP-eMail…

When using an IMAP-eMail service, al your devices will have the same read/unread/deleted-info instantly synced over the internet.

In the Netherlands, internet providers like Wanadoo/Orange/T-Mobile/Online and Tiscali/Telfort have only recently added IMAP-support, but especially KPN Planet Internet (who used to be the no. 1 internet provider in the Netherlands) has always denied IMAP on their eMail-services… until now…

So…

Here’s the settings info you’ll need :

Online.nl (successor to Wanadoo.nl & Orange.nl)

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.online.nl [port 143 ; needs SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : smtp.online.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

Telfort.nl (including Tiscali.nl)

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.telfort.nl [port 143 ; possibly no SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : smtp.telfort.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

Planet.nl

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.kpnmail.nl [port 143 ; seems to need SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : mail.kpnmail.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

And here’s the recommended way to upgrade your mailboxes from POP3 to IMAP :

1- first, upgrade on your computer (Mac/PC) :

– 1A – in your eMail app’s account preferences, set your POP/POP3-account to inactive (delete the check-mark in front of “enable this account”) ; not entirely deleting this account will enable you to get (really) old eMails back if you might unexpectedly need them in the future

– 1B – add a new eMail account, name it something like “your eMail address” + “IMAP”, and use the mailserver-settings mentioned above ; for the login-name and password, you should use exactly the same as previously used for your POP/POP3-account

– 1C – exit the preferences window by pressing the small red button, and confirm that you want to save these changes

2- only then, upgrade the eMail-settings on your iPhone and iPad :

– 2A – go into “Settings”, then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”, select the small arrow right next to your previous POP/POP3-mail account, and in the next screen click the red button “Delete Account”

– 2B – then restart your iPhone/iPad by pressing the HOME-button and the ON/OFF-button at the same time until the Apple-logo appears on screen

– 2C – after that, go into “Settings”, then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” again, and add a new eMail account, name it something like “your eMail address” + “IMAP”, and use the mailserver-settings mentioned above ; for the login-name and password, you should use exactly the same as previously used for your POP/POP3-account

Note that for KPN Planet.nl you will probably end up with the wrong (automatically generated) settings for mail severs, password and login-name since KPN Planet.nl has always chosen to use it’s own, highly unconventional settings… so you will have to manually edit those (again) after the account has been created…

…if your iPhone/iPad keeps trying to record the IMAP-seetings as a POP-account, just try again… (starting at 2A)

That’s it !

Enjoy !

😉