Relay.plus.net won’t accept my password

[#1]

@chaswick wrote:

Hi Gandalf. You ask what settings I am using to try to download my emails on my Mac. I'm not quite sure what the settings are that you are referring to. Basically, whenever I try to download emails, a screen message appears saying "can't connect to the account "**********.co.uk."  "Enter the password for user "************"

When I enter the password I immediately get the message "unable to verify account name or password".

I get the same messages when I try to access Plusnet Mail in the internet account section in my system preferences. Without a recognised password I cannot look at the settings there.

My Plusnet emails have worked fine for years, but this problem started at the time of the Plusnet Email Breakdown on 9th November. 

I use a personal email domain name registered with Plusnet.

Thanks for getting back to me. When you setup your emails on your Mac, you'd have had to input settings to send & receive mail through our servers. Could you make sure those settings are as explained Here? If they are already, which of the settings in particular are you using? If you're unsure how you set it up, you can check by going to Mail (at the top of Mac Mail) > Preferences > Accounts. There's also a good guide Here on how to set it up from scratch. 

Feel free to private message me screenshots if it's easier.

[#2]

The information in the first link above is not as clear as it might be - the issue has been raised several times...

1. Encryption on the incoming server should be set to SSL/TLS (the STARTLS refers only to the out going server)
2. The reference to not needing authentication on the outgoing (SMTP) server if connected to the Plusnet network, is only going to lead to difficulty should the device sometime later connect over a different network - keep it simple and chose require authentication, use the same settings as the oncoming server

The information in the second link could be dated as inferred by the health warning at the top of the page.  Somewhere along the way, Apple made the use (operation) of email without encryption darned near impossible.  I have lost track of the state of play in that space, but now that Plusnet email servers support encryption, there is no merit in making encryption optional as suggested by that article.

[#3]

I use Apple Mail

[#4]

Thank you Gandalf. I can't see how to post a private email. Also I tried to upload screen shots yesterday that I had prepared as a PDF but it was rejected as being the wrong format despite having ".PDF'" at the end of the name of the file.

[#5]

@chaswick To send PMs - click on @Gandalf 's avatar - on the new page that opens, the 'Send Private Message' option is on the right.

[#6]

Thanks for getting back to me @chaswick

I don't believe this forum allows you to attach PDF files but I may be wrong. 

Here's a quick way to private message me: https://community.plus.net/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/45633

[#7]

Hi,

Back on the case - since my original post I can't send or receive now.

I've used the settings advised, and have attached screenshots. I've tried with and without SMTP authentication but it doesn't make any difference.

When I try re-setting I get the message 'Something went wrong and Outlook couldn't save your account settings. Please try again.'

[#8]

@leebrown

… ah confusion deep arises with piggy back postings!

Your issue is not going to be fixed by advice on this topic, for that advice (and settings) refer to Plusnet email accounts. Some of the legacy email services have quite different settings - for example see https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/How-to-change-your-outgoing-server-on-a-mail-client/m-p/1606155#...

Globalnet uses your email address as the username. Not sure (from here) the address of the POP3 server.

[#9]

I've tried the settings in the link you provided - it doesn't give any information about incoming settings, though.

My Mac is still functioning normally (the problem is on my Surface) but the server settings for that don't work on the PC

They are mail.globalnet.co.uk (incoming) and smtpmail.globalnet.co.uk (outgoing). What is the best port number to use - the Mac has 110 for incoming, but doesn't give an option for outgoing.

[#10]

Thanks a lot for getting back to us @leebrown

For Globalnet accounts, you're looking to use either port 110 (POP3) and port 143(IMAP for your incoming server, and ports 25 or 587 for your outgoing SMTP server.

[#11]

To be pedantic

- IMAP / POP3 ports 143 / 110 without encryption or 993 / 995 with TLS/SSL

- SMTP should only be port 587 with no encryption or with STARTTLS.

Ports 25 and 465 do generally work but are not compliant with the RFC standards.

[#12]

Thanks. It still won't work. Should the username include the @globalnet.co.uk, or just be the first part of the email address?

[#13]

Globalnet accounts use the full email address as the user name.