Repeated requests for password

[#1]

I use eMClient with two accounts. My main/default account is an outlook.com which is used regularly and which functions correctly.

My plusnet account is the other one which is used only rarely but is giving me the problem of repeatedly (but irregularly) asking me to reset the password as it has been unable to 'connect to the server'.

I have set the plusnet account up in eMClient as per instructions in PlusNet Guides but this is still happening.

Why is this happening and what can I do to correct it?

Regards

Roy

[#2]

Hi @daddybear

Thanks for getting in touch.

I'd initially recommend ensuring that the settings within your client are definitely in line with the below:

2018-02-28Username: Account username, or if using an additional mailbox, username+(mailbox name)

2018-02-28Password: Your mailbox password

2018-02-28POP3 Incoming mail server: mail.plus.net

2018-02-28POP3 Incoming mail server port: 110

Or

2018-02-28IMAP server(if IMAP is used): imap.plus.net

2018-02-28IMAP server port: 143

2018-02-28SMTP Outgoing mail server: relay.plus.net

2018-02-28SMTP Outgoing mail server port: 587

2018-02-28SSL: Off for both incoming and outgoing

If your mailbox is set up as IMAP, you could also delete the mailbox from your client and set it up from scratch.

Just out of interest, when it says that it cannot connect to the server and that you should reset your password, before you do so, can you log into Webmail and send an email successfully?

Best wishes

Dave

Moderator's note by Adie (Dvorak) removed stray html tags

[#3]

EDIT: My apologies for the misplaced HTML tags!

[#4]

Hello RandallFlagg

Many thanks for your prompt reply.

Most of your suggested settings were already in place except:-

1) SMTP Outgoing mail server port - was 25 and now changed to 587

2) SSLs --- were both enabled - now set to off.

Is it OK not to have the SSLs on ?  - I always thought they were needed somehow for security (sorry, I don't know much about computers!)

Initial tests show e-mails OK on both send and receive so just have to wait and see.

I can't follow your suggestion in regard to Webmail as the fault is irregular and so I need to wait until it happens again - if it does!

Will let you know in due course.

Regards

Roy

[#5]

Hi Roy.

Is it OK not to have the SSLs on ?  - I always thought they were needed somehow for security (sorry, I don't know much about computers!)

No worries at all, we don't support SSL for sending or receiving e-mail.

Initial tests show e-mails OK on both send and receive so just have to wait and see.

That's good to see!

I can't follow your suggestion in regard to Webmail as the fault is irregular and so I need to wait until it happens again - if it does!

Will let you know in due course.

No problem, keep us posted.

[#6]

Just an update on this thread.

The e-mails have been working without problems for about a month now but just a couple of days ago the same error box appeared for no obvious reason in eMClient as shown in the attachment.

I checked three things:-

1) My Plusnet account SSLs were still set to OFF in the eMClient accounts settings.

2) I opened my Plusnet Webmail account and successfully sent an e-mail to my outlook.com address in eMClient.

3) Lastly - I did not re-enter the password into the error box but just clicked OK. 

The box went away and has not re-appeared !!

Don't know if all this means anything to you forum members who are much more knowledgeable than me but I thought I would report it to invite opinions and also to inform others who may have experienced similar problems.

Regards

Roy

[#7]

Hi @daddybear,

I'm sorry to see you've run into this issue. After you clicked "Ok" and the box went away, were you able to continue using the client as usual?

[#8]

Hello AJ

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, all the e-mails worked fine after the error box disappeared - in fact, I'm really not sure that anything stopped working at all, but I can't prove that.

Still all working fine now - 3 days after box showing.

Regards

Roy

[#9]

Glad to hear the issue hasn't reoccured

Let us know if it does

[#10]

@daddybear 

You need to be aware that many email clients are exceedingly bad at reporting errors.  ANY connectivity issue is likely to be reported as a PASSWORD failure.  

If your set up works most of the time, but not all of the time, then suspect a CONNECTIVITY issues, not a password or email set up issue.

Are these failures occurring when connected over your Plusnet connection or over some other internet connection?  If your Plusnet connection, over WiFi or ethernet?

When this happens do you encounter any other connectivity issues?

In this context the suggestion to "test" with Webmail has the limited merit in that it verifies (a) that you know your username and password and (b) nothing has gone wrong with the SMTP service account permissions - both somewhat unlikely.

[#11]

Hello Townman

Thank you for your reply.

Answers to your points are:-

1) Yes, set up works most of the time.

2) Failures occur with permanent connection over Plusnet with ethernet

3) No other connectivity issues that I am aware of when problem occurs.

Regards

Roy

[#12]

Hi Roy,

A couple more questions - which router and what’s the OS on your PC?

[#13]

Hello Townman

Router is Plusnet Hub Zero (as supplied on beginning contract)

OS is Windows 10 Home 1809

Regards

Roy

[#14]

Thanks, that rules out the possibility of intermittent connectivity issues due to IP address spoofing with the older TG routers and Win 8/10. That would give the same symptoms as what you seem to be getting.

Next time it happens, before responding to the prompt, try runing PING to the server identified in the ‘password error’ notification.

[#15]

Hello Townman

Thank you for your continued interest in my problem.

Sorry, but I am not very computer-literate.

How do I do what you suggest ?

" try runing PING to the server identified in the ‘password error’ notification."

Will be able to comply if you can do a bit of a "talk-through" for me. 

Regards

Roy