Thunderbird won't sent aol emails

[Deleted User]

I'll be so glad of any advice please. Out of the blue I can no longer send or forward any aol emails in Thunderbird.

I have tried everything I can think of using different smtp settings, different ports, different security and, so far, I have not been able to resolve the problem. This notice comes up after connecting to smtp.aol.com: 'The message could not be sent because the connection to Outgoing server (SMTP) smtp.aol.com timed out.'

At one point, when I was trying to reinstall aol to Thunderbird (as a last resort) a notice came up about junk settings - but I did not know how to sort it.

I have resorted to removing aol completely from Thunderbird and have a shortcut icon on my desktop. I would really like to be able to access my aol emails (with my others) in Thunderbird - all in once place again - if at all possible. my aol email address has not changed and is xxxxxxx@aol.co.uk

If anyone can help I'll really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Crimson

fwor

A relative of mine uses AOL and has had weeks of problems with them (since well before the New Year, IIRC). In her case, the problem is at AOL's end - some major problem with one of their email servers.

My interpretation of the situation is that AOL would really like to get rid of users of their services that pay them no money, but perhaps you don't fall into that category...

[Deleted User]

fwor wrote: »

A relative of mine uses AOL and has had weeks of problems with them (since well before the New Year, IIRC). In her case, the problem is at AOL's end - some major problem with one of their email servers.

My interpretation of the situation is that AOL would really like to get rid of users of their services that pay them no money, but perhaps you don't fall into that category...

Thank you very much for replying fwor. I'm afraid I do fall into that free category. I hoped to use my AOL email more, in case I ever do not have access to the Plusnet email.

I'm not good with technology although I really have searched and 'Googled' to try to sort the AOL problem. So far I have had no success. Is your relative having any success at all? I seem to be able to use AOL normally, including sending and forwarding emails, logging in from my laptop - but not through Thunderbird any more. It seems strange that this seemed to happen just 'out of the blue.'

Crimson

Neil_Jones

AOL email if you do not have access to the Plusnet mail? Who's your internet with, AOL or Plusnet?

I'm wondering, if you're actually with Plusnet and not using your AOL account (ie not connecting to the internet via TalkTalk, since they bought the UK arm of AOL in 2006), it may have been purged due to lack of activity on the account (emails don't count). It used to be that if you had an email address with a provider it remained active as long as you connected to them every 90 odd days, again emails didn't count.

thorganby

If I understand your posts correctly, Thunderbird is timing out when sending to your AOL SMTP server.

This is a spam prevention measure imposed by Plusnet, which forces it's customers to use only the Plusnet SMTP server.

Your settings for receiving from your AOL are fine but change the Thunderbird outgoing SMTP settings for your AOL account to use the following:

Outgoing server = relay.plus.net

Outgoing port = 587

SSL/TLS = NO

SMTP authentication = Yes

aerostar

thorganby wrote: »

This is a spam prevention measure imposed by Plusnet, which forces it's customers to use only the Plusnet SMTP server.

Not true - I use VFmail, Google, Zen, and other email servers including a software email server on my PC, and I am on Plusnet and use Thunderbird..

[Deleted User]

Neil_Jones wrote: »

AOL email if you do not have access to the Plusnet mail? Who's your internet with, AOL or Plusnet?

I'm wondering, if you're actually with Plusnet and not using your AOL account (ie not connecting to the internet via TalkTalk, since they bought the UK arm of AOL in 2006), it may have been purged due to lack of activity on the account (emails don't count). It used to be that if you had an email address with a provider it remained active as long as you connected to them every 90 odd days, again emails didn't count.

Thank you Neil Jones. I am with Plusnet and use my laptop at home with their wireless router. Thunderbird on my laptop has both my Plusnet email address and my AOL email address on it. I did not change anything and the only problem now is that if I try to send or forward from my AOL email in Thunderbird it won't work. AOL incoming emails are fine. I can use AOL if I log in separately on line without using Thunderbird. Plusnet email works perfectly in Thunderbird.

I liked accessing both in Thunderbird - for convenience as I use both email addresses regularly for different things.

Thank you for replying.

Crimson

[Deleted User]

thorganby wrote: »

If I understand your posts correctly, Thunderbird is timing out when sending to your AOL SMTP server.

This is a spam prevention measure imposed by Plusnet, which forces it's customers to use only the Plusnet SMTP server.

Your settings for receiving from your AOL are fine but change the Thunderbird outgoing SMTP settings for your AOL account to use the following:

Outgoing server = relay.plus.net

Outgoing port = 587

SSL/TLS = NO

SMTP authentication = Yes

Thanks very much Thorganby. I'l be out most of today but will do as you suggest and post back tomorrow.

Crimson

[Deleted User]

aerostar wrote: »

Not true - I use VFmail, Google, Zen, and other email servers including a software email server on my PC, and I am on Plusnet and use Thunderbird..

Thanks aerostar. I'm not good with technology (but getting better very slowly )and have had a lot of help from this forum. Because I changed nothing I'm not sure what happened. I'll have time tomorrow to try again - following the instructions given.

For now I have deleted AOL from Thunderbird and can use it by logging in to AOL on line. Plusnet email is normal and when an email arrives a helpful sound comes letting me know I have an email.

It was good being able to access all emails in one place in Thunderbird but, on the scale of things, it is just a little less convenient than before. With the helpful pointers given above by thorganby I'll try again tomorrow.

Thank you again for replying.

Crimson

agrinnall

Do you use AOL for anything of significance other than email? If not then perhaps you should consider switching to an alternative free email provider, as I have my doubts whether AOL will survive in the long term (I'm a bit surprised they are still around now). My current free provider of choice is GMX but I also use gmail and various Yahoo incarnations such as ymail.

[Deleted User]

agrinnall wrote: »

Do you use AOL for anything of significance other than email? If not then perhaps you should consider switching to an alternative free email provider, as I have my doubts whether AOL will survive in the long term (I'm a bit surprised they are still around now). My current free provider of choice is GMX but I also use gmail and various Yahoo incarnations such as ymail.

Thanks agrinnall. I use AOL quite a lot but use Plusnet more. Plusnet email has my name in it e g xxxxson@mysurname.plus.com and AOL address is less obvious eg xxender@aol.co.uk. I use Plusnet email for people I know and AOL for others.

Advice here some time ago was to keep a non ISP email address - sort of as back up and not tied to a contract.

I'll be out shortly but have more time to go over things on my laptop at home tomorrow.

Thank you for replying - this is such a really good forum with very helpful contributors. Much appreciated.

Crimson