Email

Email is an indispensable communication tool at Duke. All students are provided with an initial 250 Mb of email storage space on the Duke network, which is backed up daily. If you accidentally delete or lose some of your email, the OIT Service Desk may be able to recover it. Your quota can be increased if necessary.

Maintaining your account

You must perform maintenance on your email account to keep it running smoothly. These tips can help keep your account in good working order: 

• Do not open email from an unknown source. Delete the message! By not opening these messages and keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date, you minimize the chances of a virus infecting your computer.
• Check your mail quota regularly to ensure you don't exceed your limit. Plain text emails take up very little space, but mail attachments (photos, etc.) can take up quite a bit. Save attachments to your hard drive or other storage device to save space on your email account.
• Your sent-mail folder counts toward your quota. If you save copies of the emails you send, check your sent-mail folder regularly and delete messages you no longer need.
• When you approach your quota, OIT will send you a warning message. The email will include instructions on how to increase your quota. It takes just a minute, and following the instructions may mean the difference between getting all your email or losing an important document.

Preventing spam

Spam is unsolicited commercial email. To help prevent spam:

• Set up our built-in spam filters by going to Online@Duke, and clicking on the Filter Your Email link.
• Never respond to spam. This only confirms that your email address is valid, and you're likely to get even more.
• Do not post your email address on your Web page.
• Use a second email address to sign up for non-Duke newsgroups and mailing lists or to make purchases on the Web. You can sign up for free email service through various providers, including Hotmail and Yahoo.
• Do not give out your email address without knowing how it will be used.

Using an email alias

An email alias is a convenient email address based on your name (for example, first.last@duke.edu). The alias is not a new mailbox, it is just an address that is easy for people to remember. You may have had an alias created for you already, but it can be changed. Email sent to your alias is routed to the Duke mailbox you designate.

Using Duke WebMail

Duke recommends that students use WebMail for email. Log into Duke Web Mail (http://webmail.duke.edu) with your NetID and password.

WebMail How-to Guide

Using an IMAP mail client

If you prefer to use an IMAP mail client, please visit the Securing Your Email Web page for instructions.

Using Pine

If you prefer a Unix environment, you can use Pine for email.

Pine How-to Guide

Find out more 

For more information please visit our Email FAQ page.