What's New  


Click here to subscribe
to our weekly newsletter
Exchange Messaging Outlook
EMO back issues

Connecting Microsoft Exchange Server to a POP3 Account

Downloading mail from a POP account into Exchange Server in general is not a supported configuration (though you wouldn't know it from the proliferation of tools to accomplish this). However, Microsoft does provide an Exchange Connector for POP3 Mailboxes for Small Business Server, having licensed Internet Mailbridge from Acotec. It's still not a supported configuration for full Exchange Server.

I'd suggest that you read about both sides of this issue. If you decide to try this route, there are plenty of tools to choose from. Features common to all POP3 collectors include the ability to POP mail from multiple servers and from multiple mailboxes. You'll also be able to control how often it checks for new mail in the POP3 accounts and limit it to downloading new mail during specific hours, such as only during business hours. All of the commercial POP3 connectors should be able to deliver mail to any SMTP address, including mail-enabled Public Folders.

Many of these tools support these forms of POP3 collection:

  • One-to-one, which collects mail from a single POP3 mailbox and sends it to a specific SMTP address
  • Many-to-one, which collects mail from multiple POP3 mailboxes and sends it to single SMTP address
  • One-to-many, which collects mail from single 'catch-all' POP3 mailbox and sends it to multiple SMTP addresses
    •

    Note that the one-to-many collection method fails when messages are BCC'd to users.

    Two Sides | Tools | More Information

    Two Sides
  • Choosing the Best Internet Messaging Option for Your Small Business 
  • Exchange and POP3 diatribe
    •
    Back to Top

     

