10 Minute Guide to Lotus Notes Mail 4.5 - 25 - Using Mail Remotely In this lesson, you learn about how Mail works for mobile users, how to use the Outgoing Mail database, how to set Mail send options, and how to receive and send mail. Understanding Mail for Mobile Users When you disconnect from the office network, either by working at a desktop computer outside the office (perhaps at home) or by using a laptop computer from a client site, a regional office, home, or hotel, you become a mobile user. You connect to the Notes network via a modem, instead of a LAN or WAN. This makes a significant difference in the way you handle your mail. Although your Mail database is still on your Notes home server, connecting via modem and working online to create, send, receive, read, and organize your mail is time-consuming and possibly expensive if you're calling long distance. Therefore, mobile users generally replicate their Mail databases to their laptops or desktops at home. You can work in your local replica, saving phone time for the replication process (see Lesson 24 for more about replication). You can access your data quickly, make and store all new documents and updates, and send everything to the server in one burst. You don't have to wait for a memo to be sent before you start the next one. In addition, once you initiate replication, you can continue working on your databases because replication works in the background. Because you are working locally, addressing the mail is also a little different. When you enter the name of the recipient, Lotus Notes refers first to your Personal Address Book. If the addressee is not there, the assumption is that the recipient must be in the Public Address Book and will be found during replication. Therefore, you won't get a nondelivery report until after the mail has replicated. You might find it helpful to replicate the Public Address Book or at least copy the important addresses to your Personal Address Book to avoid this problem as discussed in Lesson 24. Using the Outbox When you installed Lotus Notes on your remote computer or laptop, you specified that you would be using a remote connection. As part of the installation process, Notes then created a replica stub (or place holder) of your Mail database; all you had to do was replicate your Mail database documents to it, as you did in Lesson 24. Because you are working with a local replica and not directly with the server, your mail isn't immediately delivered. Instead, when you choose to send a memo, Notes stores it temporarily in the Outgoing Mail database (to see the mail that is waiting to be sent, double-click on the Send outgoing mail icon on your workspace). Then when you choose to send the mail to the server or when you replicate the Mail database with the server, the outgoing mail is transferred and sent. The outgoing mailbox is emptied. What Is the Replicator Page? When you work from a local replica of your Mail database, Lotus Notes creates an automatic Send outgoing mail entry on the Rep-licator page, as shown in Figure 25.1. Figure 25.1 The Replicator page. The Replicator page is the last page of your workspace, and it's the one workspace tab that you can't delete. The Replicator page provides a central location to handle all your replication needs. Using the features available on the Replicator page, you can set options to control replication of your mail and any other databases you may be using. There are several rows, or entries, on the Replicator page: Start Replication at Sets a schedule for replication; you can't delete or move this entry. Most people do not schedule their replications, since that would require that you turn on your PC and run Notes during the scheduled time. You'll usually use replication on demand, so you don't need to set this option. Send outgoing mail Sends all pending messages from your mailbox. Database templates Refreshes the designs of any template-based databases you have. You can't delete this entry. Don't worry about it; it doesn't affect mail. Call and Hangup In addition to the automatic entry rows, you can create Call and Hangup entries for mobile locations. For each local database replica you have, you also see a database entry on the Replicator page. You can replicate these databases at the same time you replicate your mail. Click the check box (a check mark appears) at the beginning of the database entry row to include it in the next replication when you click the Start button on the Action bar. The status bar at the bottom of the page shows information about the current replication, letting you know when Lotus Notes is attempting to call a server, what database is being replicated, the progress of the replication, how many minutes are left, and when the replication is finished. After replication, the status bar displays statistics for individual entries. Making Call and Hangup Entries If you are a mobile user, you'll want to create call entries so you can automatically connect to servers via modem. To create a call entry: 1. Using the Location button on the status bar, select a location where you need to use a modem to connect to the server. Home or Hotel are possible settings. 2. Click the entry that you want to appear immediately below your call entry. 3. Choose Create, Call Entry. 4. (Optional) By default, the call entry specifies your home server. To specify a different server, double-click the call entry action button; select the server you want to call, and then click OK. Once your replication tasks are complete, you need to disconnect the modem from the telephone line. A hangup entry will do this automatically for you. To create a hangup entry: 1. Using the Location button on the status bar, select a location where you need to use a modem to connect to the server. 2. Click the entry you want to appear immediately below the hangup entry (you can always move the entry if you get it in the wrong place). 3. Choose Create, Hangup Entry. A hangup entry appears on the Replicator page. Even if you have more than one call entry, you only need one hangup entry. The Replicator hangs up automatically from the first call entry when it encounters a new call entry, so you only need to hang up after the final call. Using Send/Receive Mail Before you leave the office to go on the road, make sure: Your location and connection documents are set up. Your replicas are created and you've added any necessary entries to the Replicator page. You have a phone cord, extra battery packs, and a power adapter. You have the phone number for your Notes administrator. You've loaded Help Lite if you don't already have the Help database on your computer. To send and receive mail while working remotely: 1. Plug one end of the phone cord into your modem's port and the other into a phone jack on the wall or on the back of a phone. 2. Make sure you disable call waiting on that line, or it will disconnect you from the server (try dialing *70). 3. Click the Location button on the status bar and choose your current location, if it's not already selected. 4. If you're not on the Replicator page, click the Replicator tab. Then choose one of the following methods: Choose Actions, Send and Receive Mail. Click the Send & Receive Mail button on the Action bar. Choose Actions, Send Outgoing Mail (to send mail only). Notes initializes the modem and the call goes out to your home server. Your new mail will be replicated to the server and the server will replicate any new mail to your computer. Once replication is complete, your computer hangs up. If you want to stop the mail from being sent or the replication process, click Stop. Once you're back in the office, remember to switch your location back to one for connection to the network. Because you are keeping a local replica and the hard disk space on your laptop might be limited, you want to delete old mail frequently to keep your Mail database at a manageable size. You may also need to compact your databases to get rid of the empty spaces left by the deleted files. To do this: 1. Double-click the Workspace tab. 2. Click the Information tab on the Properties box (see Figure 25.2). Figure 25.2 The Information page of the Properties box. 3. In the Properties box, select Workspace from the drop-down list; then click the % used button. 4. If the percentage is under 85%, click the Compact button. In this lesson, you learned about how mobile Mail differs from online Mail and how to replicate your Mail database. In the next lesson, you learn how to configure the Replicator page.

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