Connection to comcast email server times out
Of necessity this is going to be a bit lengthy. I've posted this issue on the comcast/xfinity support forum and so far no one has come up with an answer.
I should emphasize that we (wife & I) have had our email accounts with comcast for over 20 years. We've been using Thunderbird for most of those years. All updates have been automatic. I have a Lenovo desktop PC and an Asus laptop. My wife has an identical Asus laptop. We have a TP-Link Archer C7 wireless router and a Motorola modem, both of which have been in use for several years. Both laptops access the web via wifi, the Lenovo is hardwired.
A few days ago Thunderbird stopped downloading incoming messages on my Lenovo. I tell it to get messages and it says "connected to mail.comcast.net" for a lengthy period, then pops up the message "Connection to server.mail.comcast.net has timed out." I have rebooted the computer, modem, and router several times. I have checked to make sure I have the latest version of Thunderbird. The server settings in Thunderbird are the same as they have been since we started using it. Oh, and I can send emails via my Comcast account just fine. If I access my xfinity account via my browser I have the same issue, it times out while trying to access the inbox.
My wife's email account piggybacks on mine. She can access her emails on her laptop with no issues. I can access my emails on my laptop with no issues. I can also access my xfinity inbox via my browser without issue on my laptop. I again emphasize the server settings in Thunderbird are exactly the same for all three computers, have not changed since forever, yet one stopped working. Port has always been 110. It's been suggested I try port 993 and 995. I did. Neither worked, so it's back to 110. To reiterate, both laptops are and have been using port 110 all along with no issues. The desktop is the problem child.
Now to throw a wrench in the works, I set up my Outlook account on my Lenovo to access my comcast email. It works fine. Both laptops work, so that should rule out a problem with either the modem or router. My Outlook account on the desktop works, so that should rule out a hardware problem with the desktop. I'm guessing it also makes it hard to blame antivirus (Microsoft's own) or ad/cookie blockers, all of which I've been using for ages.
There were several others in the xfinity support thread who were experiencing the same issue with Thunderbird at around the same time, so I know I'm not alone. I've tried to cover all the bases in this post but please ask if I have missed something. I cannot understand why, of three systems using identically set up T-bird, one suddenly quit. I hope someone here has the cure!
All Replies (4)
More info. The latest poster on the xfinity support thread describes events exactly as they happened to me, then goes on to say when he activates his vpn he can then access his comcast inbox. Here's a link to that thread in case it may be helpful.
I had a quick look at your thread, and it sounds similar to something I encountered about a week ago, someone was unable to send mail and that turned out to be some genius at comcast had blacklisted all of their own IP addresses from sending mail using their own SMTP server (to prevent spam) That some of these folk are getting success using a VPN might indicate that the folks at comcast are now blocking access to their mail servers for at least some of their own IP addresses. Resetting the router/ modem repeatedly will almost certainly eventually result in a change of IP address allocated to the router/ modem.
When you get this message... try the following. open the command prompt. (windows key + X) type tracert mail.comcast,net in the prompt and press enter. copy and paste the response into a reply to this topic.
One thing I am interested in is if you can actually connect to it at all. I am not a comcast customer, So I simply get "Unable to resolve target system name mail.comcast.net." So it only exists if you are connected to the internet using Comcast, for the rest of us it is not even in the DNS system. DO you get a different response?
Despite it becoming something of a popular sport, email settings are not something to be guessed at. They are provided by you ISP and should always be the first port of call if their are issues. Clearly you have issues and on checking the setting on the comcast web site. The first thing you need to do is use the settings they provide. Here
So starting with POP settings (you mention port 110)
Incoming Mail Server Name: pop3.comcast.net Incoming Mail Server Port Number: 995 (POP3 with SSL) Incoming Mail Server Port 110 is no longer supported. Make sure to use port 995 instead.
Now lets look at the most telling thing you mentioned.
If I access my xfinity account via my browser I have the same issue, it times out while trying to access the inbox.
That is proof positive that Thunderbird is not "the fault". Although it may be a clue as to the issue. You posted to this forum using Chrome, so I will assume that is the same browser you can not get access to the mail server via xfinity.
One of the issues I think might be the SSL certificates used. Both Thunderbird and chrome utilize their own certificate stores. Internet explorer and Edge along with Outlook use the windows certificate store. SO it is possible that the SSL being used is the problem.
Matt said
I had a quick look at your thread, and it sounds similar to something I encountered about a week ago, someone was unable to send mail and that turned out to be some genius at comcast had blacklisted all of their own IP addresses from sending mail using their own SMTP server (to prevent spam) That some of these folk are getting success using a VPN might indicate that the folks at comcast are now blocking access to their mail servers for at least some of their own IP addresses. Resetting the router/ modem repeatedly will almost certainly eventually result in a change of IP address allocated to the router/ modem. When you get this message... try the following. open the command prompt. (windows key + X) type tracert mail.comcast,net in the prompt and press enter. copy and paste the response into a reply to this topic.
