Email setup craziness
dbarbour1
Newbie

I spent about 2 hours on the phone with Verizon tech support yesterday, with a very nice and diligent support person. The 1st hour was spent getting the red light out on my Westell 6100 DSL modem. The next hour was spent trying to figure out why Thunderbird could suddenly not connect with either pop.verizon.net or smtp.verizon.net. He never could figure it out, and neither could the Thunderbird expert he referred me to. Everything was set up correctly as it had been for a long time, including the latest port settings. After they gave up, I tried letting Windows Live Mail set up a connection automatically, and amazingly it worked. What happened was it used the default settings: incoming.verizon.net on port 110, and outgoing.verizon.net on port 25 which I thought had been blocked a long time ago. I'm still set up that way and it's working fine, and the new "correct" settings still don't work. Can anyone explain this?

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armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@dbarbour wrote:

 ... trying to figure out why Thunderbird could suddenly not connect with either pop.verizon.net or smtp.verizon.net ... Everything was set up correctly as it had been for a long time, including the latest port settings ... tried letting Windows Live Mail set up a connection automatically, and amazingly it worked ... it used the default settings: incoming.verizon.net on port 110, and outgoing.verizon.net on port 25 ... Can anyone explain this?


None of the volunteers here  will be able to explain why your settings work or do not, because you have not posted them in detail.  Please note that there are any number of threads on the forums detailing the exact, successful settings for the Thunderbird mail client.  Try "thunderbird" in the "Ask the Community" search box at the top of the page.

With respect to the question of why the old settings still work, please see this post:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-net-Email/Problems-with-Outlook-and-sending-email/m-p/563643#M1...

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dbarbour1
Newbie

Well, I didn't post the settings because they are exactly as Verizon requires and had been working for a long time, and also were checked by Verizon's Internet and email client support persons yesterday. Apparently something happened because of the fix for my Internet outage, which I also don't understand because nothing had been changed on my end. I'm surprised that the old email client settings still work. I thought port 25 in particular was supposed to be blocked as a security risk.

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AnnieS1
Contributor - Level 3

Hi dbarbour,

Please go to your profile page for the forum by clicking on your name, and look at the top of the middle column where you will find an area titled "My Private Support Cases".

There you will find a link to the private board where you and the agent may exchange information. This should be checked on a frequent basis as the agent may be waiting for information from you before they can proceed with any actions. Please keep all correspondence regarding your issue in the private support portal.

Regards,

AnnieS

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SF191
Enthusiast - Level 2

I had a similar experience yesterday. New installation couldn't get it to work with Outlook. I did a live chat with a very nice fellow, we went to GoToMeeting and I let him operate my computer remotely. Almost an hour later, the connection was cut (not by me) and the problem wasn't fixed. I managed to do it myself today.

Unfortunately I just found out that all sub-accounts have to have passwords different from the main email account. I keep 3 emails: 1 for family & friends, 1 for businesses I deal with (to keep personal spamming to a minimum) and 1 that I have mail from my website forwarded to. Verizon wants to complicate my life by forcing me into 3 passwords. That's an insanely stupid policy. I'm of a mind to go back to Cablevision but they've  got their own problems. Maybe one day a communications provider will actually care about customers... 

On another note, it seems like the only task the moderators have on this forum is to prevent someone from airing a gripe about Verizon publicly.  That's not a way to win admiration for the company.

armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@SF19 wrote:

... I just found out that all sub-accounts have to have passwords different from the main email account. I keep 3 emails: ... Verizon wants to complicate my life by forcing me into 3 passwords. That's an insanely stupid policy ...  


I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion, but your statement about VZ requiring different email passwords for each subaccount is not correct.   It is indeed the case that each subaccount must have a unique user name, but any and all accounts can share the same password..

As an example, I have 10 Verizon email accounts (one primary and nine subaccounts, plus an email alias).  Eight of these accounts (the primary plus seven subaccounts) have the identical password.   The other two subaccounts each share the same password (different from the other eight).  My system works correctly and there are no email issues with sending and receiving mail.

Whatever procedure you are using to set your password is not correct.  Perhaps if you tell us exactly how you are going about it, someone here can offer suggestions.  Please comment.

SF191
Enthusiast - Level 2

I came to that conclusion after trying unsuccesfully to add a sub account with the same password 5 times. I then added the account with another password and tried to modify it after the fact. Same result - it wouldn't let me use the password I wanted.

 

I then contacted Verizon tech help and was given the same intuitive, though unhelpful and incorrect, advise that you're offering. After finally getting an "email expert" it was confirmed to me that Verizon does not allow the same password to be used for security reasons. The instructions mention that the password can not contain your user name - which was the error message I got all the time - but it also forbids repeating the password.

I previously had FiOS and had multiple sub accounts set to the same password. So sometime in the last few years Veriizon instituted this ridiculous change. I note that my old passwords had 6 characters and now they require a minimum of 8. So they have made changes since I last had the service. This one is extremely unfriendly to the customer. I'm not looking for things that make my life more complicated.

