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why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

SueScott
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎06-12-2012

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

dear bob, yes my account is active and i am connected to your network. I have resorted to using gmail settings for the outgoing server and this seems to function, but because I am using POP3 incoming server settings, as thats all I can get to function, the emails disappear from my mobile devise as soon as they are read which is not helpful. From your guides I gather thats the reasin howver I did have a pop3 incoming server settings with my previous ISP and the e mail thread did not vanish.  My problem is not solved. I am not vastly computer literate and only want this to work. Can you not provide the settings please?
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Sue,
Lets see if I can help here.
Incoming email: If you have email set up on both a phone and a computer for the same email account, then you need to make some decisions on how you want to manage the mailbox.  POP3 removes emails from the mail server and copies them on the device you are using - in general they will be on the PC or on the phone, not both.  You have a choice, either set "remove from server" to never (you have to delete manually) or configure all email clinets to use IMAP (not POP3) this will require you to switch off (do not delete) the existing email profiles, completely "rebuild" the email profiles using IMAP (for incoming mail imap.plus.net) and then (when you prove that this works, copy old emails (on each device) that you want to keep from the old profiles to the new one.  This will make all emaisl available on all devices - both new and old.
Outgoing emails:  For you to be able to use the PlusNet relay service on any connection (3G or another WiFi) the out going email servicer (relay.plus.net) must be configured for server authentication using your Plus Net user name and password as used for the incoming email service.
I'm afraid that this is a little technical, but if you want to use more than one device on the same emailbox on any internet connection service, there is a bit of knowledge you'll need to acquire.  The following PN user community guide (which I contributed to) might help, even though it is written for the iPhone.  http://community.plus.net/library/email/setting-up-plusnet-email-on-an-iphone/
Cheers,
Kevin

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mseries
Grafter
Posts: 37
Registered: ‎25-12-2010

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Quote from: SueScott
I am having the same problem. I have an android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S) and have just changed ISP to Plusnet and having set up e mails on my home computer am having difficulty sending or receiving on the mobile devise.  It was fine before with my previous provider. I have managed today to get two accounts set up for Plusnet on the Galaxy but neither will work. Surely it should be a simple matter for Plusnet to provide the correct selttings and get over this issue. All advice gratefully received

I had problems sending email using PlusNet SMTP server with my Android phone, I created a thread on the subject last week.  I was using the default mail app that came with my phone (Hauwei Ascend G300 with Android ICS 4.0.3). I never got it sorted out. I installed AquaMail instead and it works perfectly.
jdoggett
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎15-10-2013

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Hi, Sorry to resurrect this very old post, but I have the same problem. The support people have given up trying to get smtp logins to work from an android phone via the o2 portal.

EDIT 1:17/10/13: I've added an extra mailbox to my account and this CAN be accessed from outside, so it looks like it's only the root email that cannot be used via external smtp.

Jeff Doggett
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Jeff,
No all accounts (if the credentials are correctly set up) can use the SMTP service.
Things to check
- port number on SMTP should be 587 for an authenticated connection
- user name and password should be those for the specific account - username and password or username+mailbox and that mailbox's password
Also it is not unknown for phone platforms to 'screw-up' (that is a technical concept) email profiles.  Even though all looks OK it is not.  Deleting the account details / profile and starting again can fix something which does not look broken beyond the 'correct' settings not working!

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jdoggett
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎15-10-2013

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Hi,
Thanks for replying. I know that it seems unbelievable, but the root email account simply cannot be accessed using smtp on my Android phone via the O2 network. I also tried using different email clients - the stock android/htc one, and the K9 one downloaded from the store.
I also tried using telnet from the phone to directly connect to the smtp server as detailed here:
http://community.plus.net/library/email/testing-smtp-authentication-using-telnet/
Fortunately the K9 email program will allow email to be read using IMAP independently of a working smtp connection.
Jeff
PS just to be clear I can access all of my xxx@xxx.plus.com mailboxes using IMAP for reading, but the smtp access for sending will only work on the extra email addresses, the original base address cannot be accessed.
I tried with and without the +suffix and loads of other stuff!
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

You realise that you don't have to use the same account for smtp as the one you are reading the mail for ?
I have an additional mailbox ( mobile ) with it's own password which is used only for smtp authentication for all my configurations.

