Lost access to email through all mail apps

[RobBarn]

Hi

Can anyone help?

Three weeks ago my wife's email (we both use tiscali.co.uk) stopped working on her Samsung mobile, and at the same time on Outlook and Windows 10 Mail. My tiscali.co.uk email is working normally on my mobile and through Outlook and Windows Mail on the computer. She can still access her emails through TalkTalk Webmail. I have checked all the IMAP settings and they are the same as my email which works (and had an techy do the same). We didn't make any changes to her account prior to losing access via these apps. I have also changed her password but still nothing works. I have switched off Norton 360 but no difference. I have downloaded a different email app for her mobile but that doesn't work either. The error messages are along the lines  'Your Tiscali setting are out of date/ need updating' I have spoken at length with TalkTalk Service but been told that as Webmail is working the problem must be in the third party apps....however the fact that they simultaneously all stopped working makes that appear unlikely but I don't seem to be able to progress it. Any thoughts welcomed

[Gondola]

Good to know the Director of Domestic Affairs is in control of her email once more.

We do appreciate your time in letting us know. Thank you.

[RobBarn]

Hi Ady and Gondola

Big, big thank you for sorting this out - you are stars!

After having lost access to my wife's email address/account through all third party mail on 23rd February, it finally was restored today, 6 weeks since the problem began.

This is the first time I have used the Community and once I got to grips with it you guys have been invaluable. Before turning to you,  repeated attempts to get resolution from TalkTalk Customer Service were hopeless. Despite three calls and being told the query had been 'escalated' to the technical team by the Manager I was told that there was nothing wrong. Clearly this was not the case as there was widespread evidence within the Community that this problem was affecting lots of accounts. I hope that going forward the Community blogs will be mandatory reading for CS!

Thanks again

[Ady-TalkTalk]

I've now added your wife's email address to the list of those to be restored.

Ady

[RobBarn]

Hi Gondla/Ady,

I have now added my wife's email address to my Community Profile/Personal Information/Private Notes as instructed by Gondola. This is the email that needs to have the restrictions removed.

(I was unable to remove my working email from the Profile)

Thanks again

RobBarn

[Gondola]

OK, so we know your email address is working.

In my reply post of 26 March at 11:57 I said "On the basis that your devices will be ok to connect using the above settings I've asked that full access is restored for the mailbox tiscali email address that you will have added to your Community profile, Personal information, Private notes. (Do check it's there - just the tiscali address that's had device access switched off.)"

So if you would please revisit your Community Profile and put your wife's email address into Private notes and remove your working email address then there's hope that Ady can see and make the request for your wife's email address.

[RobBarn]

Hi Ady and Gondola

I have tried to access on my wife's email address through Outlook using the correct settings (the .talktalk.net ones for incoming and outgoing) but they still don't work.

Have you removed the restrictions on my wife's email pau*********@tiscali.co.uk- her address is not the one in my profile or the primary one on our email account which is mine (ar*******@tiscali.co.uk. 

I switched off my wife's Samsung smartphone whilst I attempted to access via Outlook as I was unable to update her email settings on the phone... I tried to go in to her smartphone  to amend the setting for the Incoming server from 143 to 993 but I can't seem to find the way in to the setting screen -which I was able to access yesterday! I going into Settings/Accounts& backup/Manage accounts/then her email account but then the only option is 'Sync account' I'm confused - am I looking in the wrong place?

Thanks again

[Gondola]

Hi @RobBarn 

Is Ady looking in your Community profile at the tiscali email address that was not working? i.e. your wife's email address?

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi RobBarn, the mailbox in your profile is showing full access with no restrictions.

Ady

[Gondola]

OK, the app clearly needs to get the password authenticated to check and accept the security certificate so wait until mailbox access is restored and then go back to the Samsung email app and set up exactly as per my original guidance. Do not use the 'accept all certificates' option because what we need to happen is the app to check only the TalkTalk certificate is correct and present.

[RobBarn]

Ady

I have used SSL for incoming security settings and TLS for outgoing security settings but every time I come out and go back in they have all reverted to the original IMAP Tiscali settings

There is an option to choose SSL and TLS (accept all certificates)?

I press DONE and then get a message saying 'The username and password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn't turned on for this account. Check your email account settings on the web , then try again ' I then press OK  then DONE.  The settings stay . But if I then come out of 'Server Settings'  and then go back in they have reverted.......

Thanks

[Gondola]

Did you set the security type to SSL?

[RobBarn]

Ady

I have just checked my wife's Samsung smartphone settings again and despite changing them to the ones you recommend they then default back to the earlier IMAP settings and the incoming port reverts from 993 to 143!! Any suggestions how I stop this happening?

Thanks

RobBarn

[RobBarn]

Hi Ady,

I think I may have an idea of what has caused the problem! I have always been focussed on checking the IMAP port settings on the PC that my wife uses, but today on your (and Gondola's) prompting went to look at her Samsung smartphone settings and found that the Incoming port was set automatically at 143 - which I see from an earlier post that this is insecure and therefore maybe the reason for her email not functioning (since 23 February.

