topic Re: Plusnet DNS Server stopping Apple Mail Client From Downloading Messages in My Router

Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Kev1960 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:27:08 GMT

The iCloud app on my iPad is blocking certain emails, those with images attached, when I’m connected to my home broadband. If I go through the Gmail app on my iPad, all emails, including those sent to my iCloud account, are downloaded fully. If I tether my iPad to my Samsung a13 and use its data connection, all emails, including those sent to my iCloud account, are downloaded fully. Apple says it’s something in the router which is preventing the iCloud emails downloading to the iCloud Mail app because there’s no issue if I use Gmail or my mobile phone. Plusnet sent me a new router2 and said if that didn’t remedy it then it was an Apple issue. The new router has made no difference. Has anyone else had this issue?

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

jab1 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:38:22 GMT

@Kev1960 Are the emails themselves being blocked, or just the images? The router would not 'block images'.

I seem to recall having a similar issue a while back, and it was actually a setting on the mail app on the phone/iPad.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Dan_the_Van — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:51:09 GMT

@Kev1960

as an experiment I posted your post in Copilot

See https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/jTd8w1x899KMdwxvyEQkR

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

pvmb — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:01:56 GMT

...Impressive!

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Kev1960 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:14:01 GMT

The emails get through but the images appear as empty boxes which, when touched, take you to the webpage of the sender e.g. Netflix or Amazon. In my discussions with Apple Support I went through all the security options including turning off certain privacy protocols but nothing worked.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

MisterW — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:00:52 GMT

@Kev1960 do you have Plusnet Safeguard enabled ?

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Kev1960 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:31:04 GMT

How do I find that out?

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Kev1960 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:34:42 GMT

Yes. I’ve just found the Safeguard toggle and it’s turned on.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

jab1 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:37:55 GMT

@Kev1960 Try turning it to 'off'. You may need to reboot the router for the change to be effective, but I am not sure.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

MisterW — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:41:48 GMT

You may need to reboot the router

You WILL need to reboot the router (or disconnect/reconnect the PPPoE connection)

Safeguard works by assigning different DNS servers and they will only be assigned when the PPPoE connection is (re)established

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Kev1960 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:41:52 GMT

Thanks for doing that. It’s a very comprehensive reply to my query AND I can understand most of the suggestions. I’m just cautious when it comes to doing things like - turning off Safeguard on the router - changing DNS configurations- disabling IPv6 on the router. What are the drawbacks of doing these things? Will it make my use of the internet less secure or less private?

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

jab1 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:45:57 GMT

@MisterW wrote:

You may need to reboot the router

You WILL need to reboot the router (or disconnect/reconnect the PPPoE connection)

Safeguard works by assigning different DNS servers and they will only be assigned when the PPPoE connection is (re)established

Thanks for confirming what I suspected, @MisterW - having no need of 'Safeguard', I have never looked at it, so was slightly unsure of the procedure.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

jab1 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:48:52 GMT

@Kev1960 Just try turning safeguard off - unless you have children who may 'stumble' on possibly unsuitable content, it will not have any effect on your security.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Townman — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:54:13 GMT

@MisterW

Why might safeguarding inhibit downloading images in the iCloud app but not in the Gmail app?

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

MisterW — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:57:56 GMT

I dont know exactly but from @Dan_the_Van s link previously

Apple Mail doesn’t download images directly from the sender’s server. It routes them through Apple’s privacy infrastructure (Mail Privacy Protection, iCloud Private Relay, etc.).

whereas AIUI Gmail downloads them directly

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

Townman — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:50:24 GMT

Thank you - that is illuminating on a number of fronts …

There is a clear explanation of why things might be different with different clients over a PN connection
Why might the iCloud privacy services be black balked by the safeguard service

If turning off safeguarding allows the images to be downloaded by the Apple Mail app, then the safeguarding configuration needs review.

@bobpullen would you know if this has been seen elsewhere within the scope of the BT safeguarding service?

Plusnet DNS Server stopping Apple Mail Client From Downloading Messages

croc345 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:32:11 GMT

Thought I'd share this in case it helps anyone.

I recently, I had a problem with Apple devices not downloading mail using the Apple Mail App. It would either show "Downloading" or "Connecting" or "Checking for mail". On one iPad it could hang indefinitely. On another iPad it would take exactly 60 seconds before starting to download the mail.

I think the cause is the Plusnet SafeGuard DNS server. (Primary 213.120.234.38, Secondary 213.120.234.42).

If I change the DNS servers to use a public DNS server like Google's 8.8.8.8 or Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 everything runs normally.

I have now switched to Cloudflare's DNS for Families on 1.1.1.3 which still filters content but allowing Apple Mail App to run normally.

Re: Plusnet router blocking iCloud emails

MisterW — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:37:12 GMT

There's another similar report here of Safeguard interfering with the Apple mail client

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Plusnet-DNS-Server-stopping-Apple-Mail-Client-From-Downloading/m-p/2042999#M44410

Re: Plusnet DNS Server stopping Apple Mail Client From Downloading Messages

MisterW — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:39:12 GMT

@croc345 thanks for that. I've added a link to this thread regarding a similar problem which seems like it may be due to Safeguard

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Plusnet-router-blocking-iCloud-emails/td-p/2042960/highlight/false

Re: Plusnet DNS Server stopping Apple Mail Client From Downloading Messages

Baldrick1 — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:56:49 GMT

Moderator's note:
Threads merged