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jdoggett
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎15-10-2013

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Yes, the Plusnet support suggested that I use the O2 smtp server, but I think that the special account mobile@ is a really good idea!
I got around the problem by renaming my primary account to something else and then creating a new email address using that old name so that nothing appeared to change from the outside.
PNet4um
Grafter
Posts: 29
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎13-02-2010

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Quote from: Townman
Jeff,
No all accounts (if the credentials are correctly set up) can use the SMTP service.
Things to check
- port number on SMTP should be 587 for an authenticated connection
- user name and password should be those for the specific account - username and password or username+mailbox and that mailbox's password
Also it is not unknown for phone platforms to 'screw-up' (that is a technical concept) email profiles.  Even though all looks OK it is not.  Deleting the account details / profile and starting again can fix something which does not look broken beyond the 'correct' settings not working!

Sorry to be late to the party - I don't watch/review these forums very often - however - I was setting up a new e-mail client to access a Plusnet e-mail account and thought to myself - SURELY THEY WILL HAVE FIXED THAT TRIVIAL PROBLEM BY NOW...
The amount of effort that has been expended by customers and moderators on this topic probably far exceeds that needed to actually implement the solution... Anyway I SUPPORT THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING: 'AT LEAST PROVIDE SSL FOR IN AND OUTGOING MAIL', probably on a different URL such as securepop.plus.net etc...
However - observing that this isn't likely to be offered in the coming days, weeks or maybe years I have TWO QUESTIONS:
A. Does setting the port to 587 make any difference - even if the password was secured it would be better than 'nowt'
B. Is there an equivalent port for incoming mail?
I will also add my contribution to the topic of alternatives:
1. Setting up a Googlemail account as a MAIL STORE (i.e. don't use the actual address) AND RETRIEVING (and sending) MAIL USING STARTTLS / SSL / etc. to a real e-mail client such as Thunderbird is actually fairly robust even if they filter out a small number of e-mails without putting them into your Spam Folder.
2. The use of personal domains to avoid (a) Spam by having multiple aliases and (b) lock-in by ISPs is an excellent approach to mail management - HOWEVER
3. Users still need a mail store - hence point #1 above... BUT ALSO - as a lot of people access mail on their mobiles as well/instead of PCs - certainly Smartphone users can't avoid having an e-mail account with the mobile manufacturer and although I wouldn't take that option - that too is an option
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: why does the smpt server reject authentication from android devices?

Quote from: PNet4um
However - observing that this isn't likely to be offered in the coming days, weeks or maybe years I have TWO QUESTIONS:
A. Does setting the port to 587 make any difference - even if the password was secured it would be better than 'nowt'
B. Is there an equivalent port for incoming mail?

Hi,
As the author of what you've quoted, I though I should try to reply.
A - from my experience (on EE / Orange and from various hot spots) it can and it does not.  Strictly speaking port 25 does not need authentication (user name and password) but in some implementations it still works when credentials are supplied.  Some networks block port 25 connections outside of their network both inbound and out bound.  According to the SMTP port 587 (Submission) is the one specified for authenticated SMTP connections - see the PRTS section here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Mail_Transfer_Protocol - note do not confuse authentication with SECURE (SSL) authentication, for which there are yet other ports.
B - there is not need for a similar on inbound email.  Connection to the inbound server is always direct to the server (no matter whose network you are on) and always requires username / password ... otherwise anyone would be able to read your email

I have heard suggestions that some providers also block access to port 587 and thus not even authenticated relay can be used, whilst others are also blocking non-SSL connectivity, however I would expect that to apply to any username profile, not just what has been described above as the "root" mailbox.
Though I have near universal access to the PN SMTP relay service from many locations / networks (mobile and wifi) in some mobile (3g) locations I cannot send email (access the SMTP relay) no matter which PN user name / mailbox name combination is used.
Both port 587 with username / password and username+malibox-name / mailbox-password work equally well on all my PC and iDevices.
I hope that helps some?

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