Email dilema

[Stake]

Well, I just found out that my ISP (Optimum Online) has decided that blocking port 25 for all users was the best way to prevent spam. This also means that I can't send email through Outlook. It's become a more common practice and it really bothers me that that the spammers have ruined it for the honest users of email.

So, I'd like to ask the knowlegable users of this forum what my alternatives other than:

1) Asking my email provider to change ports (already asked and it can't be done)
2) Switching to another ISP (only other provider is Verizon and it also looks like they block port 25 or will eventually)
3) Paying $80/month for the business class service
4) Paying $60/year at smtpport.com for 2 email accounts
5) Using my ISPs email account (not an option)

I like my high speed cable service (Optimum Online) in the NJ area but they really screwed me big time. I didn't even know they were doing this until I realized that my emails weren't going through. Would it have killed them to send me something in the mail saying you'll lose this functionality?

So, does this look like a no-win situation? I would like not to add addtional cost as it's already expensive enough to get online.

I'm not a happy camper...
:evil: :bad-words:

[mrkablooey]

That sucks. :evil:

A few links:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18955
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29160

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=31327 :wink:

[JackTheTripper]

Eudora? (http://eudora.com/) Buy a new iMac? (http://www.apple.com/imac/)
http://images.apple.com/imac/images/indexangles20040831.gif

[juni]

This also means that I can't send email through Outlook.

Are you serious? They can do this? Doesn't the deal include email address(es) and use of mailservers?

[Janak Parekh]

I've got the same question as Juni. I have Optimum Online (on LI), but I just use "mail.optonline.net", and it works fine. As far as I know, they don't force you to use email addresses from their domain...

BTW, Verizon does do outbound port 25 filtering on their consumer DSL service, plus they restrict the domains the From: field can be, so AFAICT it's worse.

--janak