After updating passwords, I can no longer send eMails via Outlook

Greetings, @sfnative!  Thanks so much for taking a moment out of your busy day to leave a post on our community forum. I'm sorry to hear you're still having issues with your email, but you have definitely come to the right place for assistance.

If you could send our team a direct message with your full name, the name listed on the account (if different), and the service address associated with your account, I'd be more than happy to look into this for you.

To send a Direct Message, please click on the “Direct Message” icon in the top-right corner of the screen, next to the bell icon, click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon, then type or select "Xfinity Support". Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window and press Enter to send your message and initiate a live session.

I'm in roughly the same boat.  My comcast.net email service using Outlook comes and goes, sometimes for days at a time.  The techs are obviously not knowledgeable enough to tackle this problem, so they deflect it.  Senior management either doesn't realize they have a problem or is trying to ignore it.  This will bite them when they are next looking for community support.

The one thing that has worked reliably for me when wired access doesn't work is to switch from cable internet to cellular.   This works on my IPhone and IPad, and yesterday worked on my desktop computer after I connected via wifi to my IPhone cellular hotspot.  The local email settings in all cases are identical.  This pretty much confirms that the problem is outside of my devices and depends on the signal path from me to Comcast servers.

Problem with finding another service is that there are no good alternatives, neither where I live now nor at my previous location.   Monopolies are not efficient, and we are paying the price of that inefficiency.

@Buythatcard​ You are right.   I was forgetting that my Iphone and Ipad don't use Outlook and behave similarly.  I got annoyed at Outlook when this started happening and then didn't reconsider.   So, it's either Xfinity or the intermediary services between us and them.

Another contradictory tidbit is that I've seen this behavior before.   We have spent time camping in an RV resort in Arizona that has wired cable internet provided by Dish.   Same problem.   Can't use Comcast mail with the Dish network except when you can.   Dish pointed at Microsoft at the time.   I gave up trying.

I believe I've narrowed it down to my Comcast modem. If I'm using either Samsung Email or Outlook on my phone, it gets blocked when I send from home. When I turn off my WiFi, the phone connects to cellular, and my emails get sent. 

@user_yl63wr​ I am on a Spectrum network using a Spectrum provided and branded ET2251 modem with my Asus router. 

When we previously encountered a nearly identical problem with Comcast email in Arizona, I was using yet another modem in our RV that I had purchased on EBay.   Not sure what model.

If the problem is in the modem, I doubt that it is limited to any one brand or network.

Hello @user_yl63wr, thank you for taking the time to reach out on social media.  I understand your concern with the email, and I'd like the opportunity to check into that for you.

To access your account, will you please send us a direct message with your full name and complete service address to “Xfinity Support”. To do so, click on the chat icon located at the top right of this forums page.

Here's the detailed steps to direct message us:

• Click "Sign In" if necessary
• Click the "Direct Message” icon (upper right corner of this page)
• Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon
• Type "Xfinity Support" in the to line and select "Xfinity Support" from the drop-down list
• Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window
• Press Enter to send your message

Seems like a real headache to follow these steps.  I also have multiple accounts.  One of my accounts is quite small so I think I will experiment with that one first.

Seems like Xfinity is putting all the emphasis on the user to try and fix the issue.  They should be doing something on their side.

If this method is 100% foolproof, don't you think that Xfinity should share this info with all their users?

Raising their fees is a BIG insult. [Edited: "Inflammatory"] 

@user_ybodys​ Just tried the above suggested method for OUtlook and it does not work.  Same error message as before. Now, lets hope all the mail that were sitting in folders returns.

Greetings, @Buythatcard! Thanks so much for taking a moment out of your busy day to leave a post on our community forum. I'm sorry to hear you're still having issues with Outlook after the password change, but you have definitely come to the right place for assistance.

If you are able to access your email online without these same issues, we may need to reach out to our advanced support team to see if your SMTP settings are still holding on to a piece of your old password, or reverting to a previous state.

If you could send our team a direct message with your full name, the name listed on the account (if different), and the service address associated with your account, I'd be more than happy to look into this for you.

To send a Direct Message, please click on the “Direct Message” icon in the top-right corner of the screen, next to the bell icon, click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon, then type or select "Xfinity Support". Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window and press Enter to send your message and initiate a live session.

@XfinityJamesC​ I have the same issue as Buythatcard for many weeks - outgoing server connection fails. I'm using MacMail. All was fine until changing the password.  There is no "Direct Message icon" that I can see. Next to the bell to the left is a chat bubble and to the right is a blue circle with a U inside. There is no pencil and paper icon. 

@XfinityJamesC​ I don't see a Direct Message icon next to the bell.  There is a U in a circle. When I click on it, it displays my profile.  Be a little more specific please.

By the way, as it has been doing for the past few weeks. It works for a few hours late at night until early morning.  Then it suddenly stops allowing me to send messages  around 7 :30 AM EST.  It appears to happens every day.

@user_a00w9h did you try to remove your email from outlook and then redo the steps to add your email with the new password?

@pawa_user​ Good advice but it is not a solution to the existing issues.  I have had these security settings enabled and have been running into issues ever since Xfinity required us to change our passwords.

Today, everything is working the way it should be.  That does not mean all will be good for the remainder of the day.  For the past 3 weeks, it has been off and on.

If I had a nickel for every suggestion that I have seen over the past 3 weeks, I would be a rich man today.  Xfinity needs to deal with the issue head on. [Edited: "Inflammatory"]

I have spoken to multiple Xfinity techs and have been told that it was Outlook's issue even though other 3rd part programs are having same issue.  I have been told to make sure that my passwords are updated in Outlook.  I have been told to delete all of my accounts and reinstall them. Restart your modem, shutoff all of your virus programs, disable all of your IPAD, IPhone mail accounts, etc, etc.

