Blackberry Support

[rfetzer]

I have been very happy with both the customer service and the services provided by Hostgator. In the alomost 3 years I have been a customer I can count on 2 hands the number of "minutes" we have been down.

We are now moving into the world of Blackberry and are having "challenges" integrating into Hostgator mail due to Hostgator not supporting the BIS (Blackberry Internet Servcie). Since Blackberry's are becoming a fact of life (unfortunately) it would be helpful to offer a seamless blackberry solution, even if there was an additional fee.

[GatorJoshL]

Good afternoon,

We do support blackberry's! We have a lot of administrators and technicians that work here that use blackberry's with IMAP connections. Can you try and set your blackberry to imap? That should fix the issue.

From your BlackBerry home screen, select the BlackBerry Set-up icon, then choose Personal Email Set-up. (On older devices, just look for the Personal Email Set-up icon.)
Select Personal Email Set-up.
Accept Terms and Conditions.
On the 'Email Account Set-up' page, enter your full email address (including '@yourdomain.com' but leave the 'Password:' field blank. Select Next.

You'll see a screen that says 'We were unable to configure [username@domain.com].' Select I will provide the settings to add this email account, then Next.
Select Internet Service Provider Email (POP/IMAP), then Next.
Select I will provide the settings to add this email account, then Next.
You'll see 'The BlackBerry Internet Service could not configure [username@yourdomain.com] email account.' Select Provide The Settings to continue.
In the 'User name:' field, enter your full email address (including '@domain.com').enter your full email address at your domain. Then enter your password in the 'Password:' field.
In the 'Email server:' field, enter 'mail.yourdomain.com,' then select Next. If IMAP access was successfully configured, select OK.
Below your newly added email address, select Edit.
Select Advanced Settings at the bottom.
Make sure the port is set to '143' and 'Use SSL' is set to 'No.'
Select Save.

If you want to use ssl, you must use your servers hostname, such as gator558.hostgator.com and port 995.

Let us know if you run into any issues we'll be glad to help.

Thank you and have a great weekend,

[alemcherry]

Good news, I used to think that balckberry could not be setup on a shared hosting environment. Thanks for the info.

[GatorJoshL]

Originally Posted by alemcherry

Good news, I used to think that balckberry could not be setup on a shared hosting environment. Thanks for the info.

No problem, its pretty easy to do also. Any imap server blackberry can support.

PM me if you have any troubles

[dmdeitz]

I'm trying to set up a user with his blackberry (using IMAP as noted above) to access his existing POP mailbox that he uses outlook to check when at his desk. I'd envision that he'd get mail in both places. But with an existing pop account, will that work (to have it also run as imap / have the emails go to the blackberry, but leave them on the server for when outlook checks for mail).

or what's the right way to be doing this?

Thanks!

[striddy]

Originally Posted by dmdeitz

I'm trying to set up a user with his blackberry (using IMAP as noted above) to access his existing POP mailbox that he uses outlook to check when at his desk. I'd envision that he'd get mail in both places. But with an existing pop account, will that work (to have it also run as imap / have the emails go to the blackberry, but leave them on the server for when outlook checks for mail).

Change your Outlook software setup to also use IMAP. Then your mail will be available to any device you choose to connect with.

[dmdeitz]

THANKS!

but the problem with imap is that the box on hostgator gets full, right (although they are on a shared hosting / 'unlimited' account. But I feel 'wrong' cluttering HGs servers with mail they aren't going to see / use / never empty the deleted items folder? This client was with Aplus and had been using pop on outlook and it looks like it was imap on blackberry - they described that when outlook downloaded emails, they would disappear from the blackberry.

and then how do you set up a hg mailbox as imap vs. pop3?

[striddy]

Originally Posted by dmdeitz

the problem with imap is that the box on hostgator gets full, right (although they are on a shared hosting / 'unlimited' account. But I feel 'wrong' cluttering HGs servers with mail they aren't going to see / use / never empty the deleted items folder? This client was with Aplus and had been using pop on outlook and it looks like it was imap on blackberry - they described that when outlook downloaded emails, they would disappear from the blackberry.

and then how do you set up a hg mailbox as imap vs. pop3?

IMAP leaves the email on the server until it is deleted from whatever device is connecting to it whereas POP by default downloads it to the connecting client. So what they described to you is exactly how IMAP and POP is designed to behave.

