I have been using outlook to check my comcast emails for at least 10 years now. Never an issue. All of a sudden last night I could not send anything from outlook. No password changes. No changes period.
I get a message that says there is an error connecting to the smtp server.
I can't send emails through Outlook on my laptop nor through the mail application on my iPhone or iPad. I get the same message on all devices. I've called Comcast and wasted 4 hours during the day. Missed work trying to get this fixed. At the end of the call they said they can't help me anymore and that I should call Outlook. When I asked about the same error on my iPhone and iPad they didn't have an answer. I called Microsoft and they did several test at over an hour and told me try diff port and encryption combinations with no resolution. After all this wasted time I'm still getting the SMTP server connection error message. I'm using Outlook version 2016, any help is appreciated.
@crf318 wrote:
I have been using outlook to check my comcast emails for at least 10 years now. Never an issue. All of a sudden last night I could not send anything from outlook. No password changes. No changes period.
I get a message that says there is an error connecting to the smtp server.
I can't send emails through Outlook on my laptop nor through the mail application on my iPhone or iPad. I get the same message on all devices.And that message is???
I've called Comcast and wasted 4 hours during the day. Missed work trying to get this fixed. At the end of the call they said they can't help me anymore and that I should call Outlook. When I asked about the same error on my iPhone and iPad they didn't have an answer. I called Microsoft and they did several test at over an hour and told me try diff port and encryption combinations with no resolution. After all this wasted time I'm still getting the SMTP server connection error message. I'm using Outlook version 2016, any help is appreciated.
@crf318 Hello, I am sending you a direct messgae to gather more details.
After more time with comcast support and Microsoft support yesterday; no solution
The server set up information the provider (Comast) gave my husband during several comcast supports calls on Tuesday; and the same server set up information given to me on continuring comcast support calls on Tuesday as well as further comcast support calls yesterday was invalid.
Comcast kept trying several server set up combinations and none worked.
Miscrosoft dialed into my computer and accessed the set up this morning and entered one of the combinations that was already tried on Wednesday and it was fixed it in 5 minutes.
I have had this same issue, on and off for over a year, and I finally figured out my problem, so hopefully it will help others.
I have 2 separate ISPs (one for the family, one for my work).
The regular household ISP is a combination satellite dish/radio tower (NextLink), and that connection will never connect properly to smtp.comcast.net using any possible combination of port/encryption.
My other DSL connection works perfectly.
For those who are having this issue, I would suggest using your phone as a hotspot temporarily if need be, and connect to that with your computer, and see if that fixes the issue. At least then you'll know it's something with your ISP (possibly blocking certain outgoing ports).
Hope this helps.
OK, then, let's try again....
Per the below, Comcast is clearly having problems. The SMTP server should respond rather than getting hung up, and the connection timing out.
++++++++
MYCOMPUTERUSERID:~ MYCOMPUTERUSERID$ swaks -stl -t MYEMAILADDRESS@comcast.net -f MYEMAILADDRESS@comcast.net -p 587 -tlso -au ME -s smtp.comcast.net
Password: MY PASSWORD
=== Trying smtp.comcast.net:587...
*** Error connecting to smtp.comcast.net:587:
*** IO::Socket::INET6: connect: timeout
+++++++++++
MYCOMPUTERUSERID:~ MYCOMPUTERUSERID$ swaks -stl -t MYEMAILADDRESS@comcast.net -f MYEMAILADDRESS@comcast.net -p 465 -tlso -au ME -s smtp.comcast.net
Password: MY PASSWORD
=== Trying smtp.comcast.net:465...
*** Error connecting to smtp.comcast.net:465:
*** IO::Socket::INET6: connect: timeout
+++++++++++
has there been a fix for this, same problem, please advise
@steve963 wrote:has there been a fix for this, same problem, please advise
In my experience, the problem -- delays in handshaking -- comes and goes. Yesterday, the delays were pretty significant. It seemed to me that delays on the receiving (POP3) side were more significant than on the outgoing (SMTP) side. This is not the first time that I have noticed this.