Search code examples
emailproxyimapdaemon

How to access IMAP email through an email proxy server

I'm not 100% certain how to phrase the question, so let me start with what I'm trying to do and the barriers:

Goal:

  • Read/Answer mail from "another account" in GMail by adding a new email account into gmail

Won't work:

  • Forwarding email from "another account" to a new gmail account and then changing the "reply-to" label. it looks ugly on the receiving end and does not sync up sent messages. I've tried this. It works 'ok', just not the idea solution

Barrier to success

  • "another account" doesn't have open/external POP3 or IMAP interfaces.

Available to me

  • IMAP service enabled on the other account, but only available through VPN. So while on VPN I can actually access the other account with Outlook via IMAP.

Theoretical plan

  1. Run a pc 24/7 logged in to the VPN and has visibility to the IMAP
  2. Run some kind of Mail Relay Proxy Server thing-a-ma-bop (?!)
  3. Point GMail to above "mail server"

Is there something that works like #2 above? I have no idea how to search for it. Maybe it's a combo of things? Some kind of setup of WinProxy, javamail and ... ? No idea if this is even possible.

Thank you

Edit:

More searching, found "FreePOPs", but it's not quite there, sounds like what I might need. FreePOPs connects to webmails, and my account does have it, but... it's Lotus iNotes and FreePOPs doesn't seem to support it.

1) Do you know how to make FreePOPs support lotus inotes? 2) Or, is there another product like FreePOPs that's an "email relay" and a pop3 daemon?

Solution

  • possible solutions for 2. / thing-a-ma-bop:

    Remember that this only includes imap access, eg. reading mail. for sending mail you'd have to install a MTA like postfix and use your "other account"-host as smarthost. not sure if you can configure additional smtp relays in gmail though.

    warning: your project sounds like you are trying to circumvent security measures of your company. someone decided that this "other mailbox" should not be available to an outside box. make sure to get permission first - stuff like this can get you fired.