You don't "setup a HG mailbox as imap vs.pop3." It depends on how you setup the connecting client software. Each protocol connects on different ports to the HG server, and the server handles the rest.

If you decide you want email available to "all" connecting devices then use IMAP. If you only want one device to connect POP is fine.

If you think of the term "webmail" then that's exactly how IMAP works. e.g. if you have a gmail account, people typically connect via a web browser. Whatever computer you happen to connect from, your email is there. So webmail is simply another form of IMAP client.

Hope that helps.

[dmdeitz]

david - thanks. I think I understand the concepts. I think I was misinformed earlier by a HG rep that said you can only do imap OR pop for a mailbox. so a) I was on the hunt to see how to set up the box as imap OR pop. and b) was trying to see how others deal with getting messages on blackberry and outlook - they could both be pop, but then they 'fight' to see who gets to the message first.

in the end, as you say, you can do imap AND pop against the same mailbox. the blackberry gets imap when out of the office (and outlook is not running). and when in the office / outlook is open, then the mail shows up in outlook and comes off the HG server / no clutter on the hg server.

Right?

thanks!

[ghpk]

There's also a alternative method you can use.

Instead of setting up your account directly you can check with your operator do they provide you with their branded email ID.
like yourusername@yourISP.blackberry.com
Most operators do this for free.

Once they give you that address, you can set up a Forwarder from your webmail to forward a copy of your mails to like yourusername@yourISP.blackberry.com

Using this methods have 3 advantages.
1). Mails are not delayed and are pushed to you handheld Instantly.
2). You still have the mail on HG server and its upto you whether you wish to keep it for future or delete the stored ones, once a day/week/month
3). you can customize your ISP email ID to show sender name and reply address as of yourID@yourdomain name

I've this set up and works fine, but iam on my dedicated box.

[dmdeitz]

ghpk: Thanks for the thoughts. I had set things up this way once before for someone else. I guess it comes down to where you want the emails stored, do you want to have to manually delete them from the phone (with POP / your suggestion, you do, but imap, where the email is taken off the server by outlook running pop, its automatic?).

thanks!

[twm3]

Just as a heads up, I ran into two "problems" with a client's Blackberry talking with HG. Not HG's fault as the blame squarely rests on Blackberry's shoulders.

Findings:

1) This thread said not to SSL while HG tech support said to use SSL. Don't think it makes a difference but I do have my client currently not using SSL.

2) The Blackberry generates a message saying that email will start reading in 20 minutes. Not sure if that happens as it might have taken 8 hours which left me thinking for 8 hours that the Blackberry wasn't reading email for 8 hours.

3) Old email sitting on the IMAP server doesn't appear to be read. :-( In other words, only email received on the IMAP server *after* the Blackberry was set up to read the email on the IMAP server will actually be read by the Blackberry. In my case, the client is missing about two days of email on her Blackberry from when the domain was switched to HG to when the Blackberry starting reading the IMAP server.

Yes, I know that I'm improperly using IMAP as an adjective - cut me some slack.

Hope this helps folks.

~Tom

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by dmdeitz

ghpk: Thanks for the thoughts. I had set things up this way once before for someone else. I guess it comes down to where you want the emails stored, do you want to have to manually delete them from the phone (with POP / your suggestion, you do, but imap, where the email is taken off the server by outlook running pop, its automatic?).

thanks!

I think my method is ok when you feel.
All mails should be on your office computer rather than on a Blackberry or a hosting provider server.

Yes i delete them from my phone after reading, or replying, for any future reference i would still have the mail on desktop(which i do) rather than looking into a handheld with more than 300 mails on a average day.

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by twm3

3) Old email sitting on the IMAP server doesn't appear to be read. :-( In other words, only email received on the IMAP server *after* the Blackberry was set up to read the email on the IMAP server will actually be read by the Blackberry. In my case, the client is missing about two days of email on her Blackberry from when the domain was switched to HG to when the Blackberry starting reading the IMAP server.

~Tom

When imessage list on your Blackberry, you can select the date (may be todays) and press menu key, this gives you a option "Mark Prior Opened"
Click it, Once done, "Reconcile now" (depends on Email Settings set to which mail box to obey)

If your BB is properly configured it would mark all mails on server as Read till the date you selected this option on.

