Cannot send email!

I'm also a former Comcast customer for many years and elected to keep my comcast.net address after we moved to a "non-comcast" location.  for the last month or so I'm getting intermittent email sending failures (receive is fine).  I get 2-3 differnt messages but always involve the SMTP server.

Then some time later it work fine.  Interestingly, when the failure occurs, I can connect to my PC to my phone hotspot and it works fine.  so, I thought it was an issue on my end with my current ISP -- their tech support could not find an issue.

So, like you, I can't get help from Xfinity since I'm not a paying customer.  I really don't want to go through email address changes but may be forced to do so.

That did it for me!  I'm on a Mac.

@leojn  i am still a paying customer but am going to leave eventually due to relocating out of the area. I looked into this keeping the email @comcast.net as well and it says as long as you log into the account at least once per 90 days, the account remains active. However, I'm haveing the same issues with sending mail as everyone else and i may just give up on it and use Gmail and Yahoo. I've been a customer for 20 years but they do not care about helping the customers with problems. They only help customers empty their pockets.

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@molsonxxx wrote: ... it says as long as you log into the account at least once per 90 days, the account remains active. ...

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That's not quite correct. https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/using-email-only says:

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Your email account will remain active as long as you access it at least once every nine months.

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"The same issues as everyone else" doesn't tell us much. Exactly what problems are you having? What program or app are you using? Any error messages? Does webmail ( https://connect.xfinity.com/ ) work?

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@Again wrote: Actually, a non-customer [former customer] that continues using their @comcast.net email must log in to webmail every 90 days in order to keep the account active, even if using a 3rd party email client.

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Then https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/using-email-only is incorrect when it says:

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As a former Xfinity customer, you can still use your Comcast.net email address if you logged into your account in the 90 days prior to disconnecting your service. Your email account will remain active as long as you access it at least once every nine months.

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If so, might we get Comcast to fix it?

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@BruceW wrote:

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@molsonxxx wrote: ... it says as long as you log into the account at least once per 90 days, the account remains active. ...

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That's not quite correct. https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/using-email-only says:

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Your email account will remain active as long as you access it at least once every nine months.

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"The same issues as everyone else" doesn't tell us much. Exactly what problems are you having? What program or app are you using? Any error messages? Does webmail ( https://connect.xfinity.com/ ) work?

 

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Actually, a non-customer [former customer] that continues using their @comcast.net email must log in to webmail every 90 days in order to keep the account active, even if using a 3rd party email client.

@ComcastJessie  I have verified the new security box for third party access is checked. Receiving mail from the third party is no issue. Sending mail through third party (mac OS 11, mac mail 14) is the issue. Error message just says "comcast SMTP server not available". No problem sending via Iphone though.

@BruceW  you are right about the 9 months. I had read that quite a while ago and didn't remember correctly.

i am using Macbook OS 11 standard mail app. sending does not work but does work on webmail at Xfinity.com and on my Iphone. receiving is fine. I already checked the new security box to allow 3rd party apps and it is checked. I tried removing the account then adding back in - failed. I see this is not limited to Mac users so I'm waiting to hear anyone actually having this resolved.

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@ComcastJessie wrote:

All,

 

We sincerely apologize for any issues you may be experiencing when attempting to access your comcast.net email account via a third-party email client. Effective September 16, 2020, Comcast.net email users will see an added security checkbox in their Xfinity Connect email settings allowing them to enable/disable access to third-party email clients.

 

How to Update Email Security Settings

1. In the top-right corner of the Mailbox, click the Gear icon, then select Settings.
2. Click Security.
3. Uncheck the box under Third Party Access Security to prevent third-party programs access to your Xfinity Connect email.
   
    

    

Can I still access my Comcast.net email account through a third-party client after the email security toggle is turned on?
Yes, all users will be able to manage their Comcast.net email account through third-party clients if the Access Security box is checked in their email settings. All users who attempt to access their Comcast.net email account through third-party clients (e.g., Outlook, Google, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.) without having Access Security enabled will receive a generic error message from the third-party client and will be denied access.

We recommend that you access your Comcast email by going to 

Xfinity Connect (my.xfinity.com) and then clicking Email, or by using the 

Xfinity Connect mobile application.

Will this impact me if I have third-party email on my Comcast account?
Customers who have a third-party email on their account for verification purposes will not be impacted. The impacted customers will be the users who access their Comcast email through a third-party client (e.g., Outlook, Google, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.).

What will happen if I don’t disable third-party access?
Customers who continue to access their Comcast.net email account through a third-party client will be more susceptible to potential credential fraud.

Will changing the email security settings affect how I receive emails or manage my mailbox?
The only change you’ll potentially experience will be the error message experience described above through a third-party client if you don’t have the Access Security toggle enabled.

 

 

Please note:  Allowing access by third-party email clients (e.g., Outlook, Google, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.), could expose the customer’s Xfinity ID and password to fraud and other risks, including the potential for external programs to read, download and delete emails on the customer’s behalf

 

For additional information on this change, please see this article. 

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@ComcastJessie, I checked the check box to which you have referred when Comcast first introduced this extra security measure.  Despite that, I am still experiencing intermittent but significant delays in sending and in receiving mail.  Whatever the cause of the delays is, it is not because the check box in question is unchecked.  It is checked.

I have the same issue, its not the check box.

Please Comcast fix this. @ComcastJesse 

I did the checkbox thing too, weeks ago. This is still a problem. I still have trouble intermittently with my outgoing email. I don't get a bounce back message, my emails simply never make it to they intended recipient and I am having to follow up on every single outgoing email and resend it sometimes multiple times before the recipient gets the email. It's a problem comast, please stop denying that there is an issue, it has been happening for months now. 

occassionally during recent months, my wife will tell me that using Xfinity on her phone, emails are not sending. I will look at my desktop Outlook and notice I also have emails in Outbox. I have tried all the proposed solutions, changing server settings, changing profile, etc. The ONLY thing that works is to reset (unplug) my router/modem; then all the emails on both devices are sent. One time I did change the Outgoing Outlook server setting from 465 to 587 which solved the problem for a couple of weeks. I now know to save time and just reset the modem, but sometimes we don't notice emails are not going for a few hours. I have updated the modem software, had a Comcast tech look at the system. Why would a modem reset fix an outgoing email problem? This is getting frustrating! Thanks.

Comcast e-mail -- Messages say they are sent, they show up in "sent" folder, BUT recipient not getting the e-mail.  Please help! 

 "sent" e-mails show up in sent box, but not getting to recipient. I am not using a 3rd party to access the email account. Just started having problem. Was working fine until about July 15 2021...so the "accepted" solution is not a solution for me.  Help.