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armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@SF19 wrote:

... I then contacted Verizon tech help and was given the same intuitive, though unhelpful and incorrect, advise [sic] that you're offering ... it was confirmed to me that Verizon does not allow the same password to be used for security reasons ...  I note that my old passwords had 6 characters and now they require a minimum of 8. So they have made changes since I last had the service ...


I'm not of course suggesting that Verizon doesn't change password requirements from time to time in the interests of security.  Of course they do, as do all ISPs.  However separate individual passwords for subaccounts is not one of these changes, and this is confirmed in practice by my 10+ email accounts.

I am sorry if the information I offered is, in your estimation, "unhelpful and incorrect."  However unless I'm suffering some sort of delusional episode (it hasn't happened yet, but anything is possible these days), I promise you that my statements do indeed reflect the reality of my situation:  I am able to use identical passwords across multiple email accounts

Having said that, I'm afraid I must simply wish you good luck and much success in addressing your issue.

Justin46
Legend

I agree with Armond, you can have multiple Verizon email accounts with the same password, I have three that do.

However, I just went and tried to add another email account with the same password those existing accounts have and the system would not accept it because it violated one of the password rules (more than 4 consecutive characters on the keyboard). So obviously Verizon has changed the rules since I originally set those accounts up. I wonder if the original password the OP was trying to use violates one of the rules? It is easy to see which rule is violated, there is an 'x" in front of that one in the popup. Or maybe Verizon really has changed the rule on duplicate passwords and existing accounts are ok but new ones not?

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.1
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

SF191
Enthusiast - Level 2

Armond - I assure that your words do not reflect the reality of my situation.

I spoke with a Verizon tech rep yesterday who confirmed just what I am stating. They do not allow sub accounts with the same passwords as the main user. {please keep your posts courteous}

Justin - The pop-up says that the rule I am violating is the prohibition against including parts of my user name, which I am not. It's that I'm duplicating the password.

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Justin46
Legend

@SF19 wrote:

Armond - I assure that your words do not reflect the reality of my situation.

I spoke with a Verizon tech rep yesterday who confirmed just what I am stating. They do not allow sub accounts with the same passwords as the main user. {please keep your posts courteous}

Justin - The pop-up says that the rule I am violating is the prohibition against including parts of my user name, which I am not. It's that I'm duplicating the password.


Two comments and then I give up, this is a silly little arguement:

1) Yes, we frequently know more - far, far more - than the "experts" that you talk to at Verizon. Obviously just an opinion, but I suggest that since you just registered here yesterday you take a look around to see how often posters say they are told one thing on the phone and reality and fact are totally different.  

2) I just added a sub-account using the exact same password I have on my main account. The sub-account was added just fine, I got the confirmation email verifying that it had been added.

Goodbye......

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.1
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

SF191
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm always open to the possibility that I've made a mistake so I tried again. Same result.

But armed with the knowledge garnered from the 2 extremely wise posters here who were kind enough to help a poor challenged individual like me, I got up the courage to try my luck with another Verizon tech who would hopefully be more informed than the last one I dealt with.

I used Live Chat to consult this time and I thought it would be entertaining and enlightening to share his comments! Below are his actual words:

{edited for privacy}

So... I'm wondering if I'm still doing something wrong or if Verizon decided to get their tech department together and have some fun at my expense?

Moderator, please don't edit this post. I am not being disrespectful, only trying to get the truth out to the public. These words I've posted are a direct quote. If anything, there a bit of disdain in the way I was dismissed as some kind of bumbling fool. The fact is I was 100% correct.

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mmssaoutt
Newbie

i can confirm the above complaint.

i called verizon several times about my email no being able to be sent out

i wa stold it is an issue with outlook. told them it is not and that it is an issue from verizon.

they just ignored my complain.

now i tried the OLD SET UP as listed above and low and behold it works.

Verizon has probably the worst customer sevice out there

the left hand deos not know what the right hand is doing.

they make these supposed "upgrades' to their email system. they mess up customers emails, they give wrong advice. it is just a mess.

after telling people to change email servers, it happens that only the old set up works for me. Ports 110 and 25

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smithson1
Enthusiast - Level 1

@SF19 wrote:

 ... armed with the knowledge garnered from the 2 extremely wise posters here who were kind enough to help a poor challenged individual like me, I got up the courage to try my luck with another Verizon tech ... there a bit of disdain in the way I was dismissed as some kind of bumbling fool ...


It certainly gives one a warm feeling to learn that two superior individuals have agreed to share their knowledge with someone less fortunate like you.  Just another indication that hope still shines through on this bleak and tear-stained path we travel through life.  God bless you and both of them.

{please keep your posts courteous}

weiner1
Newbie

If you let your verizon lag without a new contracr, when you sign up again, it takes hours on the phone to "scrub" your email and get a new one, just assinine.  Really

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Verizon_Support
Customer Service Rep

Hi, dbarbour. We're just stepping in briefly to let you know that we haven't forgotten you. If you'd like to have us revisit this with you, please don't hesitate to ping us with another post. 

Thanks!

Best,

Leon

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