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Free-Online email servers error

RPMozley
Pro
Posts: 1,364
Thanks: 96
Fixes: 13
Registered: ‎04-11-2011

Free-Online email servers error

Something or someone has changed the imap.free-online.net and mail.free-online.net dns records to an unknown CNAME and IP. Have we been hacked again?

Both force9 and main plus.net appear not to be affected.
That's RPM to you!!
Tags (1)
28 REPLIES 28
Dan_the_Van
Hero
Posts: 3,463
Thanks: 1,794
Fixes: 97
Registered: ‎25-06-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

I get certificate errors using Outlook 365 and K-9 android app.

Not sure but I think the IP Addresses have changed from 212.n.n.n to

Name: mail.freeonline.enmail.co
Address: 91.204.208.193
Aliases: relay.free-online.net

Name: mail.freeonline.enmail.co
Address: 91.204.208.193
Aliases: imap.free-online.net

pwberry
Dabbler
Posts: 22
Thanks: 22
Registered: ‎23-10-2021

Re: Free-Online email servers error

Not a techie so I don't know how to look at / adjust these sort of things (DNS, IP etc),  all I know is that I can't now connect to a metronet address via Thunderbird or iPhone.  Webmail seems unaffected.  

dave
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 12,382
Thanks: 707
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

@Dan_the_Van  are you still getting errors or is it OK now?

 

@pwberry can you check your email settings in Thunderbird and your iPhone to see what the username is set to? For Metronet email it needs to be in the format username@metronet.co.uk if it's just username then that's likely the problem. We're making some changes at the moment as @RPMozley has spotted and we've spotted a couple of people that had the username format that way that aren't working but the easiest thing is just to add @metronet.co.uk in your settings and it should spring back to life.

Dave Tomlinson
Enterprise Architect - Network & OSS
Plusnet Technology
Dan_the_Van
Hero
Posts: 3,463
Thanks: 1,794
Fixes: 97
Registered: ‎25-06-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

@dave 

Yes I still see the certificate message, currently the are three emails in the in box, I get three messages

Screenshot 2025-03-18 133931.jpg

 

Edit: I use accountname+mailboxname 

 

 

OriginalBigBri
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎10-10-2018

Re: Free-Online email servers error

I'm getting the same on all my free-online mailboxes.

I also use "accountname+mailbox".

 

@dave are you suggesting the server settings should be changed from

 

mail.free-online.net

relay.free-online.net

to

mail.freeonline.enmail.co

relay.freeonline.enmail.co

?Huh

sjpbarker
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: Tuesday

Re: Free-Online email servers error

I am also having problems with free-online email. I can receive emails but when I try to send one email to one recipient I get this error:

Screenshot 2025-03-18 143406.jpg

Is this related?

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Personal information removed from a public forum.
dave
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 12,382
Thanks: 707
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

Apart from @pwberry and anyone else on Metronet using username rather than username@metronet.co.uk there should be no need to change any settings. We're looking at these 2 issues now and should hopefully have it fixed shortly.

Dave Tomlinson
Enterprise Architect - Network & OSS
Plusnet Technology
pwberry
Dabbler
Posts: 22
Thanks: 22
Registered: ‎23-10-2021

Re: Free-Online email servers error

@dave - did just that,  and everything now working perfectly 😊  
Many thanks for your help - really appreciated! 

Dan_the_Van
Hero
Posts: 3,463
Thanks: 1,794
Fixes: 97
Registered: ‎25-06-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

@dave 

All good here now 🤔

Name: relay.free-online.net
Addresses: 212.159.9.105
212.159.8.105

Name: imap.free-online.net
Addresses: 217.46.26.25
217.46.26.15
217.46.26.45
217.46.26.35

OriginalBigBri
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎10-10-2018

Re: Free-Online email servers error

@dave all good here also thanks

sjpbarker
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: Tuesday

Re: Free-Online email servers error

And all is good here also. Thanks!

GrahamS
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Registered: Tuesday

Re: Free-Online email servers error

I am able to get access to my Metronet web mail using my existing Metronet user name and password.

These are also used to access the account in outlook on pc and on my phone. However since last night I get an incorrect user name or password message when trying get mail on PC or Phone.

I tried on a Linux pc with thunderbird to set up access to the pop3 account but get a message saying “unable to log into server, possibly wrong config, user name or password.”

I have tried with my current user name and the username with @metronet.co.uk appended but get the same message.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 24,800
Thanks: 10,654
Fixes: 184
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Free-Online email servers error

Have you tried restarting the device?

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

GrahamS
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Registered: Tuesday

Re: Free-Online email servers error

I just tried once more using the modified user name I.e username@metronet.co.uk and this time it worked!

Confirmed on PC outlook account and iPhone.