Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Why won't Thunderbuird connect to email server anymore?

more options

I reinstalled OS X 10.6.8 on one of my computers, and now when I try to configure Thunderbird, the three email addresses through my web hosting provider will not configure. My Google and AOL addresses configured fine with no issue. In the past, Thunderbird's auto-configure feature has worked great for all my email accounts, but I cannot get these to work with automatic or manual configuration. Now to make things worse, I tried to check my email from my other computer which also uses Thunderbird on OS X 10.6.8, and now it cannot access either of those three email accounts either and gives a "time out" error. My hosting provider says the problem is not with them, and since I can still receive emails to my Android phone I tend to believe them. Please help, my next step is to try another email client.

I reinstalled OS X 10.6.8 on one of my computers, and now when I try to configure Thunderbird, the three email addresses through my web hosting provider will not configure. My Google and AOL addresses configured fine with no issue. In the past, Thunderbird's auto-configure feature has worked great for all my email accounts, but I cannot get these to work with automatic or manual configuration. Now to make things worse, I tried to check my email from my other computer which also uses Thunderbird on OS X 10.6.8, and now it cannot access either of those three email accounts either and gives a "time out" error. My hosting provider says the problem is not with them, and since I can still receive emails to my Android phone I tend to believe them. Please help, my next step is to try another email client.

All Replies (13)

more options

Please post info as described here:

Edit/remove all info on fonts and printing, but do not edit anything else.

re: - still receive emails to my Android phone - what you did not say was how this is done. Perhaps this accesses webmail which is not the same thing.

more options

Application Basics

   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 24.4.0
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.6; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.4.0
   Profile Folder: Show in Finder
   Application Build ID: 20140316131045
   Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
   Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
   Crash Reports: about:crashes
   Memory Use: about:memory
 Mail and News Accounts
   account1:
     INCOMING: account1, , (imap) imap.aol.com:993, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: smtp.aol.com:587, alwaysSTARTTLS, passwordCleartext, true
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext
   account3:
     INCOMING: account3, , (imap) imap.googlemail.com:993, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: smtp.googlemail.com:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true
 Extensions
 Important Modified Preferences
   Name: Value
     browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false
     extensions.lastAppVersion: 24.4.0
     font.internaluseonly.changed: false
     gfx.blacklist.webgl.msaa: 4
     mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1
     mail.spotlight.firstRunDone: true
     mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: ab002ffb-947a-754d-a987-cab08041ea7
     network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true
     places.database.lastMaintenance: 1395688499
     places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 100664
     plugin.importedState: true
 Graphics
     Vendor ID: 0x10de
     Device ID: 0x 861
     WebGL Renderer: false
     GPU Accelerated Windows: 0
     AzureCanvasBackend: quartz
     AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: none
     AzureContentBackend: none
 JavaScript
 Incremental GC: 1
 Accessibility
   Activated: 0
   Prevent Accessibility: 0
 Library Versions
     Expected minimum version
     Version in use
     NSPR
     4.10.2
     4.10.2
     NSS
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
     NSS Util
     3.15.4
     3.15.4
     NSS SSL
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
     NSS S/MIME
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
     3.15.4 Basic ECC
more options

I receive Email on my Android phone using the default email client for a Galaxy S4, it auto-configures much in the same way that Thunderbird does, or used to when it worked.

My ISP is Cox. There is a hardware firewall here, but I don't know much about it beyond that nothing has been changed in it leading up to Thunderbird's ceasing to work on these three email in particular.

I am unable to get Apple Mail to access these emails either, so maybe it is is a problem with my hosting provider, even though they don't have a clue what is wrong.

more options

Are you saying that the AOL and Gmail accounts work fine in TB, and the 3 accounts with the hosting provider work on the phone, but you can't set them up in TB, either manually or automatically?

If so, you could try adding the accounts Offline, but you would have to know all the server settings required for that provider, which is so far unstated.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/991539#answer-547878

more options

With the help of my hosting's tech support I have now been able to get the account(s) to receive email, though not send it, and I no longer have SSL security, . I believe my hosting provider changed something with their security that has effected Thunderbird and aren't saying anything, almost acting like I was wrong for even having it set for SSL. Regardless, I am not sure the problem lies in Thunderbird itself, maybe I would if it coincided with a software update, but I don't believe it did.

Modified by VincentBrick

more options

You have to enter the outgoing server settings that are required by the host provider and are compatible with your ISP. For example, if the host provider doesn't support SSL security, you may have to send mail through the Cox SMTP server, or another account that does support SSL, such as Gmail.

If you tell us the host provider, we may be able to figure out the settings so you can send mail.

more options

I am definitely aware that I need to "enter the outgoing server settings that are required by the host provider and are compatible with your ISP," This is not the first time i have configured an email client, I have been using Thunderbird in such a manner for close to 10 years. This was all working fine a week ago, two machines on the same internet connection using the same email client version on the same OS version, neither of which are able to fully access the email account since at least Sunday.

My provider does support SSL, but I am unable to log in to their servers using a secured connection, and only intermittently on an unsecured connection.

My hosting provider is HostGator.

more options

From what I can tell from their website, the settings for the outgoing server should be:

server name: mail.yourdomain.com port: 25, 26 or 587 (try them all; 587 is probably correct) Connection security: STARTTLS Authentication: Normal password User name: your full email address

https://support.hostgator.com/articles/specialized-help/email/setting-up-email-account-with-thunderbird

more options

Yep, doesn't work though, and neither do any of the other configuration specs they have at other places on their site, nor the ones their tech support are having me try.

more options

Do you have anti virus? If so turn is off and see if that helps. All of the issues you mention are regular features of Anti virus programs, especially the SSL issues. AV software hates SSL because they can not simply observer.

Cox block port 25 http://ww2.cox.com/residential/support/internet/article.cox?articleId=cacf82f0-6407-11df-ccef-000000000000

Why those folk at hostgator use Port 26 is beyond me. The standard ports are 587 for unsecured and 465 is using SSL. That wikipedia get it and they don't might be an indicator.

more options

They don't use those ports normally, we have just been using them to try and troubleshoot the issue.

The problem has been pinpointed to my ISP (Cox), Cox is admitting there is a problem somewhere preventing me from fully accessing HostGator servers, but wants HostGator to work with them directly to solve it, which HostGator refuses to do, basically saying "our servers are up, the rest is your problem."

At this point I am looking for a new hosting provider. HostGator has been very slow to respond, management is nearly impossible to reach, and when I did finally reach one he immediately started raising his voice at me.

more options

The information you supplied shows only aol and gmail accounts.

What is the name of the cox smtp server which you are using? Have you created an Outgoing SMTP server and do you use these settings?

smtp.cox.net Outgoing SMTP Port: either:

   587 with Connection Security: STARTTLS enabled

or

   465 with with Connection Security: SSL/TLS enabled 

Authentication method: Normal Password


I have a website hosted by 'Fasthosts' and have not had any issues. They have been helpful in the past. I use a Pop mail account to download on port 110, but I use my ISP smtp server to send. In ISP webmail account, I had to set up my website email address so that my ISP accepted it via their server. Then in Tools> Account Settings for the website account, I changed the smtp server to use my ISP server.

more options

Because AOL and Gmail accounts are the only ones that would configure at that time. It technically works now, but via unsecured bandaid methods.

What you describe is what I did, switching it from my hosting providers outgoing server to my ISPs.