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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Madonna of the Help Desk

This is lengthy and painful...but sort of funny in a weird, customer-service-sucks sort of way. And no, my e-mail still isn't fixed.

user Kristen_ has entered room
Kristen>
Using hosted mail server - outgoing mail won't work?
analyst Madonna.21799 has entered room
Madonna.21799>
Hello Kristen_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat
Support.My name is Madonna.21799. Please give me one moment
to review your information.
Madonna.21799>
I understand that you are having an issue with your
Outgoing mail.
Kristen_>
Did Comcast recently start blocking outgoing mail on SMTP
port 25?
Madonna.21799>
I apologize for the inconvenience.
Madonna.21799>
I would be glad to help you with that issue.
Madonna.21799>
Kristen, please change port 25 to port 587.
Kristen_>
I did that, it still isn't working.
Madonna.21799>
Can you try to send a test mail again to get the
exact error message?
Kristen_>
Sure - it says it is timing out -
I will get you the exact message in a second.
Madonna.21799>
Thank you.
Kristen_>
Error: -3259
Kristen_>
It was the same when I had the port as 25.
Madonna.21799>
Thank you for that information.
Madonna.21799>
Can you try to log in to your email account using
Webmail?
Kristen_>
Yes, it works fine that way.
Kristen_>
Incoming and outgoing.
Madonna.21799>
Can you send an email account using your Webmail?
Kristen_>
I don't understand the question.
Madonna.21799>
I apologize for the confusion.
Madonna.21799>
I will provide you the information on how to verify your
Outlook Express settings.
Kristen_>
Yes, I can send mail from this account if I use webmail.
Madonna.21799>
That is good.
Madonna.21799>
If that is case, there is no problem with your email
account.
Madonna.21799>
To fix the issue, we only need to change the port
number to 587.
Madonna.21799>
To verify your settings in Outlook Express, please
follow the instructions in this link:
http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/index.jsp?faq=EmailOutlook_Express17739
Kristen_>
I did change the port number to 587.
That didn't change anything.
Kristen_>
I am using Entourage - is it the same?
Madonna.21799>
Please hold for one moment.
Madonna.21799>
Thank you for patiently waiting.
Madonna.21799>
Please refer to this link
http://www.comcast.com/customers/faq/FaqDetails.ashx?ID=2370
Kristen_>
This is showing the ports as 25 and 110?
Madonna.21799>
That is the link to verify Entourage X (Mac) settings.
Kristen_>
I am not using the smtp.comcast.net server -
I am using a hosted server (mail.stuff4sprouts.com)
Madonna.21799>
Are you using this for a business account?
Kristen_>
Yes.
Kristen_>
And it was working for several months with the
current settings...and then stopped working last week.
Madonna.21799>
Thank you for that information.
Kristen_>
Did Comcast recently change the ports?
Madonna.21799>
I suggest to contact Comcast business department, Kristen.
Madonna.21799>
The phone number to talk to a representative in Comcast
Business is 1-800-316-1619.
Madonna.21799>
I apologize for the inconvenience.
Kristen_>
It isn't a Comcast business account...it is my home cable
internet service.
Kristen_>
Only the mail account (through another provider) has
anything to do with business...
Kristen_>
It shouldn't matter for this question.
Madonna.21799>
I understand your concern. However, the outgoing server you
are using is for business account.
Kristen_>
But I don't have a business account with Comcast!
Kristen_>
It shouldn't matter what it is for - how it works through
Comcast should be the same.
Madonna.21799>
Can you receive email messages?
Kristen_>
Yes.
Kristen_>
Just not send via Entourage.
Kristen_>
Since last Thursday.
Madonna.21799>
Since you are able to receive email messages using
Comcast incoming mail server then there is no problem
with your incoming server.
Kristen_>
Right. I am not worried about my incoming server.
Only outgoing.
Madonna.21799>
The issue is with your Outgoing server since you are using
a different port mail.stuff4sprouts.com.
Kristen_>
I am using the same server for both.  
Kristen_>
And I changed the outgoing port to 587 as directed.
Kristen_>
Would the company hosting the incoming mail server have
to do anything to work with the new port #?
Madonna.21799>
Can you try to send a test email again?
Kristen_>
I just did. Several times.  It doesn't work.
Kristen_>
In my previous question I meant the company hosting the
receiving mail server - do they have to do anything to
make the 587 thing work?
Madonna.21799>
It depends on the mail server provider, Kristen.
Kristen_>
In general - if you change the port - does something
have to happen on their end to make things line up?
Kristen_>
The host is 3Dcart...if that matters.
Madonna.21799>
Can you put a check mark on the box that says
"smtp server requires authentication"
Kristen_>
It is already checked. Using the same authentication
as incoming mail.
Madonna.21799>
Are you using Comcast mail server?
Kristen_>
No. The hosted one at mail.stuff4sprouts.com -
hosted by 3DCart.
Kristen_>
Which was working until last Thursday.
Kristen_>
When something somewhere apparently changed.
Kristen_>
Like the port #.
Madonna.21799>
It will not work if you will use mail.stuff4sprouts.com 
Kristen_>
Why did it work for 5 months and now won't?
Kristen_>
I need my outgoing mail to have the same address as incoming
...if I can receive mail on that server, why can't I send it?
Madonna.21799>
The port 587 is for Comcast mail server.
Kristen_>
Did you recently start blocking port 25?
Kristen_>
Does the other company need to change their port to 587 for it to
work it I am using Comcast as my ISP?
Madonna.21799>
This error indicates that your port 25 has been blocked.
Comcast has determined that your computer has been infected
with a virus and has been used to send out spam, liekly without
your knowledge. By closing this port, we've taken steps to
protect your computer from being used to send spam.
Kristen_>
OK. So I need to get them to set it up to send on another port?
Kristen_>
When was I sending spam (I wasn't - but when do they think I was?)
I don't have a virus...
Madonna.21799>
Yes, Kristen.
Kristen_>
So if the host changes the outgoing mail port to 587 then
everything should work?
Madonna.21799>
Yes, Kristen.
Kristen_>
Thanks. I will talk to them.

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1 comment:

James-H said...

OMFG - I would be killing EVERYTHING in my path after that customer service exchange.

"Yes, Kristen"

FFFFFFFFUCK YOU!