Email Settings GuideQuick answer: HiNet email runs on HiNet Webmail. Every protocol connects to msa.hinet.net. IMAP is on 993, POP3 on 995 and SMTP on 465, each secured with SSL. Your username is the full address and the mailbox password you set in HiNet Webmail lets you in. Your exact values also sit under your HiNet mail settings in HiNet Webmail. Mail arrives but will not send? Why the sign-in matters.
What Changed Recently#
A host changes how you sign in more often than it changes the server names. Here is the current status for HiNet and what it means for your setup.
Worth knowing
The username is the account name. HiNet's own guide uses the part before the at sign, such as name from name@msa.hinet.net.
Worth knowing
Incoming and outgoing use different servers. Read mail from msa.hinet.net. Send mail through msr.hinet.net, with an r rather than an a.
Worth knowing
Outgoing mail now needs a sign-in. HiNet made the outgoing server require your account and password, so turn on outgoing authentication or sending fails.
Before You Begin#
Handle these two basics before anything else. Skip them and your email app will reject the connection even when every server value is correct.
1. Create the mailbox
Add the address under your mail settings in HiNet Webmail and set its password. That password is the one your apps use.
Where: HiNet Webmail then your mail settings
2. Open your HiNet mail settings
Click your HiNet account next to the address, then your HiNet mail settings to read the server name and secure ports.
Where: Find your settings →
About HiNet Email#
HiNet is the internet and mail service of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's largest provider. Its mail is the MSA system, reached in a browser at webmail.hinet.net or in any mail app over IMAP and POP.
The point that catches people is that incoming and outgoing sit on different servers. Incoming mail uses msa.hinet.net. Outgoing mail uses msr.hinet.net, with an r rather than an a. HiNet moved outgoing mail to msr and now requires the outgoing server to sign in, so an old profile often reads mail but cannot send.
| Service Name | HiNet Mail, the MSA system |
| Run By | Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan |
| Address Domain | msa.hinet.net, also legacy hinet.net |
| Incoming Server | msa.hinet.net, IMAP 993 or POP3 995 |
| Outgoing Server | msr.hinet.net, SMTP 587 |
| Outgoing sign-in | Required, same account and password |
| Username | Account name, the part before the at sign |
| Webmail | webmail.hinet.net |
HiNet Webmail Login#
You can always read your mail in a browser. The official sign in pages are:
Find Your Settings#
IMAP is ready the moment a mailbox exists, so nothing needs switching on. To read the exact values for one address, HiNet lists them inside HiNet Webmail.
- Log in to HiNet Webmail from your HiNet client area.
- Open your mail settings in the Email section.
- Click your HiNet account beside your address, then your HiNet mail settings.
- Pick your app or read the manual settings for the server name and secure ports.
HiNet IMAP Settings#
IMAP is the incoming choice HiNet points most people to. Mail stays put on the server, so a laptop and a phone read one shared inbox. Pull the exact server name from your HiNet mail settings in HiNet Webmail.
| IMAP Server | msa.hinet.net | |
| Port | 993 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address, including @msa.hinet.net | |
| Password | Your mailbox password | |
| Authentication | Required |
HiNet POP3 Settings#
POP3 downloads mail to 1 device. Pick it only if you want a local copy on a single computer. Not sure? See the comparison below.
| POP3 Server | msa.hinet.net | |
| Port | 995 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Your mailbox password |
HiNet SMTP Settings#
SMTP handles outgoing mail. If you can read mail but not send it, the problem is here.
| SMTP Server | msr.hinet.net | |
| Port (SSL) | 465 | |
| Port (STARTTLS) | 587 | |
| Encryption | SSL or STARTTLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Same as incoming mail | |
| Authentication | Required. Switch on outgoing server authentication in the client. |
465 with SSL. Many home connections block port 25. HiNet also supports 587 and 26 if 465 is blocked. Confirm outgoing authentication is on.
Check HiNet IMAP Settings Online#
You don't need to download anything to check HiNet IMAP settings online. This page is the lookup: every value is verified, current and copyable straight from your browser. Not sure your address uses HiNet servers? Type it below and find out instantly.
Does my email address use these settings?
Runs in your browser only. Your address is never sent anywhere or stored.
Want to verify the account itself before configuring an app? Sign in at HiNet webmail, which confirms your address and password work, then confirm an email password exists. If both pass, any email app connects with the tables above.
Look Up IMAP Settings for Any Email Domain#
This page covers HiNet. For every other address, work email on a company domain included, we run a free online lookup database: imapsettings.com.
imapsettings.com
Complete email settings database, by Univik
Enter any email address and get the incoming and outgoing server settings for that domain in 1 step:
Your address is used only to find the settings for that domain. Nothing is stored or shared.
Username and Password#
Both come from the mailbox itself. The username is the whole email address and the password is the one you chose when you built the address in HiNet Webmail. A standard HiNet mailbox uses no email password.