Had an Xfinity tech who told me that the issue  will be escalated and they will call me back in an hour.  Well, the problem is still there and they haven't called back yet and it's almost 3 weeks.

Had techs tell my to direct message them on this board.  I have and messages go unanswered.

This whole fiasco has convinced me to start looking for new mail server providers. [Edited: "Inflammatory"]

I appreciate you trying those steps, @Buythatcard, and your activity here on the Xfinity Forums. I know email is vital and we want this resolved. I wanted to ask when you changed your comcast.net email password did you also make sure to update Outlook or other email clients with the new password there? Included here are additional steps that may help. If the issue persists we may need to reach out to our advanced support team to see if your SMTP settings are still holding on to a piece of your old password, or reverting to a previous state. 

Can you please click the Direct Message icon at the top right of the page, click on the pen and pad icon, enter Xfinity Support in the "To" section of the chat, and provide us with your first/last name and full address, so we may further assist you? We'll get this sorted out.

I'm 74 years old and am also stuck in my ways.   

Your local Xfinity store doesn't know what it's talking about.  Comcast doesn't want responsibility for making third party applications work, but they can and do work well.  Comcast would lose a significant chunk of business if this wasn't the case.   Imagine being told that the mail app in your expensive new IPhone won't work with Comcast, but it does work with all other major carriers.   That is not a winning approach to the problem.

After a period of intermittent failure to connect to email servers, Outlook is now working fine for me with no changes at my end other than to my password (both at comcast and in Outlook).  Yours can too, as long as Comcast is working properly at your location.

Webmail stinks.  If I were you, I would noisily go back to the Xfinity store and loudly demand that they restore your phone to its prior state.

The fact that you can send from webmail and then see the outgoing mail in your Outlook 'Sent' folder suggests that Outlook is in fact working.  You are probably using IMAP which will try to keep the 'Sent' folders on your various devices and apps in sync.  If you send from one, it should show up in all.

Good sir....thank you for your kindly provided information. One problem for this old woman, is that I'm not a techie and don't understand much of the lingo. I've been flying by the seat of my pants in regard to technology ever since computers became a thing...lol. I  just feel that  Comcast/Xfinity charges me an arm and a leg (well everyone) and when things don't work, I call and am pushing all sorts of buttons b4 I even get a human! The they want me to run thru my house to check this, that and the other until I tell them I'm disabled and can't do that so just send a tech! In regards to this Outlook situation, I can't perform all of what has been suggested merely because I'm not a techie. For what I pay, I expect service! Good service! I guess that's hard to find in this world today. This is a Comcast - Outlook problem and THEY need to fix it at their end!! Not us who pay them exorbitant money. So unless there's a very simple way for me to return to using Outlook for both send/receive, I guess I'm stuck receiving mail on their webmail and sending in Outlook. What a cluster f***!  

Oh btw, those young pups in their stores, who probably change jobs every few months, are rude af and ignorant about this issue, which is why they don't know what they're talking about.

@Wontonamera58 Hello, I am happy to be of assistance. Can you please send us a DM. You can start by clicking the chat icon located in the top right corner of your forums' page when signed in. Once there, you can direct your messages to "Xfinity Support." Please add your full name and service address to help us locate your account. Let me know if you have any questions. 

If I were in your shoes, I would update your wife's password.   You should do that anyway because Xfinity's behavior suggests that it may have been compromised. 

You might then find that the IPad works with the new password.  It's not inconceivable that Xfinity is blocking new sign-ons to old accounts until the password is updated as they require.

@Buythatcard I appreciate the details you've provided and apologize that this has impacted your email accounts. Have you checked to see if the third party access is enabled for other mail clients? May try disabling and re-enabling, though I understand it is only impacting your ability when connected to WiFi.

Keep an eye on it.   Others have found that it works at first and then subsequently quits working after reconfiguring.

@user_074b0f​ I dealt with the same issue off and an for 3 weeks. [Edited: "Inflammatory"].  I was also passed along to other agents[Edited: "Inflammatory"].  I have been told that they would escalate the issue and have someone call me back.  They never do.

To make a long story short, the issue just goes away on it's own.  I have not had any issues for several days now. Doesn't mean it won't start up again.  But I decided not to call these people anymore. Tired of wasting my time with technicians [Edited: "Inflammatory"].

I have visited multiple forums and have see many customers complain about the same issue.  It all started after their data breach and had us update our passwords. I am convinced along with other customers that the issue is on Comcast's end.

Good luck!

@user_074b0f​ Others here have found that email works if you connect via cellular, but not if you connect via wifi and a local ISP.  Perhaps your Ipad and Iphone are using cellular and that is why they work.   If that’s the case maybe you can set up your Iphone or Ipad as a hotspot and connect your Mac to the internet via that hotspot?

This patch worked for my Windows machine and kept my email coming and going despite the Comcast problems.…which have now gone away for me.

This has nothing to do with wifi / cellular  I'm having the same issue with my pc which is hard wired to my router.   They somehow did something that messed with imap and smtp server settings or security protocol and they're not telling anyone cause they probably don't even realize how it effected everyone.  

Hi there, @user_074b0f Thank you so much for your time and patience. I'm truly sorry for the trouble you are having not being able to send emails, I understand how frustrating this experience has been for you. Can you please try the following. Please click the GEAR symbyl and choose: Email Settings. Now, on the email settings page, click on SECURITY. Now, look for “Third Party Access Security” and make sure the check box next to “Allow access…” is checked. This box MUST be checked for programs like Microsoft Outlook to be able to interact with your email.-Richard

@Buythatcard - To keep your account secure, we recommend that you reset or change your password regularly. If you have to change your email password, you’ll need to do that with the password in Outlook too. I hope this info helps!