cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Cannot access email only account

FIXED
Organic
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎14-09-2020

Cannot access email only account

I received a message from autoemail@plus.net concerning problems relating to a potentially weak password on one of our mailboxes.  It suggested an audit and a changed password. Good advice so I tried to log in to what is an email only account set up after we left PlusNet broadband for BT as we had been connected to FTTP.

I am finding it impossible to log in.  I have gone through the reset forgotten password process twice but when I go back to the log in page it tells me incorrect username or password every time. Livechat is off-line and customer service centre say they're so busy I should ring back later or tomorrow.

I am concerned because if this is a potentially serious security situation I want to get it fixed ASAP. Can anybody help?

15 REPLIES 15
WillF
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 221
Thanks: 51
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎31-03-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Fix

Hi @Organic, sorry to hear of the trouble with this. If you wouldn't mind dropping me a PM with the email account I'll get in touch and we'll sort this.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Will
 Plusnet Help Team
Silverwhistle
Grafter
Posts: 41
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎10-09-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Hi! I'm having similar problem, too. I think there are issues with your outgoing servers. I was forced to change password last week, and have been able to receive but not send emails via free-online on my laptop. I now updated password on my desktop machine for email client and am being told that my username and passwoird aren't recognised, though I can still get into webmail. Please help!

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,921
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Cannot access email only account

@Silverwhistle 

You do not have a similar problem.  Please see the response on your topic.

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.

Organic
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎14-09-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Thanks very much for all the work behind the scenes that put me back in touch with my original free-online mailboxes and I have now changed the password on the mailbox that was causing concern. We are all sorted now.

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Hi @WillF , I seem to have the same issue as the original poster. I'd PM you but I can't see any option to do so and the big "Private Messages" link in the Useful links" section ends up on a page that says "Access Denied You do not have sufficient privileges for this resource or its parent to perform this action."

I have an open case as well but the subtlety of this email access issue doesn't seem to have registered with whoever is helping me.

Help appreciated, thanks.

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,921
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Cannot access email only account

Same issue? Did you receive a weak security email?

Now that you have posted you will be able to send a PM.

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.

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Yes, I got that email and it was correct!

My issue is I can't find where to change the email account password. I never use it and cannot find _where_ to change the password.

Thank you regarding the PM's, yes I can indeed send now.

 

Thanks again.

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,921
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Cannot access email only account

Reset email password

Which ISP are you with, Plusnet or one of the other / legacy vISPs?

If you are not able to login to the email address using webmail, then it is likely that your email address has been identified as being compromised and has has its password changed. Where email address passwords have been changed to protect the integrity of the service, the account password is left unchanged.

Plusnet / Force9 / FreeOnline users can only change the password on the DEFAULT email address by changing the password on the user ACCOUNT through the user portal. You can change the password on a secondary mailbox using the Manage My Mail options in the user portal.

Brightview users (Madasafish / FreeNetName / GlobalNet / IC24 / ICScotland / Dialstart / Totalise) logging into webmail should use their full email address. Use the MAAF user portal to update the password on the default email address (change the account password) and use this MAAF guide to change the password on a secondary mailbox address. If you cannot recall the account password, you will need to contact support ... because the account password change process sends an email to the mailbox you cannot now access.

DO NOT USE THE SAME PASSWORD AGAIN for that would allow the continued exploitation of the account. The new password should be cryptic and not one used before.

Note that changing the account password will change the password used for logging on to the relevant user portal. If your email service is NOT a retained legacy service (one associated with a retired internet service account), then the password required by the router to connect to the internet will be changed too. If the router is a Hub Zero or a Hub One supplied by Plusnet it should update automatically. If not, you will need to log into the router, drop the connection, change the password yourself and reconnect.

On the assumption that the email address password has been compromised, I strongly recommend that wherever you have used that email address / password combination as access credentials to services such as Amazon, Netflix, eBay etc., that you also change the passwords on those service as well.

 

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.

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Thanks @Townman, this information confirms there is another issue at play.

  • Plusnet is my ISP
  • I can login to webmail
  • I have changed my ACCOUNT password and can login to the portal with it
  • I have updated my router and can connect to the Internet with it
  • I can still login to webmail with the old password meaning my mail is still compromised

I shall await Plusnet's response (fingers crossed).

Thanks

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,921
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Cannot access email only account

Are you talking about logging into the primary mailbox or a secondary mailbox?

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.

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Primary.

 

Thanks for the continued help.

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,921
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Cannot access email only account

You have tagged on to a ‘email only’ account topic. That implies either a Plusnet mail account but you are with another ISP or you have an email account with one of PlusNET’s legacy brands (which is not a ISP any more) and you use Plusnet as your ISP.

In that case changing your Plusnet account password is not going to change that of your legacy email account.

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.

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Thanks @Townman , Plusnet is definitely my ISP and if I'm with a legacy email account, I've never been informed about it because I got it when I joined Plusnet.

Having a legacy email account could account for the issue if they were hiding the legacy email behind a Plusnet alias...

I'll try the legacy email resetting and see what happens...

chrisbird
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎17-10-2020

Re: Cannot access email only account

Couldn't login using the Brightview instructions which confirms I don't have a legacy account (probably?).

I'll await news on my ticket...