FastMail: Overview and FAQ

ValleyInternet is moving all of its email domains to a service called FastMail.

FastMail is a third party email provider that will host ValleyInternet’s email service moving forward.

From 2005 through 2011 we offered new customers complimentary email accounts on our server. Over the years, email service became a commodity and companies like Google, Microsoft, and Fastmail stepped in with state-of-the-art services that we could not match without significant investment. Instead of playing catch-up, we decided to continue to invest in developing our network and bringing additional bandwidth to the far corners of the valleys we service, leaving email services to those who specialize in it.

In order to accommodate those who do not wish to pay for a premium email service, we are offering a forwarding option, at no cost to you, for as long as you need. This means that you can setup a free email account on Gmail or a similar service, and give us that address so we can forward your emails to it.

FastMail is an email provider that has impressed us greatly so far. Some of the features and improvements FastMail offers over our previous email service:

• Easy to access web interface
• Support for mail clients (such as Apple’s Mail.app, Microsoft Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird)
• An official (and optional) FastMail app for Android/Apple phones and tablets
• Customizable layout and languages
• Contacts (including syncing with your mobile phone)
• Calendar and event management
• Two-step verification for security
• Modern spam filtering
• Power features like incoming email filtering and Aliases

Can I keep my old email?

Yes, you can keep your old email address. (If you like, you can also move all your old email over to FastMail too – more details on that later.)

Does FastMail cost me anything?

Using the FastMail service will cost $5/month per account.

Is Fastmail going to filter spam?

Fastmail is one of the best premium email services in the market. They filter spam better than most, and you can see a full list of their features in this link:

https://www.fastmail.com/help/ourservice/features.html

Why can’t I just sign up directly with Fastmail?

You can, but if you wish to use one of the domain names we own, such as napa.us, popevalley.net,  sthelena.net, gordonvalley.com, etc., you will need to sign up for Fastmail through us.

What if I don’t want to use the FastMail service?

For customers who can’t or do not wish to use the FastMail service, we can set up permanent email forwarding to an account on another email service (for example, Gmail or Yahoo).  Please open a ticket with ValleyInternet Support with details on your new email to have your email forward set up.  Your old email account will no longer be able to send messages directly; however, any emails sent to the old email address will automatically be forwarded to your new email address so they can be accessed and replied to from there.

OK, how do I get started on FastMail?

The steps are detailed on our FastMail Migration Overview page! Please click the link to continue.