yet another victim of the Verizon blacklisting

[pfps]

I, too, am unable to connect to pop.verizon.net or smtp.verizon.net from my current location.  This is not a problem with my account as I can read email through the web interface.

It really appears that Verizon is blacklisting many portions of the internet and refusing to service email requests from there.  That they are doing this indicates that there is some sort of emergency.  However, it would be very useful to have some information about what is going on so that we don't spend so much time trying to fix the situation.

[pfps]

I had read the post just before my post of 23 November, and I reread it just now.

The post still talks about particular accounts being affected, instead of a blanket prohibition of access from large parts of the internet.  The post still talks about using password reset to fix the problem, instead of the partial remedy of whitelisting.

So, no, the post is no better.  It talks about a different problem and its remedy is  entirely ineffective.

[tns2]

It now says

"Additionally, we have implemented measures to prevent future unauthorized access attempts which may affect your ability to access your Verizon.net email from locations outside the U.S. If you experience difficulty reaching your Verizon.net email account, you can always access it online at mail.verizon.com or through the Verizon My FiOS app for mobile devices. For further information see the Verizon Webmail FAQs. "

[pfps]

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@tns_2 wrote:

It now says

"Additionally, we have implemented measures to prevent future unauthorized access attempts which may affect your ability to access your Verizon.net email from locations outside the U.S. If you experience difficulty reaching your Verizon.net email account, you can always access it online at mail.verizon.com or through the Verizon My FiOS app for mobile devices. For further information see the Verizon Webmail FAQs. "

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In the context of the message (about people whose entire account is turned off) this paragraph is not helpful.  It doesn't talk about POP or SMTP access at all.

What does it take to have a  message that describes the problem (no access to the Verizon POP and SMTP servers from a large part of the internet) and how to fix the problem (which it not currently truely possible)?

peter

[rbpeirce]

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@tns_2 wrote:

If for example all ABCD ISP's addresses are being blocked (or at least a lot of them), it would be better if you asked ABCD to contact Verizon about getting their addressses whitelisted.  That way if you get a different IP address from ABCD the next time you connect, you will have access.

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Nice, but no.  My ISP asked me to try getting whitelisted because he couldn't.  He thought a Verizon customrer, which I am, might have better luck.  In two successive whitelist requests I told Verizon the affected block, as given to me by the ISP, was 104.244.160.0/22and that my current IP was {edited for privacy}.  I still can't log in from this block of addresses although I can go to a nearby free wi-fi location and log on.

The big problem seems to be trying to contact somebody at Verizon that understands the problem and can correct it.

[Kip351]

This is my first post.  I'd like to thank all contributors to this thread; it has clarified a problem I and my wife have had for a long time.  FWIW, I've just been told by Verizon tech support that pop.verizon.net is not configured to work outside the U.S., but they cannot tell me why or refer me to any place this is documented.  Nor have they been able to tell me whether there is an alternative POP server for use outside the U.S.  Frankly, I'm skeptical of everything I'm told and doubt the front-line service reps really know the answer.  I _am_ concerned that Verizon has permanently disabled POP service outside the U.S. and that access via webmail or the Verizon My FIOS mobile app will be the only options available to us.  

[LawrenceC]

Hi Kip351,

Please see the following post concerning overseas email access:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-net-Email/Email-Access-Overseas/td-p/744863

[ThePinz]

I too have been unable to receive email using Thunderbird for the last 24 hours. I entered a chat session with Verizon support last night and was told that there is an issue with their POP servers, and they are working on it. The representative disappeared from the session before I had a chance to ask any additional questions.

[pfps]

From the long thread at http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-net-Email/No-response-from-pop-verizon-net-or-smtp-verizon-net/... and other complaints, it strongly appears that Verizon cut off POP and SMTP access from a large portion of the internet, maybe including all foreign ISPa, on or about 17 September 2014.

The problem occurs when  you have Verizon email but don't use always Verizon as your ISP.   Without changing any settings on your computer, you can no longer access the Verizon POP or SMTP servers.   The web interface to your Verizon email is unaffected.  If your internet connection hasn't changed, then this would have happened on or about 17 September 2014.  If you changed your internet connection, for examples between work and home or due to travel, then your inability to access Verizon email could have happened at the time of the switch.

There may have been good reasons for Verizon to make this restrict access in this way.  For example, Verizon's email servers may have been successfully attacked, and Verizon then restricted access so as to stem the attack. 

Verizon does not appear to be saying anything about either just the simple fact of the cutoff, the reasons for it, the hopefully temporary workaround, or when a resolution can be expected.  It is the silence of Verizon that is the most severe problem, causing considerable expense on the part of its customers.   Verizon may believe that its silence is helping to solve the problem, but past experience has shown that being forthright is the much better policy.

I currenntly use Verizon FIOS for cable, phone, and internet, but I am seriously considering changing because of this poor behaviour of Verizon.

[tns2]

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@pfps wrote:

From the long thread at http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-net-Email/No-response-from-pop-verizon-net-or-smtp-verizon-net/... and other complaints, it strongly appears that Verizon cut off POP and SMTP access from a large portion of the internet, maybe including all foreign ISPa, on or about 17 September 2014.

