Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
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- Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
09-09-2025 8:23 PM
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Can webmail connect to the default mailbox?
Reset email password
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 had its password changed. Where email address passwords have been changed to protect the integrity of the service, the Plusnet account password is left unchanged.
Which ISP are you with, Plusnet or one of the other / legacy vISPs?
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.
In another browser tab, login into the Plusnet user portal BEFORE clicking the fault & ticket links
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.
If this post helped, please click the Thumbs Up and if it fixed your issue, please click the This fixed my problem green button below.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
09-09-2025 11:15 PM
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I am with PlusNet and not a legacy ISP. I have reset my email password and can log into the email address using webmail. I can send mail from my Outlook account (default) but not receive although I can see new messages on webmail.
A secondary mailbox works fine, receiving and sending mail without a hitch.
I had the same problem two weeks ago when some other forum members reported email problems but it sorted itself out in a couple of days.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 1:51 AM
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What email client (and version) are you using?
In another browser tab, login into the Plusnet user portal BEFORE clicking the fault & ticket links
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.
If this post helped, please click the Thumbs Up and if it fixed your issue, please click the This fixed my problem green button below.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 8:51 AM
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I'm using Outlook 2019 (part of MS Office suite). I just tried to manually repair the settings with the new password but it still won't connect with the PlusNet server to collect new messages. "We could not log on to the incoming (POP) server. Please check your email address and password and try again."
Sending email is ok. I used mail.plus.net for incoming and relay.plus.net for outgoing. I notice though that it changes the outgoing server to smtp.plus.net.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 10:07 AM
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Sounds as though Outlook could be changing the settings. SMTP will give rise to certificate issues.
There does though seem to be a fundamental connection issue.
@plusnettony any thoughts.
In another browser tab, login into the Plusnet user portal BEFORE clicking the fault & ticket links
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.
If this post helped, please click the Thumbs Up and if it fixed your issue, please click the This fixed my problem green button below.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 5:13 PM
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@redsox9 wrote:
... I notice though that it changes the outgoing server to smtp.plus.net.
I have Outlook 2016 and it too appears to change relay.plus.net into smtp.plus.net.
The fix / workaround is not to set up the account within Outlook but instead to configure the account via the Mail applet in ye olde worlde Control Panel.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 6:18 PM
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Thanks, I had forgotten about the old Control Panel way and tried it. The app sent a test to the PlusNet server. Result: "Your email server rejected your login."
I can send mail so I don't really mind if it's SMTP. If the certificate prompt pops up I just say send anyway.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 6:22 PM
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@redsox9 wrote:
..The app sent a test to the PlusNet server. Result: "Your email server rejected your login."...
You did remember to close Outlook before you configured the account via the Control Panel Mail applet?
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 6:37 PM
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Yes, Outlook was closed.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
10-09-2025 9:11 PM
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I have exactly the same problem with 3 of my email addresses, all started a few days ago, it think after a microsoft update!!!
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
11-09-2025 8:03 AM
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Any thoughts from PlusNet staff? I know email services are being migrated to Greenby in a complex operation but remaining PlusNet email clients still need full support. Microsoft is not always to blame.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
11-09-2025 8:49 AM
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So it seems its pop3 sub domains, my main pop 3 email that is registered to plusnet works, but the sub ones do not!
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
11-09-2025 9:10 AM - edited 11-09-2025 9:13 AM
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So it seems its pop3 sub domains
Can you clarify that please ?
Do you just mean a secondary mailbox i.e <mailbox>@<account>.plus.com ?
or do you have your own domain hosted by PLusnet and are using an email address or the form <mailbox>@<sub>.<mydomain>
I've just tried a secondary mailbox on my account and pop3 access works fine using either <mailbox>@<account>.plus.com or <account>+<mailbox> as the username ( using Thunderbird as the email client )
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.
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
11-09-2025 10:34 AM
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Yes sorry i mean secondary mail boxes
I am using microsoft Outlook 2021 part of office suite
I have my own domains NOT hosted by plusnet.
Would i be correct in saying it would be better to pick up my mail directly from my domain severs rather than have them forward it to plusnet?
As i mentioned this has been working for many years, so many i cant even remember when i set it up! It started erroring about a week ago, sort of coincided with the monthly Microsoft update. am running win10
Cheers
Stuart
Re: Outlook cannot connect to PlusNet email server
11-09-2025 11:02 AM
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Would i be correct in saying it would be better to pick up my mail directly from my domain severs rather than have them forward it to plusnet?
Yes, providing that your domain hosting includes email facilities rather than just basic domain registration and email forwardting.
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.
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