AVG VPN prevents sending email from Homecall accounts

[KannyKen]

Since installing AVG VPN my Homecall email accounts will not send emails through my email client, MS Outlook. Emails are received ok. Disabling the VPN allows emails to be sent. Following advice I found on the AVG site and elsewhere I experimented changing the outgoing port from 25 to 587 and although it still works without the VPN still fails with the VPN but this time keeps demanding I re-enter my PW, even though it is not corrupt.. My TalkTalk.net accounts still work with the VPN

Any ideas?

[Gondola · Accepted solution]

Hi @KannyKen 

Homecall is a legacy mail service hosted on an insecure mail platform. Because SSL/TLS encryption is not used it is necessary to be connected directly to the TalkTalk network to get mail sending authenticated.

A VPN is a secure tunnel from your computer to a host server that is not on the TalkTalk network.  Therefore the Homecall insecure mail sending cannot be authenticated via the AVG VPN.

The talktalk.net mail uses SSL/TLS encryption so that just needs the normal email password to sign in to the TalkTalk SMTP server and doesn't require network authentication.

The good news is that the remaining legacy mail services are being upgraded to the TalkTalk Mail platform and when that upgrade happens it will also trigger the ability for homecall mail accounts to use SSL/TLS encryption.  You'll receive a sequence of emails from TalkTalk about the upgrade. Those emails will give further guidance but feel free to come back here to Community for individual help.

[KannyKen]

Thank you for the info. I have had some emails from TalkTalk about the upgrade but I recall a couple of years ago there were similar promises from them and nothing happened of any note. I suppose I was a bit naive thinking it would be simple when AVG offered me an upgrade to include a VPN for and tuneup software (which actually does what it says on the can) for a trivial cost. If the TT upgrade fixes the problem it will be good but maybe eventually I will have to convert my main email usage to the Talktalk.net sccounts instead.

[OCE_Ady]

Hi KannyKen, Gondola's advice is good. Unless something goes badly wrong with the migration your account will migrate in schedule this time as the previous issues with the legacy account migration have now been resolved. 

Ady