Web Based mailboxes are accessed by a web page. If you have an email address that ends with @hotmail.com, @talk21.com @excite.co.uk you have a web based mailbox. The advantage of these is that you can easily access your mail from any computer connected to the internet by using a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. When email is sent, you write your message into a web page before sending it. To use Web Based Mail you need to be connected to the internet while reading and writing email.

With Web Based mail you do not need any programs on your PC. All you need is a web browser and your username and password to access the Web Based Mail system to read messages and send messages.

There are two major problems for businesses that use Web Based Mail. They are the addition of advertising on sent mail and the use of an e-mail address that does not reflect your domain name.

ISP Advertising

Most Web Based Mail systems will usually carry advertising from the ISP at the end of any outgoing mail. Recents examples are

talk21

added talk21 your FREE portable and private address on the net at http://www.talk21.com

excite

added Get 100% private, FREE email for life from Excite UK Visit http://inbox.excite.co.uk/

The only way to stop these advertising messages is to use a SMTP server.

E-mail Address

With a Web Based Mail system any mail you send will have the ISPs domain name rather than the domain name you own. In order that your mail has a 'FROM' address of your domain you will need a SMTP server.