You can connect to your e-mail server either by using a local area network (LAN), a dial-up networking connection by using a traditional (such as a 28.8 or 56K) modem, or your own dialing program by using a modem.
Your organization must provide external access to the Internet through an Internet gateway, or use an Internet Mail server that is already on a LAN. When you connect to the Internet through a LAN, your Internet e-mail server automatically checks for and delivers new messages at preset intervals. You can also specify a dial-up networking connection to use when the LAN is not available.
Your Internet service provider needs to provide you with the phone number, modem settings, and required network protocols.
If you would rather prompt the server when you want your incoming and outgoing mail to be delivered, you can connect to the server manually. For example, you might want to connect manually if you have a slow connection to your e-mail server using a dial-up networking connection, and you don't want to wait for the server to connect automatically.
Note Wireless networks and DSL or cable modems are considered LAN connections because they generally maintain a constant connection and do not require a connection to be manually established.