Email connection - Earthlink

Need help with who should be helping fix this problem.  Just received new Dell Dimension 4600 desktop.  Had Earthlink TotalAccess software on it.  I have an existing Earthlink account so just set it up per the software instructions.   My access is dial-up.   I can connect to internet and Earthlink site fine but I cannot connect to the mail server itself.   I spent 3 hours on the phone last night with Earthlink and Dell, and still cannot connect to the mail server.   I can see all the SPAM that has been blocked and a canned message but no "real" mail coming in or going out.  I know there is mail as I logged back in to my old computer and can read it.  I'm not a real experienced user and don't know where to go from here.   Earthlink had me change server settings and then change them back.  Turn off virus and firewall protection and that didn't work either.   Last resort from them was to uninstall sotfware and reinstall.   I did this through Dell Support, who walked me through process to verify the software is installed and running.   They didn't have any idea why this would be happening.  Is this an Earthlink problem and I need to just keep at them.................could there be a setting I need to change that I don't know about..............just thought someone might have run into the same thing.   Any suggestions or direction would be greatly appreciated.   Thank you.