The standard email service for Cat’s Imaging & Design is hosted through DreamHost. You should receive an email with basic login instructions when your email is created.
Login
To login in for the first time you need to go to webmail.dreamhost.com
Username
Your username will be your first name at your domain, ie user@your_domain.com. The only time this will vary is if your organization has specified a different naming convention.
Password
Initial password for your email is set to be your first name + your domain. It’s important to change this when you first login.
Note: To change your password for the DreamHost Webmail service, you must contact Cat’s Imaging & Design.
Configuring you client
What is a client? Since DreamHost is the service provider, the client is the program that receives the email from the provider.
We do this in one of two ways: POP3 or IMAP.
IMAP gives more control. Rather than creating a copy it syncs with the Service Provider inbox. That way if you archive or delete an email on your phone, when you use your client on your desktop, you will see the changes from your phone (or the email that was deleted won’t be there.)
POP (Post Office Protocol)
POP3 is an older method that only receives a copy of an email. It’s use is for backup or failsafe reasons. You see this most commonly when there are multiple people using the same email account. Each person would connect via “POP” (POP3), that way if they deleted an email, it doesn’t delete for everyone, just the client it was deleted on.
- Download and Delete: When you use POP, your email client downloads your messages from the server to your local device. After downloading, the messages are typically deleted from the server (although some email clients offer the option to leave copies on the server).
- Local Storage: POP stores your email messages on your device, making them accessible even when you’re offline. However, this also means your messages are tied to that specific device.
- Limited Synchronization: POP doesn’t sync folders or read/unread status across devices. Each device accessing your email using POP will have its own copy of the messages.
- Not Ideal for Multiple Devices: POP is less suitable if you want to access your email on multiple devices because messages are stored locally on each device. Changes made on one device won’t reflect on others.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
IMAP gives more control. Rather than creating a copy it syncs with the Service Provider inbox. That way if you archive or delete an email on your phone, when you use your client on your desktop, you will see the changes from your phone (or the email that was deleted won’t be there.)
- Server-Based: IMAP, on the other hand, keeps your email messages on the server. It allows you to view and manipulate your messages directly on the server without downloading them.
- Synchronization: IMAP syncs your email folders, read/unread status, and other changes across all devices. If you read an email on one device, it will appear as read on all your devices.
- Ideal for Multiple Devices: IMAP is ideal for users who want to access their email on multiple devices (e.g., computer, smartphone, tablet) because it centralizes your email on the server, ensuring consistency across all devices.
- Limited Local Storage: IMAP doesn’t store messages locally by default, although many email clients allow you to cache a copy for offline access.
The key distinction is that POP downloads and stores email messages on your local device, while IMAP keeps your messages on the server, allowing you to access and manage them from multiple devices while maintaining synchronization. The choice between POP and IMAP depends on your email usage habits and the devices you use to access your email.
Gather Information
Before you start, make sure you have the following information ready:
- Your DreamHost email address (e.g., [email protected])
- Your DreamHost email password
- Incoming mail server (IMAP or POP3) settings
- imap.dreamhost.com
- pop.dreamhost.com
- Outgoing mail server (SMTP) settings
- smtp.dreamhost.com
If you would like to learn more about your DreamHost Webmail Service, you can find the here.
Android/Gmail
Here is the DreamHost tutorial for Android. Setup for Gmail is a two step process. Here steps to receive with gmail, and theses are steps to send with gmail.
- Open the Email app on your Android device.
- Tap “Add Account” or “Get Started.”
- Enter your DreamHost email address and password.
- Choose “IMAP” or “POP3” as the account type based on your preference.
- Enter the incoming mail server settings (usually imap.dreamhost.com for IMAP or pop.dreamhost.com for POP3).
- Set the port to 993 for IMAP or 995 for POP3.
- Enable SSL/TLS for security.
- Enter the outgoing mail server settings (usually smtp.dreamhost.com).
- Set the port to 587.
- Enable SSL/TLS for security.
- Set your account options and sync frequency.
- Give your account a name and complete the setup.
Apple Mail
Here is the DreamHost tutorial for iPhone
- Open Apple Mail.
- Go to “Mail” > “Preferences.”
- Click on the “+” button to add an account.
- Choose “Add Other Mail Account” and click “Continue.”
- Enter your name, DreamHost email address, and password.
- Click “Sign In.”
- Select the account type (IMAP or POP3).
- Enter the incoming and outgoing mail server settings.
- Configure SSL/TLS settings for security.
- Click “Sign In” to complete the setup.
Outlook
Here is the DreamHost tutorial for Outlook
- Open Outlook.
- Click on “File” > “Add Account.”
- Enter your DreamHost email address and click “Advanced options.”
- Choose “Let me set up my account manually” and click “Connect.”
- Select the account type (IMAP or POP3).
- Enter the incoming and outgoing server settings.
- Configure encryption settings (SSL/TLS).
- Click “Next” and enter your password.
- Complete the setup process.
Thunderbird
Here is the DreamHost tutorial for Thunderbird
- Open Thunderbird.
- Click on “File” > “New” > “Existing Mail Account.”
- Enter your name, DreamHost email address, and password.
- Click “Continue.”
- Thunderbird will automatically detect the server settings. Verify or adjust them if needed.
- Click “Done” to complete the setup.