Username is the full address
Type you@msa.hinet.net in full, with the part after the at sign. HiNet turns down a bare mailbox name.
Put that same address on both incoming and outgoing.
Password is the mailbox one
This is the webmail password you set under your mail settings in HiNet Webmail, not your HiNet client area login. Reset it there if an app keeps refusing it.
The two factor prompt in the HiNet client area guards billing, not the mailbox connection.
Set Up HiNet in Email Clients#
The servers and ports are always the same. Only the menus differ. Jump to your app:
Outlook (Windows and Mac)
- In Outlook select Add Account, then turn on manual setup under Advanced options.
- Choose IMAP and set incoming to
msa.hinet.neton 993 with SSL. - Set outgoing to the same server on 465 with SSL.
- Enter the full address and mailbox password when Outlook prompts you.
- Send a test message to yourself to prove both paths.
Apple Mail (macOS)
- In Mail select Add Account, then pick Other Mail Account.
- Give your name, HiNet address and password, then continue.
- Enter msa.hinet.net with SSL on incoming and outgoing.
- Keep the SSL ports so nothing sends in plain text.
- Save and wait for the mailbox to load.
iPhone and iPad
- In Settings open Mail, then tap Mail Accounts and Add Account.
- Tap Other then Add Mail Account and fill your details.
- Keep IMAP chosen and put msa.hinet.net in both server boxes.
- Leave the secure ports iOS fills, since HiNet expects SSL.
- Tap Save and let iOS run its check.
Android
- Open your mail app and tap Add account, then Other or IMAP.
- Put in your address and password. Switch to manual setup if it stalls.
- For incoming use msa.hinet.net on 993 over SSL.
- For outgoing use msr.hinet.net on 465 over SSL.
- Save and swipe down to fetch your mail.
Thunderbird
- In Thunderbird pick Account Actions, then Add Mail Account.
- Type your name, HiNet address and password, then Continue.
- Wait for detection, then make sure IMAP with SSL is picked.
- If detection fails, type msa.hinet.net in yourself.
- Hit Done and the folders fill in on the first sync.
HiNet Webmail Settings#
Server settings connect your apps. The controls here shape how the mailbox acts on its own. They live in HiNet Webmail, opened at webmail.hinet.net in any browser.
Signature
Add one in the webmail preferences. It rides on mail sent from webmail. A desktop app keeps a signature of its own.
Vacation Auto Reply
Set an autoresponder in HiNet Webmail and give it start and end dates. The HiNet server delivers it, so it fires even when your machine is off.
Filters and Folders
Create filters from the HiNet webmail filters in HiNet Webmail. A server side rule sorts a message ahead of any device fetching it. A rule set inside an app only works while that app is running.
Spam and Blocked Senders
HiNet runs SpamAssassin on incoming mail. Set the threshold and block unwanted senders in HiNet Webmail. Flagged mail lands in the junk folder for a look.
POP3 vs IMAP#
| Feature | IMAP | POP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Where mail lives | On the HiNet server | Downloaded to 1 device |
| Multiple devices | ✅ Everything stays in sync | ❌ Each device sees different mail |
| Sent and deleted mail | ✅ Synced everywhere | ⚠️ Stays only on that device |
| Offline reading | ⚠️ Cached mail only | ✅ Full local copy |
| Server storage used | Yes, counts against your quota | Can be freed after download |
| Best for | Phone + computer, everyday use | Single PC, local archives |
HiNet Email at a Glance#
Every value for a HiNet address in one place. Note the different servers for reading and sending:
| Incoming (IMAP) | msa.hinet.net, port 993, SSL |
| Incoming (POP3) | msa.hinet.net, port 995, SSL |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | msr.hinet.net, port 587, STARTTLS |
| Outgoing alternative | Port 465 with SSL where 587 is blocked |
| Outgoing sign-in | Required, same account and password |
| Username | Account name, the part before the at sign |
| Password | Your HiNet email password |
| Webmail | webmail.hinet.net |
Troubleshooting HiNet Connections#
Find the exact error your email app shows, then apply the fix:
| Error you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Username or password rejected | Short username or wrong password | Use the full email address with the mailbox password from HiNet Webmail, not the client area login. |
| Cannot send on port 25 | ISP blocks the default SMTP port | Switch outgoing to 465 with SSL. HiNet also accepts 587 and 26 if 465 is blocked. |
| Mail arrives but will not send | The outgoing server is still msa.hinet.net | Change the outgoing server to msr.hinet.net, with an r rather than an a. HiNet moved outgoing mail there, so the old msa address reads mail but cannot send. |
| Sending is rejected even on msr.hinet.net | Outgoing authentication is off | Turn on the option that the outgoing server needs a sign-in, using the same account and password as incoming. HiNet requires it on the outgoing server now. |
| Cannot connect to server | Wrong port or encryption | Set 993 with SSL incoming and 465 with SSL outgoing. A firewall on your own machine can block it as well. |
| Repeated password prompt | Short username or a typo | Clear the saved login, then put in the full address with the mailbox password. |
| Messages stuck in Outbox | SMTP authentication is off | Enable "outgoing server requires authentication" with the same login as incoming mail. |
| Sending fails with error 0x800ccc78 | SMTP authentication is off or wrong | That code means the outgoing server refused the sign-in. Turn on outgoing authentication on msr.hinet.net and use the same account name and password as incoming. HiNet requires the sign-in to send. |
| My mail sends but lands in the recipient's spam | The message is going out unauthenticated | Unsigned mail from the old path can still leave, yet Gmail and Outlook treat it with suspicion. Send through msr.hinet.net with the sign-in on, so it passes the SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks. |
Reader Reported Fixes
Copy from your HiNet mail settings. When a manual setup will not connect, the your HiNet mail settings page in HiNet Webmail prints the exact server name and ports for that mailbox. Pasting those in clears the guesswork behind most failed setups.
