Why do we have separate selectors for "from" and "smtp server" these days?

Question

A while back we shifted our email from our own domain and virtual server to gmail.  As was the case using our own domain, we still have two seperate "from" names in a selector above the body of an email being composed, but now the selector for the SMTP server has two possibilities, both "smtp.gmail.com" but one ending with ":[email protected]" and the other ":[email protected]".  So now we have the possibility of sending emails with the email addresses "crossed" between the two selections.  Since both accounts use "smtp.gmail.com", is there a way to reconfigure the Apple Mail accounts so that there's only the "from" selector and not two entries in the server selector?

Answer 1

Open up Mail's preferences. Under the Accounts tab, highlight one of the accounts. Each account should have their own SMTP server with the correct user I'd and password. If not, create one for each by editing the SM TP list. With the correct server shown in the list for the account highlighted, check the box to use only that server for that account. Repeat for the other account. You will still have 2 accounts in the server list, but it will automatically send from the correct server unless you have problems. If so, you will be given the option to use the other.
Under the composing tab, select the appropriate account to send new messages from. You will probably want it set to send from the selected account.
There is another way with gmail. You can go into gmail's settings. In settings for one account, you can add the other address to it for sending messages and set it to show the correct account it is sent from. I haven't had a gmail account in years, so you will have to explore that option for yourself if you wish to use it. Then you can use the same server for both accounts.
You can also go in to settings for the second account and add the other to it. That way it will always show the correct address no matter which server an account uses.