topic Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed." in Email

Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:53:39 GMT

Thunderbird usually retrieves my email from an old force9 account and my current Plusnet account using pop3.

For a while now today, it's not been able to connect to mail.force9.net, but everything else is still working normally.

Is this something to do with the Greenby migration of force9 accounts? Or is it something genuinely failing?

I had an email a while ago that said my migration would be "from June 30th", but I haven't heard anything more since then. I was expecting to be sent more details before my migration actually happened.

(No, nothing has changed recently...)

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

quelquod — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:03:10 GMT

I think PN email is down just now (F9 is anyway) - not too uncommon. Webmail is down too.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

jab1 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:08:18 GMT

Possibly F9 only - the .plus.com one is still working.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

bozwell — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:14:03 GMT

My F9 email is down too, since about 2pm.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

jab1 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:16:48 GMT

@adflyer , @quelquod , @bozwell Possibly related to the switch to Greenby - but don't quote me, I may be wrong.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

bozwell — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:17:58 GMT

Maybe, but I've not had notice that that is happening yet. Last email I had on the subject was that we would be contacted with further information.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

xsr900 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:31:20 GMT

Same here just started this afternoon - thunderbird giving this message
Login to server mail.force9.net with username xxxxx failed

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

Champnet — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:38:08 GMT

Same here too, MS Edge running on Win 10

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

quelquod — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:56:00 GMT

F9 OK again since a few minutes ago.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

quelquod — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:58:30 GMT

F9 OK again since a few minutes ago.

/edit oops spoke too soon - up and down like a yo-yo!

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:00:58 GMT

Yes, I've just noticed it just successfully connected again.

Let's see if it's just temporary, or if it's "fixed" for good....

If only there was some sort of "service status" page... maybe then we'd know what was going on 😉

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:01:33 GMT

LOL failed again...

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:32:06 GMT

It's interesting that ...

$ host mail.force9.net
mail.force9.net is an alias for mail.force9.enmail.co.
mail.force9.enmail.co has address 91.204.208.196

$ host mail.plus.net
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.38
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.28
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.13
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.23
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.18
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.43
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.33
mail.plus.net has address 217.46.26.48

and

whois 217.46.26.38 => PLUSNET-ADSL-38 etc

while

whois 91.204.208.196 => UK-ENIX (the parent of Greenby)

so it looks as though the migration is underway... but not quite working yet...

fun fact: Greenby is at 16-18 Barnes Wallis Road, Segensworth, PO15 5TT, which used to be owned by a telecoms company called Telsis... I know coz that's where I worked for 16+ years!

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

bozwell — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:37:01 GMT

Seems to be working for me now.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:49:09 GMT

Yes it's working for me too now - by which I mean Thunderbird isn't complaining any more and I can send and receive emails both ways between Plusnet and force9 (which now looks to be at Greenby, no longer at Plusnet)

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

MisterW — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:02:02 GMT

which now looks to be at Greenby, no longer at Plusnet

Your email is still at Plusnet. What has moved is the proxy server. This has been changed to allow access to mail accounts both before and after migration , whenever it happens.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:21:38 GMT

@MisterW wrote:

which now looks to be at Greenby, no longer at Plusnet

Your email is still at Plusnet. What has moved is the proxy server. This has been changed to allow access to mail accounts both before and after migration , whenever it happens.

Thanks, it's good to have some facts!

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:25:43 GMT

...but it's still not working 100% though...

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

Townman — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:40:03 GMT

What is “it” and what is the failure “experienced”?

What was being attempted and the errors encountered help inform the investigations.

Re: Thunderbird reporting "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed."

adflyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:39:50 GMT

@Townman wrote:

What is “it” and what is the failure “experienced”?

What was being attempted and the errors encountered help inform the investigations.

As in the thread title and the opening message - when Thunderbird is polling pop3 for new mail, it reports "Login to server mail.force9.net with username ####### failed.". Polling other servers, including mail.plus.net, are working as normal.

It's just force9 that's flaky. Looks as though it last worked at 17:44, it's been mostly failing all afternoon, although has occasionally worked for a brief periods. Not working now.