Here's what I get:
C:\Users\Don>tracert mail.comcast.net
Tracing route to imap.ge.xfinity.com [96.118.18.254] over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.1 2 10 ms 9 ms 18 ms 96.120.13.125 3 9 ms 11 ms 10 ms ae-253-1221-rur101.greeley.co.denver.comcast.net [96.110.194.153] 4 13 ms 13 ms 12 ms ae-34-ar01.denver.co.denver.comcast.net [68.86.1
03.93]
5 13 ms 18 ms 13 ms be-36011-cs01.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net
[96.110.43.241]
6 19 ms 14 ms 13 ms be-1113-cr13.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [
96.110.39.98]
7 13 ms 18 ms 19 ms be-303-cr13.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.
36.201]
8 13 ms 11 ms 14 ms be-1413-cs04.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110
.37.237]
9 11 ms 12 ms 11 ms be-1412-cr12.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110
.37.222]
10 * 38 ms 38 ms be-304-cr11.sunnyvale.ca.ibone.comcast.net [96.1
10.39.30]
11 36 ms 37 ms 37 ms be-1111-cs01.sunnyvale.ca.ibone.comcast.net [96.
110.46.1]
12 37 ms 40 ms 38 ms be-1102-cr02.sunnyvale.ca.ibone.comcast.net [96.
110.41.226]
13 50 ms 50 ms 56 ms ae-0-0-ar02-d.hillsboro.or.ndchlsbr.comcast.net
[68.86.93.34]
14 50 ms 50 ms 51 ms et-5-7-1-as12-d.hillsboro.or.ndchlsbr.comcast.ne
t [96.108.17.30]
15 49 ms 49 ms 50 ms et-6-1-1-s34-d.hillsboro.or.ndchlsbr.comcast.net [96.108.16.246] 16 * * * Request timed out. 17 * * * Request timed out. 18 * * * Request timed out. 19 * * * Request timed out. 20 * * * Request timed out. 21 * * * Request timed out. 22 * * * Request timed out. 23 *
...Continues up to line 30 then says "trace complete." Point of emphasis: I have no trouble sending email, it's accessing incoming email that's the problem.
One thing I am interested in is if you can actually connect to it at all. I am not a comcast customer, So I simply get "Unable to resolve target system name mail.comcast.net." So it only exists if you are connected to the internet using Comcast, for the rest of us it is not even in the DNS system. DO you get a different response?
And again, here's what I get: First Thunderbird says "Connected to mail.comcast.net..." Then after some time a popup says "Connection to server mail.comcast.net timed out."
Despite it becoming something of a popular sport, email settings are not something to be guessed at. They are provided by you ISP and should always be the first port of call if their are issues. Clearly you have issues and on checking the setting on the comcast web site. The first thing you need to do is use the settings they provide. Here So starting with POP settings (you mention port 110) Incoming Mail Server Name: pop3.comcast.net Incoming Mail Server Port Number: 995 (POP3 with SSL) Incoming Mail Server Port 110 is no longer supported. Make sure to use port 995 instead.
I tried 995 and it didn't work either. Further point: We have two laptops, both with Thunderbird set up identical to the problem desktop, both using port 110, and both able to access our comcast inboxes. I am a firm believer in the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Now lets look at the most telling thing you mentioned.If I access my xfinity account via my browser I have the same issue, it times out while trying to access the inbox.That is proof positive that Thunderbird is not "the fault". Although it may be a clue as to the issue. You posted to this forum using Chrome, so I will assume that is the same browser you can not get access to the mail server via xfinity.
One of the issues I think might be the SSL certificates used. Both Thunderbird and chrome utilize their own certificate stores. Internet explorer and Edge along with Outlook use the windows certificate store. SO it is possible that the SSL being used is the problem.
The browsers I used to try to access emails were Vivaldi, Edge, and Brave. Unable to gain access with any of them. Point: We can access our inboxes via browsers on both laptops.
Also, there are multiple users having this same issue and we all started having the problem on or about last Tuesday, so it's not just me.
I do appreciate your comments and thank you for your investment of time. I'm not trying to blame Thunderbird for the issue, I'm certain (as are all the victims in the other thread) that the problem is being caused by comcast. They have been (surprise) unresponsive/unhelpful so I'm simply looking for whatever help I can get here.
Anyone having this issue can find the likely solution here. The users (as opposed to the house "experts") are a lot more knowledgeable and helpful than certain other "support" forum "Experts."