Email / Network Question - 2 Computers.....

[Pulsar]

I have 2 computers, both running windows XP and office XP. We use Outlook for email. My email runs through www.myrealbox.com. The two computers are run through a 8 port linksys router, then connect to the internet. I am using the routers NAT because the provider supplies only 1 IP address.

Here is the question. Occasionally, one of the computers (the one on which we use email) disappears, say when I have to go to a lan party, etc....

My wife wants to still be able to check her email on the 2nd computer when I go, but when I come back she wants the primary to "update / sync / whatever" so all the email she read / sent is shown on the primary as well.

Now my work has this - any computer I go to has all my email, when I read it on one computer it's marked read on all the others, etc.

What is the best, cheapest, and easiest way to do this on a small home network?

Thanks guys!

BTW, I had a question earlier regarding Sprint Broad Band Direct - long distance wireless (27 miles) for $30 a month here in Michigan. I LOVE it! 3.5 Mbit down (actual), 400 Kb up (actual), and pings < 80ms to most places. Woot!

 

[nweaver]

your work does it via exchange (I would guess). On the second machine, just have it leave copies on the mail server. you won't ge the read tags, but you will be able to get the mail on the main machine (and it clears it off the server) after it comes home.

 

[kevnich2]

Since I'm assuming your home doesn't have exchange, I would recommend using IMAP instead of POP3. IMAP leaves everything on the server and if you read a message on one computer, it marks it as read on the server thus any other email client seeing this will also see it as read. I use IMAP personally and use 1 email client on one computer and webmail on two others and IMAP works very well.

 

[Pulsar]

Thanks guys - but you don't understand my wife.

If I did it that way, I'd be hearing about it forever. "Why isn't this email stored on this machine - That's STUPID!" or "I've already read this, why is it here on this computer showing I haven't - That's STUPID!"

So there isn't really an "easy / cheap" way to coordinate the computers together? I'm surprised.

 

[kevnich2]

Maybe I don't understnad what you mean? If you use IMAP on the email client, the email is stored on the client program, you can see it, reply back, whatever just like POP3. The difference is is that any changes you make also get uploaded to the IMAP server so if you use multiple computers, you can still see the same messages. But yes, using IMAP is the only way to do what your wanting. It's actually designed for this purpose. I honestly don't know why anyone would use POP3 anymore. IMAP can be used if your only seeing it on one computer just fine the same as POP3 but has so many more things it can do if you want it to.