The problem occurs when  you have Verizon email but don't use always Verizon as your ISP.   Without changing any settings on your computer, you can no longer access the Verizon POP or SMTP servers.   The web interface to your Verizon email is unaffected.  If your internet connection hasn't changed, then this would have happened on or about 17 September 2014.  If you changed your internet connection, for examples between work and home or due to travel, then your inability to access Verizon email could have happened at the time of the switch.

There may have been good reasons for Verizon to make this restrict access in this way.  For example, Verizon's email servers may have been successfully attacked, and Verizon then restricted access so as to stem the attack. 

Verizon does not appear to be saying anything about either just the simple fact of the cutoff, the reasons for it, the hopefully temporary workaround, or when a resolution can be expected.  It is the silence of Verizon that is the most severe problem, causing considerable expense on the part of its customers.   Verizon may believe that its silence is helping to solve the problem, but past experience has shown that being forthright is the much better policy.

I currenntly use Verizon FIOS for cable, phone, and internet, but I am seriously considering changing because of this poor behaviour of Verizon.

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Yes they were attacked.  Many customers were getting their ID's locke by these attacks.  Yes they may have to whitelist your ISP or IP address.  They initially blocked all overseas, but will whitelist as they are contacted by customers.  They are currently suggesting you try the MYFIOS app (if you have it) to see if you can access your mail. 

@If you use the Yahoo interface YOU MUST now add @verizon..net to your userid.

If you cannot  access try contacting them directly or if you cannot, PM one of the Admins on the boards.  NOTE, NOT THE CL"S, we are not Verizon employess but just peers like yourselves.

[pfps]

Whitelisting is not a solution at all when you are travelling, as you change IP addresses and ISPs just about every day.

Whitelisting is a bad solution in general for this kind of problem. Is every Verizon customer supposed to spend hours to figure out what is to be done, and then wait days to be unblocked?

Verizon needs to get its act together here.  I am actually surprised that there have not already been articles in the trade press on this fiasco.

[djb5]

I had the same problem while traveling. I can understand and accept problems and service disruptions, but not failure to provide easily accessible information about same (like - if I go to Support section, I'd expect to see a list of Known Issues so I don't have to spend time and frustration trying to figure out why I'm getting something like "server not responding error" for days or weeks on end.
Sadly I decided to switch all my email to gmail (which I don't like as well, but I just can't live with the possibility of another such fiasco wrt unacceptable customer service). I've had similar experience with Verizon FiOS service disruption and I also see others here fighting the same battle - Verizon informs neither it's customers nor it's support staff of known issues and we all expend hours of our time and emotional frustration to boot. OK end of rant, and I'm just bummed that I felt that I had to switch all my email accounts to avoid verizon problems.

[pfps]

The strange thing about all this, and about similar situations, is how much money it must be costing Verizon.   It is almost as if Verizon is like some tin-pot dictatorship where the only thing that causes termination is admitting to problems - it doesn't matter how bad the problem is or whether the problem should have been avoided, just whether the problem is acknowledged.

[pfps]

As of today, Verizon email is available in Canada, at least for me.

Of course, no information on Verizon about the change.

[rbpeirce2]

Me too in VA.  I have Verizon DSL in PA but use a local service in VA.  I put in a Whitelist request every time I come to VA.  Today, I just fired up my computer and it downloaded my Verizon mail.

[PHB-Oz]

Well, it took me some months to finally find out what was happening to my emails when I tried to retrieve them from Australia.  It took many calls to tech support before my insistence to speak with a supervisor eventually yielded a reluctant acknowledgement that my access had been blocked because of a 'hacking problem.'

Why did Verizon find it necessary take action that significantly reduced service without notifying its customers openly and immediately?  More interest in corporate image than truthfulness, I suspect.

This blog is the most complete explanation that I have found so far concerning the extent of Verizon's 'punish the customer' approach to their security problem.

Any one have any better experience with another US ISP, at least one that notifies its paying customers when the cut their service?

Cheers

[rbpeirce]

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@pfps wrote:

I, too, am unable to connect to pop.verizon.net or smtp.verizon.net from my current location.  This is not a problem with my account as I can read email through the web interface.

It really appears that Verizon is blacklisting many portions of the internet and refusing to service email requests from there.  That they are doing this indicates that there is some sort of emergency.  However, it would be very useful to have some information about what is going on so that we don't spend so much time trying to fix the situation.

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Ditto. I can connect with no problem in PA but am unable to do so in VA.  This is purely an IP problem.  The same problem existed last month when I was here and my ISP put me on a different IP block.  It isn't available this month so I am back to the old block.  My ISP says this is 104.244.160.0/22, but my assigned IP is {edited for privacy}.

I can go to a public, non-Verizon, wi-fi hotspot and connect with no problem so it is clearly the IP block I am on at this location.

I can't even figure out who to contact at Verizon about this.  I have submitted whilelist requests without any response.  Last month I tried phone calls to Verizon but none of the CSRs seemed to have any idea what I was talking about.  I really need an inside contact of some sort.

This is amusing but I checked email me if somebody replies.  Then I realized I wouldn't get it so I changed to a non-Verizon email address that does work!