SMTP authentication error on plusnet webmail client

[#1]

Tested again just now, still the same on webmail "SMTP authentication error"

im on a legacy .totalise.co.uk  mail address and account since 1999

hence I used to use the totalise mail servers, then madasafish, now plusnet

[#2]

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@Townman wrote:

When you log in to webmail, are you logging on with [username]@totalise.co.uk ?

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[#3]

yes

username@totalise.co.uk is all I have to log into webmail and email client. Never had any other account.

[#4]

Thanks for the update @t72bogie, I am sorry that the issue is ongoing.

We'll need to raise this further to our Net Ops Team, but to do so will need your permission to change the password to help diagnose the issue.

Can you please log in to your account and reply to Ticket: 219752924 if you are happy for us to do this, letting us know on here once done?

[#5]

thanks, I have responded to the ticket

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Thanks a lot for your response on the open ticket @t72bogie

I've now raised a task to our NetOps Team to have this investigated, it should be picked up within the next 5 working days. You might experience a short delay given the backlog caused by the recent email issues though. Please feel free to reach out in the meantime if you have any further questions.

[#7]

Not sure of any action taken but webmail is now working again and sending email

thanks

[#8]

I need to open this issue up again, I cant send outbound email from plus net web mail again for last couple of days

[#9]

Just to be sure / clear, when you say "Webmail" do you mean via the Webmail (browser) interface, rather than using "webmail" to man the Plusnet email service (as some folk refer to it?).

If you do mean that you cannot send email via the browser interface, then that suggests a server issue.  Just to be sure, can you send via that interface using s connection other than your BT ISP service?

If you are using "webmail" to generically refer to the email service and are in fact using an email application on your device, then this sounds like your ISP's IP address might have been blackballed.

[#10]

Its the Plusnet webmail browser interface . Actually just tested the email client on my Samsung phone and it wont send email either.

This is on my legacy @totalise address that ive had for >20 years

I can send email via my work Outlook on a different address.

I have tested Plusnet webmail from a different PC at home, same error

I have tested on my Samsung phone client on 4G over Vodafone and get the same error trying to send outbound

mail 

[#11]

This has the hallmarks of bi-polar permissions - access to the IMAP server is OK, access to the SMTP server is not OK.  Therefore in spite of what the error messages might say, this is not a username / password issue.

With PC / device based email applications connecting via 3rd party ISP networks, the usual culprit is a black listed IP address.  The fact that the webmail platform cannot access SMTP points to "the wrong kind of free legacy email account configuration".

There used to be read-only free legacy email accounts and there have recently been examples of agents applying the wrong kind of free email account status to retain email accounts.  Whilst the symptoms sound very similar, given that this is an established account, such should be be applicable ... unless something is refreshing the account status.  There have been occasions where automated revenue protection activity has made interesting changes to account statuses.

You might care to run the SMTP connectivity diagnostics below from your PC to obtain a detailed connection refused error status.

@adam945 @LaurenB @TheMightyAJ  what was the history here which "fixed" this last time? 

Test SMTP authentication

Email programs often report username / password error for issues not actually related to those being wrong, but for other connectivity issues. Such can be very frustrating when you are convinced that they are correct. Testing SMTP authentication through a command line interface can deliver a more precise error message. The following describes how to do this using TELNET.

This is not difficult, but you need the following resources which might be unfamiliar...

1. TELNET - this might need installing as an additional option, for Windows see enabling TELNET.
2. A code64 encoder / decoder such as this.

You can use TELNET to communicate direct with the SMTP server as follows...

Open the code64 encoder in a web browser and leave ready for use in the following steps.

Launch a windows command line window (DOS window) - press windows-key+R - type CMD into the run box - click OK

Enter...

telnet relay.plus.net 587

Press enter. Note if you use one of the other brand email services, use the appropriate SMTP server name for that brand. In response to SMTP server I'm here message, say 'HELLO'...

EHLO relay.plus.net

The SMTP server will then report what it can do after which tell the server you wish to authenticate...

AUTH login

The server should return the following, which is a base64 encoded string that requires your username:

334 VXNlcm5hbWU6

Use the code64 encoder to encode your username and paste it into the telnet window and press enter. For example:

bXl1c2VybmFtZQ==

The server should return the following, which is a base64 encoded string that requires your password:

334 UGFzc3dvcmQ6

Paste the base64 encoded password for the username. For example:

bXlwYXNzd29yZA==

The server will then report success or failure, any failure message should clearly indicate the reason for the failure. If the reason for the failure is not clear, please report back the message.

Close the SMTP / TELNET session by entering

quit

The session should look something similar to the below wherein your input is in bold...

220 avasout03 smtp relay.plus.net
EHLO relay.plus.net
250-avasout03 hello [your IP address], pleased to meet you
250-HELP
250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN
250-SIZE 104857600
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250-STARTTLS
250 OK
AUTH LOGIN
334 VXNlcm5hbWU6
bXl1c2VybmFtZQ==
334 UGFzc3dvcmQ6
bXlwYXNzd29yZA==
235 ... authentication succeeded
quit
221 avasout03 smtp closing connection
Connection to host lost.

Here are some examples of failure responses...

535 ...authentication rejected [as username / password is wrong]
535 ...authentication rejected as source IP has a poor reputation
535 Too many SMTP auth failures. Please try again later.

[#12]

thanks, gave that a I try, but I dont get very far

from relay.plus.net I get

"501 HELO requires a valid address"

I guess because im not on a plusnet connection, im on on BT FTTC

same result to mail.totalise.co.uk which I use for access via phone email client

[#13]

Very odd my email clients are working now. Outlook on a laptop and Samsung phone email client.

Both using the below combination of servers

mail.plus.net 

mail.totalise.co.uk 

However the plusnet webmail client gives the same SMTP authentication error from all my machines at home, laptops, phone, desktop

[#14]

Been away for a few days and tried my webmail again this morning, and outbound mail is sending again as normal

very strange, but all fixed again !