Cannot configure Hostway POP3 account on MacOS 27 using port 587: "Can't find a server". Solved with port 465.
I've been using Thunderbird for my POP3 accounts on Windows 10 for years. I'm now trying to install Thunderbird on a new Mac Mini (M6) running MacOS 27. In the Thunderbird setup, I go straight to Manual Configuration and select POP3. This takes me to a screen that allows me to configure one POP3 account plus an SMTP server. I enter the exact same configuration info that I use for one of my accounts on the Windows machine. Interestingly there is no box on the form for an account password. When I hit the "Connect" button, Thunderbird post a message saying "Mozilla Thunderbird failed to find the settings for your email account." When I select "Show more" it says "Can't find a server".
My Mac machine has its firewall turned off completely ("Inactive") and I have no problems with other apps accessing the Internet. There is no way to explicitly list Thunderbird as a firewall exception because the firewall is off. Further, I opened a command window and pinged both my POP3 and SMTP servers (using the same names as I supplied in my Thunderbird configuration) and they ping just fine; i.e. "ping" has no problem reaching them. I'm at my wits' end.
글쓴이 Wayne Mery 수정일시
모든 댓글 (3)
Why are you using manual instead of account hub? Who is the mail provider?
선택된 해결법
I don't know anything about "account hub" so I don't use it. I called my ISP, who helped me resolve this. Turns out that the port number that works for my ISP's SMTP server on Windows (587) does not work on the Mac. So per my ISP's recommendation, I changed the SMTP port number to 465 and suddenly everything (both POP3 and SMTP) started working perfectly. My ISP, per your request, is Hostway. Thanks for responding.
Thanks for posting your solution.