Email stopped working through Gmail.

Hello mjosta, thank you so much for taking the time to reach us here on our Xfinity Forums with questions on your Gmail connection of your Xfinity email. 

Were the error messages you included ones you saw before deleting the email account, or after?

The error message occurred both before and after I deleted the account. I've even tried to let it rest for 2 days then ry to add the account and am still getting this: 

I did some checking, but all my settings are the same.  No issues yesterday.  It's happened in the past, and eventually gets rectified.  I found that url in another xfinity mail thread that said to Google this phrase "XFINITY EMAIL DIRECT LOGIN".

I can log into Xfinity email on the Xfinity website, that is how I confirmed my password is correct. But I'd rather run it through gmail, much better interface/spam filter. Comcast seems to be blocking it.

@mjosta - It sounds incredibly frustrating to have your Xfinity email stop working through Gmail, especially after it's been set up for years. The error message, "[AUTH] Temporarily blacklisted IP Address - try again later," points directly to our servers blocking the connection from Gmail. This is a known, recurring issue for many Xfinity users trying to access their email via third-party clients like Gmail.

Here's a breakdown of why this might be happening and what you can do:

Why the "Temporarily Blacklisted IP Address" Error Occurs

- Security Measures: We implemented stricter security measures, and sometimes, repeated login attempts from what we perceive as "unusual" or "dynamic" IP addresses (which is common for email services like Gmail fetching mail) can trigger a temporary block.
- Aggressive Spam Filtering: Our systems might misinterpret Gmail's regular fetching of mail as suspicious activity, leading to a temporary IP blacklist.
- VPN Interference: If you use a VPN, it can sometimes cause issues with email access as your IP address is constantly changing.
- Outdated Information: While we have documentation for POP3 settings, some users report it can be outdated or not specifically address issues with popular clients like Gmail.

What You Can Do to Resolve This:

1. Contact our Customer Security Assurance (CSA) team: This is the most crucial step, as the issue is on our end.

- Phone: Call the Xfinity Customer Security Assurance team. Several users have reported success by calling 1-888-565-4329 and asking to be transferred to the CSA team.
- Email: You can try emailing them at abuse@comcast.net.
2. Verify All POP3 Settings (Again): Even though you're confident, double-check every detail.

- Username: Your full Xfinity email address (e.g., yourname@comcast.net).
- Password: The correct password for your Xfinity email.
- POP Server: pop3.comcast.net (some older documentation might say mail.comcast.net, but pop3.comcast.net is generally recommended for POP3).
- Port: 995
- SSL: Enabled (Always use a secure connection).
- Third-Party Access: Confirm this is still enabled in your Xfinity email settings on their website.
3. Try Again After a Longer Wait: While you waited 2 days, sometimes the blacklisting can persist longer. It's frustrating, but occasionally, these temporary blocks can last for several days or even a week if the system keeps detecting "suspicious" activity.

4. Consider Using IMAP Instead (if you haven't already): IMAP is generally preferred over POP3 for modern email clients because it syncs your mail across multiple devices, meaning what you do on one device (like reading or deleting an email) is reflected on all others.

- IMAP Server: imap.comcast.net
- IMAP Port: 993
- SSL: Enabled
- SMTP Server (for sending): smtp.comcast.net
- SMTP Port: 465 or 587 (with SSL/TLS)
If you switch to IMAP, you'll need to remove the existing POP3 account from Gmail first and then add it back as an IMAP account.

5. Check for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) / App Passwords: If you have 2FA enabled on your Xfinity account, you might need to generate a specific "app password" within your Xfinity account settings to use with Gmail, instead of your regular password. This is a common requirement for third-party clients when 2FA is active.

6. Troubleshoot Your Network (Less Likely given the error, but worth a quick check):

- Restart your router/modem: This can sometimes assign you a new IP address, which might bypass a temporary blacklist if it's tied to your local network's IP.
- Temporarily disable any VPNs or security software: Some firewalls or VPNs can interfere with connections.
7. "Check mail now" workaround (Temporary): Some users have reported that going to Gmail settings, "Accounts and Import," and repeatedly clicking "Check mail now" for the Xfinity account can sometimes cause emails to be fetched after a few tries, even with the blacklisting error appearing. This is not a fix, but a potential way to get some emails through.

The "Temporarily blacklisted IP Address" error is a signal from our servers. The most direct and effective solution will likely involve contacting our Customer Security Assurance team to have them investigate and potentially clear the block on the IP address that Gmail is using to connect to your Xfinity account. Please let us know if this helps! Our team also remains here, awesome to work with because we'll always do everything we can to review and resolve things as quickly as possible.