Test the login in webmail first. Sign in at webmsa.hinet.net with the full address and mailbox password. If webmail works, the credentials are right and the issue sits in the app settings.
Why HiNet Makes You Sign In to Send #
HiNet turned on a sign-in requirement for sending in September 2025. Before that, an app could hand mail to the outgoing server with no proof of who was sending. Now the outgoing server, msr.hinet.net, checks your account and password on every message. Without that sign-in, mail will not leave the outbox.
The reason is reputation. When an account was hacked, it could pour spam through HiNet's shared outgoing servers. Those servers then landed on blocklists, so mail from ordinary users bounced too. A sign-in ties every message to an account, which lets HiNet trace abuse and keep its sending hosts trusted.
This matters for whether your mail arrives. Gmail and Outlook now check for SPF, DKIM and DMARC before they trust a sender. HiNet has all three in place, so a signed-in message from msr.hinet.net passes those checks. The practical step is small. Turn on outgoing authentication with the same account and password you read mail with.
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| When | From September 2025, a sign-in is required to send |
| Outgoing server | msr.hinet.net checks your account and password |
| Why | Hacked accounts spammed through shared hosts, which got blocklisted |
| Effect of a block | Ordinary users' mail bounced too |
| Standards | HiNet runs SPF, DKIM and DMARC so Gmail and Outlook trust it |
| Your step | Turn on outgoing authentication, same account and password |
Moving Mail In or Out?#
HiNet mail speaks plain IMAP, so a mailbox moves in or out like any HiNet account. Each folder stays on the server until the move finishes.
Take a copy first. Back up the mailbox before a move. A note that arrives mid switch can sit on either side. A copy keeps you safe.
Carrying mail across? The Univik Email Migration Tool moves each folder over an IMAP link. Give it the HiNet server name and mailbox password on this side and the other account opposite.
Rather hand it off? Our Email Migration Services team runs the whole move and verifies each folder arrived.
Use These Settings in Univik Email Backup#
The same IMAP settings above let you download your complete HiNet mailbox to your computer. Univik Email Backup saves everything as PST, MBOX, EML or PDF files you keep forever, even if the account closes.
- Download Univik Email Backup and install it on Windows.
- Select HiNet from the source list. If it isn't listed by name, choose IMAP.
- Give the complete email address with your mailbox password. The login name is always the whole email address.
- When the backup tool wants server details, hand it msa.hinet.net on port 993 with SSL for HiNet. Take those values straight from the IMAP table above, with port
993over SSL. - Pick a saving format and folder, then start the backup. Large mailboxes download in the background.
Univik Tools That Use These Settings#
Many people land here while migrating or archiving a mailbox. All 3 tools use the same IMAP settings from this page:
Email Backup
Download your complete HiNet mailbox to PST, MBOX, EML or PDF before switching or closing the account.
Email Backup Tool →
Email Migration Tool
Copy every folder from HiNet straight into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any other account. No manual export needed.
Email Migration Tool →
Email Converter Tool
Already have MBOX, EML or OST files from an old export? Convert them to PST, PDF or any format your new app opens.
Email Converter Tool →Prefer to hand the whole migration to experts?
If the hostnames and passwords feel like busywork, you can let the tool handle it. Univik's migration team handles the complete project: planning, transfer, verification and a report showing every folder made it. Since 2013, for single mailboxes up to full company moves.
Email Settings Glossary#
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. Reads mail that stays on the HiNet server, so every device shows the same inbox. Use msa.hinet.net on port 993 with SSL.
POP3
Post Office Protocol version 3. Downloads mail to one device and can clear the server. Use msa.hinet.net on port 995 with SSL if you prefer POP.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Sends your outgoing mail through msr.hinet.net on port 587 with STARTTLS. It needs authentication with your account and password.
