Set Up Your E-mail Client

The following services apply to centrally provided University accounts (@northwestern.edu). @u.northwestern.edu users should visit the @u.northwestern.edu page for more information about setting up @u.northwestern.edu accounts.

Before you begin, decide how you will access e-mail. Incoming mail is received by centralized post office servers, equipped with two protocols for handling mail:

• Post Office Protocol (POP) is designed to support "offline" mail processing. E-mail is received at the central e-mail server and is only delivered to your computer when you connect through your e-mail program. When the connection is made, your e-mail is moved to your computer and deleted from the server. If you generally use e-mail in a single location or on a single computer, POP should work well for you.
• Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a system by which your e-mail is kept on the server and does not get delivered to your computer. When you check messages, your e-mail program (client) connects to the central e-mail server for access. Because your e-mail always remains on the server, you can easily retrieve it from virtually any location with Internet access. If you travel frequently, access your e-mail at multiple locations, and/or use WebMail as your main mail client, you may want to use IMAP. There is a 50MB message limit for Northwestern e-mail accounts, plus an additional 50MB for IMAP accounts.

Which should I use?

For more detailed information, Compare POP vs. IMAP to help you choose which will work best for you.

Choosing the right e-mail program

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to set up your preferred e-mail client.