About mailboxes, addresses and aliases

Normally a mailbox only has one e-mail address. Several e-mail providers allow you to set multiple addresses on just one mailbox. This document describes the effects of aliases on Outlook.

• So what are aliases?
• Why would I need an alias?
• Now that the messages are send to different address what’s in it for me?
• Can I change my default alias I send with?
• I want to send a mail but I don’t want to use my default address to send with

So what are aliases?

Aliases are nothing more than different ways to mail to a certain mailbox. Just like a single person can be reached on more than one phone number a single mailbox can be reached with different mail address. In most cases your ISP will give you one mailbox with one address they choose for you (in most cases it will be an abbreviation of the name you are registered with for their services or your username). They probably will also give you the opportunity to add 3 or 5 address you choose to the mailbox. This can be any name as long it has not been reserved already.

Why would I need an alias?

An alias can be quite handy for sorting your incoming mail or just so that your e-mail address looks better to the one you give your address. Think about the following situations;

• You got one mailbox from your ISP with a default address of your username e.g. jsmith123@ISP.com
• For your friends and family to contact you you can have your full name e.g. john_smith@ISP.com
• For professional use of your address you would like to have an address that just looks better e.g. j.smith@ISP.com

Now that the messages are send to different address what’s in it for me?

The messages send to the aliases still end up in your mailbox like they were send to the original address. In Outlook you can set rules on how the emails behave (like sorting them into different folders) when send to a specific alias. Just like you can decide not to pick up your business phone after 17.00 but still answer your cell phone

Can I change my default alias I send with?

Go to your account properties and change the e-mail address to the alias you like. Yes, it is that simple!

I want to send a mail but I don’t want to use my default address to send with

You can easily overcome this problem by setting up a second account with an alias as address. Now when you want to send a message with an alias you can press the Accounts button next to the Send button to select the alias account. Make sure you configure your alias account correctly to prevent duplicates.

Another way to go is to choose View-> From Field in a new message and enter your alias you want to send with.

The first method is the most effective one as in the second method you will send the message “on behalf of” so it will look like this; (alias) on behalf of (default alias). This looks even worse if you ask me. This is because the second option normally is used in Exchange environments where people can allow others to send a name out of his/her name. Very handy for secretaries who handle the mails for his/her boss.