Sending emails

[ttmp1]

There are a lot of threads about sending emails suddenly not working. I have read them all, but don't know how to add a comment. My emails are sending ok - my wife's won't send. Our set ups are identicle apart for our names in our email addresses  ____@talktalk.net.

The outgoing server settings are:

Server Name - smt.talktalk.net

Port 587

Connection Security: STARTTLS

Authentication: Normal Password

User Name: ____@talktalk.net

This has worked for both of us for many years and still works for me.

My wife gets a response of

Cannot connect to SMTP Server 199.59.243.220(199.59.243.220.587)

Connection Error 10060

Any help gratefully received

[Gondola]

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@ttmp1 wrote:...Gliwmaeden2 suggested I start a new topic, but I have the same problem as many others

---

Mike has therefore started a new topic here and this topic is no longer necessary as it's the exact same issue.

Topic closed.

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi Mike, when you let us know your wife has changed her settings we can request that the account be restored to full access for you.

Ady

[ttmp1]

Hi Ady=TalkTalk - What does "restored" involve. Would Talktalk do it? Thanks for your help. Mike

[Ady-TalkTalk]

Hi ttmp1, if the mailbox was limited then it would be to be restored in order to work again. 

Ady.

[ttmp1]

If my wife changed to Port 587 after Talktalk had blocked her use of Port 25, would this have worked, or would something need to be reset? Could any of this account for not being able to send emails? For example if she was set to Port 25 when TalkTalk stopped mail outgoing via port 25?

[Gondola]

Let's be clear and state that if your wife has continued to use webmail and continues to receive mail messages via email software but cannot send mail via email software then there is only one relevant change made by TalkTalk and that is to stop mail outgoing via port 25. You have clearly stated that the email client uses port 587. So, as that is the correct port there would be no impact caused by TalkTalk blocking port 25.

So, nothing has been implemented by TalkTalk to affect the sending of TalkTalk mail by authenticated mail sending for TalkTalk Mail addresses.

You stated that the error message was "Cannot connect to SMTP Server 199.59.243.220(199.59.243.220.587) Connection Error 10060.

SMTP Connection error 10060 indicates that the sending server did not receive a response from the recipient server within the allocated timeout interval. Which is not surprising because the email software on your wife's computer was attempting to access a non-SMTP server at an USA IP address 199.59.243.220 so that is why I raised concerns with you. The action is totally unexpected for any standard software. You have alluded to my advice as "conspiracy theories." 199.59.243.220 Abuse Reports of email spam

You have chosen to make a formal complaint to TalkTalk. So that's where my offer of help as a Community volunteer ends particularly as you declined to proceed with my advice and disparaged that advice as "conspiracy theories."

I don't see any cause for complaint, as I've explained here, but good luck with proceeding with your complaint as that is your choice.

[ttmp1]

Hi Gondola - I have followed your advice in scanning the laptop with antivirus and antimalware and I am very grateful for it. My conclusion comes from Talktalk sending an email (which matches previous emails) threatening to disrupt email send and receives on 23rd February and lo and behold on the 23rd February my wife (and a number of others) are unable to send emails. It suggests some change at Talktalk's end which caused this.

As for your belief that Talktalk will allocate a Complaints Manager, thus far they've referred me to online chat, which does not appear to exist (unless this is it) and the community forum which I believe is you. In fact you are the only person to offer an help, for which I am very grateful.

[Gondola]

I see you don't wish to follow my advice and have preferred to make a formal complaint. In which case you will have a Complaints Manager appointed to your case and that Complaints Manager will handle your case.

Good luck.

[ttmp1]

I sent the following as a complaint to Talktalk -

On 20/2/23 you sent my wife an email (below) saying that unless she updated her settings by 23/2/23 she would have trouble sending and receiving emails. Her settings have been changed to the ones below, but since the 23/2/23 she has not been able to send emails from Thunderbird (hence my sending this email). Her webmail is fine. My Thunderbird and webmail are fine.

Her laptop is protected by antivirus software (Windows 10 & AVG) and I have run a Malwarebytes scan - all of which report no problems.

Is there anything you can suggest to reactivate her "send" emails from Thunderbird? I'm hoping to avoid deleting and re-initialising her account.

Thank you for your help

(followed by original email)

They suggested the chatbot, apparently available all day every day, but doesn't exist. Or phone a number that isn't answered. Or consult the community, which is currently focusing on conspiracy theories. Given it was a complaint, I think I'll forward it to their CEO and regulator. Has anyone one else tried this route?

Incidentally the Talktalk 20/2/23 email is identical to previous emails, so I have no reason to believe it is from a hacker.

[Gondola]

I have no idea if the email your wife received was genuine. There are a lot of phishing emails in circulation.

The error message is not one that anyone would normally see as the 303 error is a website redirect message that sort of confirms that the computer is being redirected to a scammers website.  Try a scan with Malwarebytes.

I'm thinking that some malware is doing / has set up the redirection perhaps via the hosts file on the computer.

Have you removed the email account from Thunderbird or haven't you got that far yet? You may need to remove Thunderbird and reinstall and just as a precaution reset the hosts file before re-adding the email account.

Tell us what happens with webmail - although current issues with webmail may mean you have difficulty signing in.

[ttmp1]

I swept the laptop with antivirus software and Mbam - nothing. Though strangely an outgoing email now generates the error message -

"Outgoing server (SMTP) error. The Server responded: HTTP/1.1 303 See Other"

Can anyone suggest what might have caused this error and how I can overcome it? Thanks for your help.

Mike

[ttmp1]

Thank you Gondola. I will do that. The only concern I have was that Talktalk sent my wife an email saying she would have trouble with her account if she did not update her settings by 23/2/23  and bang on that date she was unable to send emails. Was this a genuine email?

[Gondola]

On a cursory glance the Thunderbird settings might be assumed to be OK. However, the error message is a big giveaway that something major is wrong. The IP address 199.59.243.220 is an Amazon hosting website in the USA. That gives me a huge concern that the mail is being re-routed to a scammer.

Before anything else is done please scan your email devices for viruses, trojans and other malware. Remove any detected malware. 

Assuming all wanted emails are in the online mailbox or saved to a backup device I would remove the email account from Thunderbird.

Sign in to webmail to check that mail is both incoming and outgoing.

Select here:  Sign in to TalkTalk Mail

Enter your full TalkTalk Mail email address and password, select Sign in.

[Skynet_TX]

Hi @ttmp1,

Can I assume the smt.talktalk.net is just a typo in your post above, as it should be smtp.talktalk.net.

I'll also move this post over the the email board.