    Tools
    ARX POP3 Connector   Supports filtering rules and DNS verification on incoming messages to reduce spam. Version 5.2
    Eclarsys PopGrabber   Eclarsys PopGrabber is a replacement for the POP3 connector included with the Small Business Server and also works with any standard SMTP server or Exchange server. Runs as a Windows Service. Free version available for up to 3 mailboxes; Standard version for larger sites. Requires Net Framework 1.1.
    EFS (Email Forwarding Server)   EFS is a FREE POP3 gateway for any SMTP server such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes or SLMail. It pulls mail from a Pop3 mailbox at your ISP and distributes the messages to users on a local SMTP mail server. EFS requires you to have a registered Internet domain name (to accept and forward mail for), use as a replacement for the somewhat limited Microsoft SBS Pop3 Connector.
    Exchange Connector   Exchange Connector allows you to integrate your existing POP3 mailboxes with Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or 2003 by downloading mail from POP3 mailboxes and delivering the messages to your Exchange Server accounts. Exchange connector runs in the background as a Windows Service and can be configured to download only during specified hours, such as between 9AM-5PM Monday-Friday and includes a "Download Mail Now" button for immediate downloads. It provides support for APOP (enhanced POP3 security), archiving, and SQL Server logging. Version 3.3.3
    eXchange POP3   An email gateway (connector) that retrieves messages from Internet POP3 email accounts (IMAP also supported) and delivers them to Exchange Server mailboxes. Supports single and multiple user POP3 accounts, unlimited POP3 accounts, unlimited ISPs and SMTP authentication when sending to Internet. Version 5
    Fetchmail   Fetchmail can be used to collect mail from POP3 mailboxes and deliver it to Exchange server. It's one of the applications found Unixmail for Windows, a package of unix mail tools ported to MS Windows (Win32), and bundled together with an installer. In addition to fetchmail, the bundle includes mutt, aspell/pspell, sSMTP, and GnuPG.
    Free POP3 Collector   POP3 email connector. Works with any SMTP server including Exchange and Notes. Supports Secure POP3 (SSL) or Secure SMTP (SSL/TLS) with authentication.
    GFI MailEssentials for Exchange   Anti-spam, disclaimers (with variables), archiving Internet mail, Internet mail usage reports. Includes a POP downloader and personalized server-based autoreplies that can include attachments and tracking numbers. Can archive to an ODBC database. Version 14 includes Overall improved anti-spam technology, an additional anti-spam engine called SpamRazer along with improved performance and a real-time dashboard.
    IGetMail   IGetMail version 2.4 acts as a POP3 gateway to automatically download your incoming POP3 mail from multiple remote servers to a single, local Microsoft Exchange Server. Downloads and copies e-mail from multiple individual e-mail accounts and multiple domains, using a single connection to fetch all your e-mail.
    Inox POP3 Connector   POP3 connector for Exchange. Runs as service to collect mail from POP mailboxes and forward to Exchange via SMTP. Version 5.1
    Microsoft Exchange Connector for POP3 Mailboxes   Free from Microsoft for use only with Small Business Server 4.5. (SBS2003 includes a POP connector.) Delivers only to mailboxes, not mail-enabled Public folders. If you use SBS2003's POP3 connector, see Many unexpected outbound e-mail messages appear in the SMTP queue in Small Business Server 2003 and install the patch before enabling the connector.
    Native POP3 Connector   Native POP3 Connector installs as a connector to Exchange and is configured using Exchange System Manager. It supports a large number of mailboxes (each one may be catchall accounts), multi-threading processing, flexible scheduling of POP3-mailbox querying, and integrates with the Active Directory
    POP2Exchange   Supports mail forwarding without attachments (i.e. for SMS messages), dial up (RAS) connections and checks all inbound mails with a standard virus checker i.e. Norton Antivirus. Works with every version of Exchange Server including Small Business Server, 2000 and 2003, dial-up, dial-up routers, ADSL and leased-line connections to the Internet. Supports any SMTP server -- Exchange, Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise and proxy servers that support the SOCKS protocol such as WinGate or MS Proxy.
    POPBeamer   Supports every version of Exchange server including Small Business Server and Exchange 2000/2003, any ISP's POP3 or IMAP server, even the older ones, that do not support the Received for: header line. Works with dial-up, dial-up routers, ADSL and leased-line connections to the Internet. Use with any SMTP server like Exchange, Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise or proxy that support the SOCKS protocol like WinGate or ISA Server. Supports all message encoding formats, including MIME and UUENCODE messages, and character sets.
    POPcon   Pro version also available which includes all features found in the standard version plus a self-updating RAV virus scanner, antispam filtering, and rule-based message distribution. Available in English and German. Version 3.50
    popConnect   Available in German and English
    POPRoute   Free, but unsupported; source code available
    POPWeasel   A command line utility to add POP3 mail collection to most SMTP mail servers. Easy to configure with multiple POP accounts to collect from, once started the POPWeasel collects mail from each account, reads the mail headers and routes the mail to your mail server for distribution to your users.
    PYTHEAS MailGate   POP3 connector including spam filtering with SpamAssassin, interface for virus scanners, content-checking, outgoing mail handling and more. Works with Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000, and Exchange 2003. Version 2.30
    SmartPOP2Exchange   SmartPOP2Exchange works in the background and downloads all messages from various POP3 accounts and forwards them to your SMTP/Exchange server. The configuration tool allows you to adjust common options, like download interval, timeout, log file etc. and to add, delete or configure your SMTP/Exchange and POP3 accounts. An included spam filter allows to tag or to delete mails that have been identified as spam by SpamAssassin. SmartPOP2Exchange also supports rules which allow you to define additional actions for certain messages. Version 4.3
    SpinMail   Spinmail is a Microsoft Mail / Exchange to Internet UUCP or TCP/IP Gateway. It also supports any POP3 compliant software such as Outlook, Eudora, Pegasus etc. Spinmail was designed to provide companies using Microsoft Email/ POP3 with an easy and effective way to access the Internet. A great deal of effort has gone into making Spinmail one of the easiest and most intuitive ways of getting company personnel a 'presence' on the net. In addition attention has been made to making the operation , support and maintenance of Spinmail a low manpower drain. Shareware. Version 2.

    More Information
  • If you use SBS2003's POP3 connector, see Many unexpected outbound e-mail messages appear in the SMTP queue in Small Business Server 2003 and install the patch before enabling the connector.
  • Problems using Exchange for Internal email only
    •
    This page is printer friendly
    Updated Jul 15 2008
    Copyright Slipstick Systems. All rights reserved.
    Send comments using our Feedback page

    Home | What's New | Exchange Server | Outlook | Utilities | Bookstore
    About Slipstick | Feedback | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Archived Pages | Link to Us | Advertise