topic Freenetname email frozen/intermittent in Email

Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Shackman205 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:09:47 GMT

I have used my Freenetname account through Thunderbird for many years with almost no problems (and those I had were normally my fault). However, the inbox appeared to freeze at or after 1525 yesterday 21 April - at least no new email have been received since then (now 1030 22 April) although I was expecting some.

On checking my (Plusnet) webmail inbox there was also nothing after 1525 yesterday. Knowing that sometimes size issues can be a problem, I deleted all the earlier emails, then cleared the deleted box as well, so the webmail folders were empty. Checking for new mail brought up the reply that there were none, but some 15 minutes later one popped up, time stamped some one hour earlier. About 20 minutes later another one arrived, time stamped somewhat earlier than the previous one, and more are slowly appearing time stamped as early as yesterday, but in no set order, and as yet not the ones I was expecting today.

I also don't know whether the emails I sent after 1525 yesterday (using Thunderbird) and today have actually gone.

Anyone know if this a problem with the webmail service, my own webmail account or some other gremlin in the works?

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:18:30 GMT

There appear to be a handful of reports about slow delivery on various brands - the matter is under investigation.

@plusnettony

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Shackman205 — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:54:52 GMT

I'd just like to say thank you to various posters for 'filling in' information. It would appear all my emails have now appeared - but in a very haphazard and random way, although I'm not sure about outgoing emails. I've re-sent all those from the last 24 hours and only had two replies asking why I'd done so.

I await with interest, and not a little trepidation, to see what happens when we change to Greenby.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Hughesler — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:41:20 GMT

Just to say it's happening again at my end, in case you think it's just you.
Not nagging:)

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:26:22 GMT

This is being managed proactively. Not yet had clarification if this is connected to pre-migration work.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Hughesler — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:04:06 GMT

@Townman, thank you for the update, much appreciated! 👍

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Hughesler — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:25:10 GMT

Hi @Townman or anyone else in the know....do we know if any progress has been made on the issue of incoming mail not updating for hours at a time? My email hasn't updated since we:30 last night?

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Fulltopuk — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:48:21 GMT

Hi - I have the same issue with one of my secondary accounts. The main account is working fine though. I get fetch mail authentication failed error.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

jhollin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:18:13 GMT

Morning,

We are experiencing the same issue, we can see our email on plusnet but they wont migrate.

The only difference is on thunderbird the box with "we are unable to log you in" comes up and wats retry/new password/cancel to be selected.

It was fine last night, just wont work this morning.

Thanks

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:36:20 GMT

@Hughesler / @Fulltopuk / @jhollin

It would help to clarify / confirm the following...

You are all Freenetname users (not one of the other brands)
Is it the primary (main / default) or secondary email address which gives rise to the issue
Does the email address have a "." is it, as in forename.surname@...
Are you connected on the Plusnetnet network of some other
What are you using for authentication - the email address or something else

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Shackman205 — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:25:04 GMT

@Townman : FYI (as the starter) my email is ***.*******@freenetname.co.uk, and is my primary email address. I'm connected through the Plusnet network, and on plusnet webmail I log in with user name (email address) and password.

Of note, when this started for me, even logging on to the Plusnet webmail showed no emails available (although they were obviously 'somewhere', as eventually they started appearing there in a totally random order then being picked up by Thunderbird in the same random order before being sorted timewise.

I've had no recurrence though since the initial problem 🤞

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

jhollin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:25:24 GMT

Thanks,

We are..

You are all Freenetname users (not one of the other brands) YES
Is it the primary (main / default) or secondary email address which gives rise to the issue Not sure, Guess secondary as the emails are in the plusnet site just not transfering
Does the email address have a "." is it, as in forename.surname@... NO
Are you connected on the Plusnetnet network of some other YES
What are you using for authentication - the email address or something else Just the ID name, not email

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:31:15 GMT

@jhollin

Can you please try using the email address as the login credentials.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

jhollin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:53:21 GMT

Wow that worked straight away! thanks

We have not changed anything, so why it stopped working I have no idea!!

Thank You

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:57:20 GMT

@jhollin

I suspect that it is part of the pre-migration activity: some brands will work with either the account name or the email address, though each has always had a specified (or preferred) option. Except for Plusnet, Free-online and Force9 the specified credential is email address, though other methods have worked.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

jhollin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:15:22 GMT

Damn, I spoke to soon.

Emails coming in now great, BUT I now cant send emails.

Says login failed...

🙄

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:35:51 GMT

@jhollin

I wonder... - I am working on the development of a full set of server connection diagnostic tools: their publication is on hold whilst I clarify the correct credentials for the various brands. I have some test account for some brands, but not FNN. I wonder if you might run a couple of tests for FNN please.

Brand: Freenetname - encryption supported: No

IMAP: mail.freenetname.co.uk port: 143
POP3: mail.freenetname.co.uk port: 110
SMTP: smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk port: 587

curl.exe -v " imap://mail.freenetname.co.uk -u userID
curl.exe -v " pop3://mail.freenetname.co.uk -u userID
curl.exe -v smtp://smtpmail.freenetname.co.uk:587 -u userID

The above cURL commands should be copied and pasted into a POWERSHELL window, replacing 'userID' with either the email address or the account name. Enter the password when prompted - it is NOT echoed back to the console. You are looking for the following success markers...

IMAP A0002 OK
POP3 +OK logged in
SMTP <*235 (if SMPT fails you will get a <*535 diagnostic reason)

DO NOT post the whole of the response, as it certainly will include the accounts credentials in plain text or Base64 which is easy to decrypt. Your IP address might also be exposed.

I am wondering if SMPT is refusing to accept the email address as the credentials.

Finally ... "Are you connected on the Plusnet~~net~~ network of [or] some other YES" - which one please? (Bad question!!). Given that you are unable to logon to the SMTP server, I suspect that you are NOT connecting via the Plusnet network.

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

jhollin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:44:27 GMT

Hi,

We think we are not on the Plus net network with think we are through BT.

The problem is, this is getting well beyond our capabilities. The suggestions you made, are over my head....I dont know what a powershell window is, let alone paste into it....😟

I will keep trying...

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Townman — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:51:55 GMT

Fair point, which is covered in the not-yet-published guide!!

This process is not difficult, but you will need the following resources which might be unfamiliar...

Windows: POWERSHELL window (NOT CMD / DOS window) - right click on the Windows Start button and select TERMINAL (not Admin) from the context menu
macOS: TERMINAL window - open through Spotlight (cmd +space) or navigate in Finder to '/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app'
Linux: You might need to update curl

Re: Freenetname email frozen/intermittent

Fulltopuk — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:14:22 GMT

@Townman wrote:

@Hughesler / @Fulltopuk / @jhollin

It would help to clarify / confirm the following...

You are all Freenetname users (not one of the other brands) Freenetname

Is it the primary (main / default) or secondary email address which gives rise to the issue Secondary

Does the email address have a "." is it, as in forename.surname@... no dot

Are you connected on the Plusnetnet network of some other No

What are you using for authentication - the email address or something else email address

Hi - Thanks for message - here are my answers. Thanks