I can't receive email

• Send yourself a test email. The mail has to go out through your outgoing mail server and back into your incoming mail server. This is a good basic test of your account and server information.
• Your account may be "offline" if Mail can't access the account. Check your Inbox to see if it is dimmed. If so, connect to the Internet, then choose Mailbox > Go Online. If you have more than one account, you can take a specific account online by choosing Mailbox > Online Status > "Take '[account]' Online."
• In Mail, choose Window > Connection Doctor and follow any instructions displayed in the Details column. Look to see if there are problems logging into mail accounts or with the incoming mail server. If the Connection Doctor indicates a firewall problem: (a) Verify there is no firewall software blocking network traffic. (b) Check whether you are affected by another firewall, either software installed separately from Mac OS X or built into an Internet sharing router, or administered by your ISP or network administrator. Contact the appropriate person to find out whether a firewall is in place.
• If you have changed options (such as Use SSL or Authentication) in the Advanced pane of your email account preferences, check with your ISP or system administrator for the correct settings.