29/04/2025 - Freenetname emails not sending on all devices

[#1]

Since the evening of 29 April 2025, my Freenetname emails have unexpectedly stopped sending (I can still receive emails). This is on all Samsung android devices using the the installed email app. My emails are just hanging in the Outbox and when I attempt to resend, the following message is presented "Couldn't authenticate account - The password or authentication method may be incorrect. Check your outgoing server settings then try again."

I had the ability to send emails prior to 29 April 2025 and I have NOT changed my email settings or password in the meantime.

I can log into the Plusnet Webmail and send emails directly from there. 

Has Plusnet possibly changed any of the authentication requirements at their end, with the intended move to Greenby? 

[#2]

Try using the email address are the authentication credentials.

[#3]

Hi Towman, the email address is and was already set for outgoing email authentication. This hasn't been changed at anytime. What is annoying, is that sending emails used to work and now they don't and I haven't changed anything. As it's happing on multiple devices, it's not an "accidental" change on my part. I can only think that Plusnet have changed something with the authentication on the server side?

[#4]

I’ll push a diagnostic test in your direction when I’m back in the study.

[#5]

Hi Townman,

I located a similar thread on the "Community" where the diagnostics cURL commands were listed.

When I execute the "smtp" cURL command to test the "Send Emails" side, it appears to initially verify the connection but then fails with Invalid login or password. I have removed (...) some of the content written to the Terminal screen... 

* Host smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk:587 was resolved.
* IPv6: (none)
* IPv4: 91.204.208.192
* Trying 91.204.208.192:587...
* Connected to smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk (91.204.208.192) port 587
< 220 mail.enmail.co ESMTP ready

...

...

...

< 535 5.7.0 Invalid login or password
* closing connection #0
curl: (67) Login denied

[#6]

Just to confirm the command is ...

curl.exe -v  smtp://smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk:587 -u userID

Replace userID with your email address; at the password prompt, type your password - it is NOT echoed back to the console.  Press enter.

The end of the output (after the connection negotiation) should report...

< 235 2.0.0 OK
> HELP
< 214-This is smtp ESMTP service help
214-This is smtp ESMTP service help
< 214-To contact postmaster send email to postmaster@plus.com.
214-To contact postmaster send email to postmaster@plus.com.
< 214-For local information send email to Postmaster at your site.
214-For local information send email to Postmaster at your site.
< 214 end of HELP info
214 end of HELP info
* Connection #0 to host smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk left intact

I conclude that you are not connected to the Plusnet network?

[#7]

Hi Towman

Yes, that's the outgoing cURL I used. After entering it in the terminal window, it prompts to enter my password. On entering the password and pressing send, it then fails.

I know the userID and passwords are definitely valid, as when I enter the imap and pop3 cURL commands, I see details relating to my Inbox structure:

curl.exe -v imap://mail.freenetname.co.uk -u userID
curl.exe -v pop3://mail.freenetname.co.uk -u userID

Hence as I haven't made any changes on my side, I believe something has changed on the server side?

Rob

[#8]

Pre-migration changes were applied to the domain on 28th April.

I have suspicions, can you please try the smtp test again using the account name.

[#9]

Hi, what account name? I ask as everything i read for Freenetname IDs etc stipulate the user to enter the full freenetname email address. I haven't received any emails yet regarding migration to Greenby or account names.

[#10]

OK. IDNK the FNN set up in detail, however some of the other brands use account name as an alternative to email address.

FNN is not migrating yet, but preparations for migration were made earlier this week.

[#11]

Hi Townman,
So who do we escalate this to? As the emails used to send prior to yesterday and now they don't, and no settings have changed on my email applications, it definitely points to a change on the email server side. Which, would be ironic, given that the Q&A pages for the migration to Greenby, states that the user won't need to make any changes.

[#12 · Accepted solution]

It is escalated.

[#13]

Many thanks Townman.

[#14]

I have the same issue for outbound email - my mobile clients are accepting inbound, but not outbound.  Using a Globalnet email address - seems to be a common problem at  the moment.
As others have said - can send from the horrible webmail website - but not from mobile clients or from outlook on the laptop

This is really frustrating

[#15]

@Townman - Emails are now sending from my devices and being received by intended recipients. Many thanks for taking the time to look into this and escalating the issue. It's people like you who make the world a better place. 🙂