SSL and STARTTLS
Two ways to encrypt the link. SSL is on from the first byte, on 993 and 995. STARTTLS upgrades a plain link, on 587 for outgoing mail.
msa.hinet.net
The incoming server for HiNet mail. Set it for both IMAP on 993 and POP3 on 995. It also appears in the address, such as name@msa.hinet.net.
msr.hinet.net
The outgoing server for HiNet mail. Note the r, not an a. HiNet moved outgoing mail here, so an old profile set to msa.hinet.net can no longer send.
SMTP Authentication
The account and password check on the outgoing server. HiNet made it a requirement, so sending fails without it turned on.
HiNet Webmail
The browser view of your mail at webmail.hinet.net. Handy for a quick check or when an app will not connect.
Account Name
Your username for the server. HiNet's own guide uses the part before the at sign, such as name from name@msa.hinet.net.
Email Password
The password for the mailbox. Your apps and the webmail sign in with it. The outgoing server uses it too.
MSA Mail System
HiNet's mail platform, reached at webmail.hinet.net. It serves the msa.hinet.net addresses.
Chunghwa Telecom
The company behind HiNet, Taiwan's largest internet provider. HiNet is its consumer internet and mail brand.
Sender Reputation
How mail systems judge whether a server sends trustworthy mail. Spam from a server lowers it, which sends good mail to spam too.
Blocklist
A shared list of servers known for spam. Mail from a listed server is refused or filtered, so a listing hurts every user on it.
SPF, DKIM and DMARC
Three checks that prove a message really came from its domain. HiNet has all three set, so Gmail and Outlook trust its mail.
How We Verify These Settings#
Univik builds email backup, migration and converter software since 2013. Our tools sign in to HiNet over IMAP and SMTP every day for thousands of users, so a changed server, port or login rule shows up in our connection logs before most guides notice it.
Every value on this page is confirmed with three checks: a live IMAP and SMTP connection from Univik Email Backup, a comparison against the HiNet guides and a sign in with a real mailbox using the full address. We re verify after any provider announcement and at least once a quarter.
Found something that no longer matches what HiNet shows you? Tell us and we will retest and update the page, with the change logged in what changed recently.
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
For incoming mail use msa.hinet.net, IMAP on port 993 or POP3 on 995 with SSL. For outgoing use msr.hinet.net on port 587 with STARTTLS. Turn on the outgoing sign-in. The username is your account name.
Almost always the outgoing server is still set to msa.hinet.net. HiNet moved outgoing mail to msr.hinet.net, with an r rather than an a. Change the outgoing server to msr.hinet.net and make sure it signs in with your account and password.
IMAP suits most people. It keeps mail on the HiNet server, so every device shows the same inbox. Both run on msa.hinet.net, IMAP on 993 and POP3 on 995. POP3 downloads to one device and can clear the server.
Yes. The server names and ports are identical everywhere. You enter msa.hinet.net for incoming and msr.hinet.net for outgoing. Only the menu wording differs between apps.
HiNet's own guide uses the account name, the part before the at sign. For name@msa.hinet.net you enter name. The password is your HiNet email password, the same one the webmail uses.
Yes. HiNet supports IMAP, POP3 and SMTP over encrypted connections, which is what these apps use. Keep SSL on for incoming and use STARTTLS on 587 for outgoing. Port 465 with SSL is the outgoing alternative.
Add the account over IMAP so the folders sync, then let the app finish downloading. In Thunderbird or Outlook you can then export a folder to a local file. POP3 with a copy left on the server pulls everything down too.
HiNet changed the outgoing server and added a sign-in requirement. Set the outgoing server to msr.hinet.net on 587, then turn on outgoing authentication with the same account and password. Incoming on msa.hinet.net is unchanged.
At webmail.hinet.net, the MSA mail system. Sign in with your account name and email password. It is a quick way to check mail or to confirm your password is right before fixing an app.
To protect its sending reputation. Hacked accounts used to flood HiNet's shared outgoing servers with spam, which got those servers put on blocklists, so ordinary users' mail bounced. Since September 2025 the outgoing server msr.hinet.net checks your account and password on every message, which lets HiNet trace abuse. HiNet also runs SPF, DKIM and DMARC, so signed-in mail passes the checks at Gmail and Outlook. The section above has the detail.
Other Email Provider Settings
Summary: HiNet Settings at a Glance
- IMAP: msa.hinet.net, port 993, SSL/TLS
- POP3: msa.hinet.net, port 995, SSL/TLS
- SMTP: msr.hinet.net, port 465 or 587
- Username is always your full email address
- HiNet mailbox on the HiNet servers
- Pick IMAP for phone + computer sync
- Full address as the username
- Username is always the full email address