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New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

FIXED
BlueRanger
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-03-2017

New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

We have just switched our broadband and phone provider from Plusnet to Utility Warehouse but opted to retain an email only account with Plusnet.

We normally use Mozilla Thunderbird to handle email and although it looks as though we are still receiving mail attempting to send mail fails along with an error message "An error occurred while sending mail. The mail server responded <email address> recipient rejected - relay denied. Please check the message recipient<> and try again"

This message is flagged no matter the delivery address.

I can send and receive mail via the Plusnet web interface via a browser so looks like I need to change the settings in Thunderbird. Any assistance gratefully received.

TIA

30 REPLIES 30
Gel
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,332
Thanks: 299
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

@Gel

The POP3 issues will only impact RECEIVING email - not sending it.

@BlueRanger

Which port number are you using for the SMTP server?

Have you configured the SMTP (out going) server to use Authentication (your PLUSNET username and password)?

You could use Utility Warehouse's SMTP server details against your Plusnet email address ... not exactly kosha but should work without issue ... given that Plusnet do not implement the SPF standard to mitigate against email address spoofing (on PN account domains) and the associated spam.

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.

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
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Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Hi there.

Apologies for the delayed response here and to see you've decided to move your broadband/phone service from us.

No settings seem to have changed on our side. Are you still using relay.plus.net to send mail?

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
BlueRanger
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-03-2017

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Thanks folks but this gets curiouser and curiouser.....

 

Having reviewed the advice, links etc., checked and re-saved the settings [yes I'm still using relay.plus.net] I find that I can get mail to send as usual via Thunderbird on all the addresses associated with the account - bar one. Yet all the settings for that address are the same as the others. I can send mail from this address if I use the Plusnet webmail directly via a browser.

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,539
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

If you have multiple Plusnet accounts ... username+mbox1 ... username+mbox2 ... etc., then there is no reason why you cannot use username/password or username+mboxN/password for ALL SMTP server configurations.

...thinking further out of the box - what is the exact message you see please?

A few weeks ago, I can across a user having problems sending emails.  After a lot of digging it turned out that his email client's (Outlook) file store was corrupt.  The failure was a local one, but initially it did look as though there was an issue with the SMTP server.

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.

BlueRanger
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-03-2017

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Screenshot of the error message:

 

Email error message.jpg

 

The strange thing is that the settings have not changed from when they worked prior to the switch to an email only account. One email address will no longer send mail even though the settings are the same as those that do. I've just uninstalled / reinstalled Thunderbird but the issue still exists.

 

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Mind PMing me the address you can’t send from?
From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

I'm sure you've checked but it it is easy to miss the obvious: is the failing account correctly configured to use the same outgoing server?

Are these multiple accounts within the same Thunderbird profile? I created one specific Plusnet mailbox (called smtp) and used that as the sender for all the mailboxes (that was to make it easier to use the Plusnet SSL trial SMTP server). You don't have to use the same credentials for sending as you do for receiving.

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
BlueRanger
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-03-2017

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Fix

Thanks to a bit of assistance from Gandalf the problem seems to have cleared - namely by changing the way the password is transmitted. Neither of us can explain why or how this did the trick, and I'm pretty sure I already tried all the variations, but hey ho the thing that matters is now it's functioning as per normal again - ie back to the state it was in prior to downgrading to an email only account.

Thanks all.

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

No problems at all, I'm glad we've managed to get this fixed. Just as I was running out of ideas. Roll_eyes

 

ie back to the state it was in prior to downgrading to an email only account.

About that. Despite what we've advised on the ticket, your account isn't an email only account yet. I can see we tried to put the product change through but it failed as the direct debit was still processing at the time.

 

The DD has since cleared and our billing team have worked out your final bill.

Once the DD clears again, we'll change your account to email only. Smiley

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
ebnash
Hooked
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2018

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Can you please tell me how this was fixed? I am having the same problem and nobody seems to be able to help. They blame Apple, Dell, but cannot help me.

ebnash
Hooked
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2018

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

How did you fix this. I have the same problem and nobody at PlusNet seems able to help. They blame Apple, Dell, etc or my new ISP, which, by the way, does not offer its own mail service. I can receive mail but I cannot send it. The settings are the same as when I was a full PlusNet customer. Now that I have mail only, this has become a problem.

jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Are you paying Plusnet for an email mail only account?

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
ebnash
Hooked
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2018

Re: New broadband provider but kept Plusnet email only account. Now can't send mail via Thunderbird

Yes, I am paying for a Plusnet email only account.