Iam sure marking all mails as UNREAD is the standard feature when you connect to a mail box using IMAP from a new mail client, this is how IMAP is supposed to work.

[dtenberge]

I use imap mail, getting my messages on my BB. When I read a message on my computer it is not marking it as read on the BB. If I read it on the BB it will mark it as read on the computer. So I am only getting 1 way sync. Is this how it will work or is something wrong with the setup?

[slapshotw]

I had a similar experience when I had a blackberry. Their IMAP implementation is very poor and mostly one-way, unfortunately.

The best experience you can have with a BlackBerry is to use Microsoft Exchange with BES, but that's at least $20/month from a provider (like exchangemymail.com).

[GatorFord]

Originally Posted by dtenberge

I use imap mail, getting my messages on my BB. When I read a message on my computer it is not marking it as read on the BB. If I read it on the BB it will mark it as read on the computer. So I am only getting 1 way sync. Is this how it will work or is something wrong with the setup?

While this is a workaround I found at crackberry.com :

http://forums.crackberry.com/f61/bis...map-sync-3203/

It appears this will work if you perform it correctly :

--BEGIN Rip from crackberry forum--

"The only way I could solve this problem was to move over to a Yahoo Mail account and forward all my mail accounts over to it... doing this will not change the appearance of your emails as far as sent from if you configure it right...

For example your current primary email address is 'emailaddress@mydomain.com'... go to Yahoo Mail and create an account 'myblackberry@yahoo.com'... then forward all your email that goes to 'emailaddress@mydomain.com' to 'myblackberry@yahoo.com'... login to your BIS email account manager and add the Yahoo Mail account and set the replay to as your 'emailaddress@mydomain.com'...

Doing it this way you are only using Yahoo for storage and there instant push 2-way sync... A standard IMAP account also has a delay on it 5-10 minutes some times and Yahoo is directly supported by BIS so it is instant..

If you have a Yahoo email account, just setup BIS to use that. Yahoo is PUSH, i.e. you will receive the email instantly! Also, with BIS 2.3, there is a new option to have it sync, i.e. if you delete an email from your BlackBerry, it will delete it from your account (if you checked the box in BIS!)"

--END Rip from crackberry forum--

I'm a fairly happy BlackBerry curve user myself, though the iPhone and g1 are quite impressive. Either way I hope this helps someone out or gives them some ideas about how they could get 2way sync'ing to work.

[mike240se]

There is another solutions.

Setup IMAP via blackberry as normal.

Continue to use POP3 with MS Outlook.

In outlook set it NOT to delete messages off the server when they are downloaded. And then set it to delete messages that are 30 days old.

Then you have 30 days worth of email on your blackberry AND your mail in your outlook.

I have found this works well.

[callison]

I got my BlackBerry working fine with my account. In fact, I'm having problems sending from webmail using Horde to one domain - I keep getting "no such user here" bounce messages. I can successfully send to the same user from my account using my BlackBerry, but not from Horde or a local e-mail client. I think they have an Exchange server. Why would this be, unless the recepient's firewall is blocking my Hostgator server (azur.websitewelcome.com)? But why would it work if the message is sent from the same account using a BlackBerry? I think they may have something mis-configured, but they don't know much and want to say the problem must be on my end. This is the only domain receipent that I have this problem with.
Any ideas?
Thanks!

[carlosaguilar]

Hello,
Is there somebody out there that was able to sync Horde with a Blackberry?

My email is working perfectly on both interfaces, but I'm not able to get the calendar and contacts to synchronize.

I followed some forums and installed funambol, but it's only synchronizing with funambol's server, not my webmail via horde.


Thanks a lot in advance

[ElyrionX]

Hi guys

Can anyone tell me if there any way to change the version of my BB software to a new one? I know some mobile where this is possible, like for instance the HTC from windows mobile.

Thanks!

[citawds]

Originally Posted by ElyrionX

Hi guys

Can anyone tell me if there any way to change the version of my BB software to a new one? I know some mobile where this is possible, like for instance the HTC from windows mobile.

Thanks!

Check with your wireless provider

Steve

[ElyrionX]

Thanks for your help guys! It really worked out the last information I read about BlackBerry settings here. Now I'm much happier with my BB

[leemary34]

Thank you for the new information. This is very helpful. I can't imagine hostgator getting better everyday. But it really is getting better everyday. Thanks for the services. Its worth it. Keep it up Hostgator.