I have now corrected the settings to 993 so should be good for you to restore.  

Just to confirm that our TalkTalk account has two email accounts - mine (the main one) still works fine, the email address that needs to be unlimit/restored is my wife's email address.

Do you need anything else from me?

Thanks

RobBarn

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi RobBarn, when you confirm you're using the new secure settings we'll be able to get the account unlimited for you.

Ady

[Gondola]

I've removed one image as it was revealing personal data. Both images are moved to your Hidden folder for better security.

The reason many people are posting is that many people are still using outdated legacy settings, often insecure settings and as a result TalkTalk are having to take the action of last resort to switch off device access if any device is still connecting using outdated software or settings.

Outlook 365

You've shown me a screenshot of Outlook 365 that's still using the legacy settings for tiscali.co.uk and therefore Outlook 365 needs to be updated as follows:

Incoming mail server: mail.talktalk.net

Outgoing mail server: smtp.talktalk.net

Samsung A41

The Samsung email app server settings are:

IMAP Incoming server: mail.talktalk.net

Security type: SSL

Port: 993

SMTP Outgoing server: smtp.talktalk.net

Security type: TLS

Port: 587

Require authentication to send emails: ON

Windows Mail on Windows 10

The Windows Mail Sync Options are as shown below.

incoming email server name can be prefixed by either mail or imap, as shown, for an IMAP email account.

On the basis that your devices will be ok to connect using the above settings I've asked that full access is restored for the mailbox tiscali email address that you will have added to your Community profile, Personal information, Private notes. (Do check it's there - just the tiscali address that's had device access switched off.)

TalkTalk Support will respond here and then restore IMAP4 / POP3 access as soon as reasonably possible. Until full access is switched back on, use TalkTalk Mail webmail via an up to date Internet browser to keep in touch with email contacts.

Did you positively identify the insecure settings, for example? The culprit device or software that got mailbox access switched off because ports 25 (SMTP) or 110 (POP) or 143 (IMAP) were used?

[RobBarn]

Hi Gondola, much appreciate your prompt response.

My wife can access send and receive emails through her webmail

The devices/software she uses are : PC Lenova All in One C460 with Windows 10 (Version 22H2) with windows mail, Microsoft 365 with Outlook, and Norton 360. We use both Google Chrome and Edge as browsers. Her martphone is a Galaxy A41 with Android Version 12 using the Samsung email app. Nothing exotic. As previously mentioned my email works fine through all these email apps and uses the same settings

I have attached a couple of screenshots to confirm the settings we use.

Additional information - her access to her emails via Outlook, Windows mail and her Samsung phone all stopped on 23 February - I mention this because I see elsewhere mentions of a February Encryption change.

I also note that lots of others seem to be posting on the same topic

Many thanks

[Gondola]

Continued use of insecure settings on any one device will have got the mailbox access limited to webmail only access.

If you saw the message from TalkTalk advising "Our records show that you are still accessing your email using unencrypted email settings..." then the email address receiving that notification has now been limited to webmail only access OR You may not be able to send mail. It's a last resort action by TalkTalk to stop the use of email connections not secured by TLS 1.2 encryption.

TalkTalk Mail webmail is secure by design when using an up to date Internet browser.

Select here:  Sign in to TalkTalk Mail

Enter your full TalkTalk Mail email address and password, select Sign in. Check that you can compose and send and receive mail sent to the same mailbox address.

A stop on sending is easily resolved by not using port 25 for outgoing TalkTalk email addresses, using currently supported email software and secure email settings as shown in the Email Settings guide below.

If your mailbox is limited to webmail only access for both sending and receiving mail, you will be able to get access restored to email apps or email software, including mail collection services, passwords will then re-authenticate, so long as you're ready to use supported email software and secure email settings for all the ways you view emails.

We can advise on device and software compatibility with TLS 1.2 encryption and provide customer setup guides. Just let us know each mail collection service, each device, its operating system and email software including version that are in current use.

For a definitive check of email settings take screenshots of the incoming and outgoing server settings, image edit to obscure the first part of the email address and upload here using the Camera icon (desktop browser) or Picture icon (mobile browser) above this reply area.

When you confirm the secure settings are ready I can request TalkTalk Support to restore full access. TalkTalk Support will respond here and access will be restored usually within a couple of working days.

Prepare for TalkTalk Support - include in the Community Profile (not in these public posts):

 Email account holder name

 Scroll down to Private notes to add the email address(es)
and TalkTalk or MailPlus customer account number

 Check and Save changes

Select here:  Update your profile

The TalkTalk Mail Support Hub is your go to resource for information, guides and Community support for TalkTalk Consumer home broadband and MailPlus subscribers.

Select here:
 TalkTalk Mail Support

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