MS Outlook keeps disconnects from the MS Exchange multiple times a day.

[dapodaca123]

When working from home my MS Outlook disconnects from the MS Exchange multiple times a day and I am unable to send to receive email. The only way to correct the issue is the restart the computer which will fix the problem for a couple of hours before it disconnects again. I have searched the community and have seen other have this issue, however no one has posted a fix that I can find. Based on research it could be a setting issue within my router, but I am not sure. Any advice on how to resolve this since it is becoming quite a hassle to restart multiple times a day!.

Thanks!

[vzw_customer_support]

Oh, no! Dealing with Home Internet issues can be frustrating, especially if you are encountering application issues. Verizon is here to guide you in the right direction.

When did the issue start? What recent changes have you made? Aside from the Microsoft features, any other problems?

~Gilbert

[dapodaca123]

This started once I started the service with Verizon. It never happened with Xfinity. I have made no changes to my system or setup and it only happens with Outlook. Everything else is fine. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Thank you so much for the information, dapodaca123. To clarify, is your service with Fios or Verizon 5G/LTE Home Internet? Have you attempted any troubleshooting of your own before reaching us here?

~Izzy

[dapodaca123]

I am using 5G as my service. I have contacted my employer's IT department but they were not able to help since it appears to be an issue with the router/modem. As I stated this did not happen when I was using Xfinity for internet. What troubleshooting would you recommend? 

[unwiredsoul]

1. How did your employer's IT department land on your "router/modem" as the root cause of the problem?
2. Are you using Windows or a Mac? What edition of Microsoft Outlook do you have (e.g., Office 2019)?
3. Is your employer using Microsoft 365 or are you trying to connect to an Exchange server they run?
4. Is Outlook merely going "Offline"? If yes, what happens when you manually try to turn it online?
5. Do you have "Cached Exchange Mode" turned on or off?

Did your employer's IT department as any questions like this, look at any logs, or try anything before just blaming your router/modem? If they made any competent attempts at actually helping instead of blaming the thing they can't support (i.e., your home Internet connection and equipment), then they may have gathered some useful info. If they did gather some useful info are they willing to share it with you since they've left you to your own to resolve this issue?

[dapodaca123]

My IT department determined it was a router issue, because this started as soon as I switched to the new router and service with Verizon. It ran with no issues when I was using Xfinity. I have also done some research within these forums and have seen people having the same issue with Outlook disconnecting from the Exchange server whom also pointed to the router but there were not solutions provided.

I am using a Windows computer and running Microsoft 365, and it connects to an Exchange Server which connects in the morning when I start my laptop but disconnects three or four times a day and the only way to reconnect is to restart the computer. 

Yes, Cached Exchange Mode is turned on. 

My IT Department did look at their logs but were not able to find anything out of the ordinary. 

[unwiredsoul]

The extra info certainly helps isolate one of the dozens of potential reasons your Outlook client could be having an issue. During my 25 years in IT (and IT adjacent) work, I've had this particular issue presented to me hundreds of times, and the "correlation = causation" situation of an Internet provider changing has been frequently blamed. I've only seen a handful of cases where the issue was the Internet provider and/or router, and they were 80% people using mobile hotspots in rural areas.

To that point, when Outlook goes offline and you have to restart your computer, have you tried using a web browser to see if your Internet connection is still otherwise working reliably before restarting the computer?

 Here are some initial steps to help resolve the issue:

1. Try the automated Outlook for Microsoft 365 repair tool from Microsoft: Link here
2. If #1 doesn't resolve, continue to #3
3. Turn off "Cached Exchange Mode" for 1-2 business days. Do the disconnects keep happening? If they go away completely, turn back on "Cached Exchange Mode" and and see if they return.
4. If the change to "Cached Exchange Mode" did not have any effect, continue to #5
5. Run Outlook in "Safe Mode" for 1-2 business days. Steps from Microsoft: Link here

Please do share your results from any and all of these steps. Also, please know I'm a Verizon 5G Home Internet customer myself. I've never worked for Verizon in any capacity and I don't represent them. However, I do have a soft spot for challenging issues that IT departments give up on quickly.

Oh, a couple quick questions to help me help you more accurately:

• What version of Windows are you using? (Windows 10, Windows 11, something else)
• What version of Outlook are you using? (2016, 2019, something else)

[dapodaca123]

I have been waiting for a reply for the last 6 days now. I am still having this issue. 

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

Apologies for the delay in continuing. Are you having any other connection issues? If MS Outlook is the only server disconnecting this would not be a network issue, and you would need to connect with MS Outlook. 

-Melissa