E-Mail and Xfinity Connect Help

[Anon39065]

Starting this a.m., when I click on the shortcut which used to take me to the sign-in page to access my email (now SmartZone), I am now being diverted to comcast.net. 

The same thing is happening when I click on Internet Explorer.  I have comcast's site index page set up as my home page, which is (or was) a great workaround the ad-laden home page, but yet still tells me if I have any new email.  When I click on the email icon on the site index page, I am diverted to comcast.net.

This is a new issue as of this a.m. 

As always, your help and advice is greatly appreciated.

[BethKatz]

Yes, this is new this morning. Yes, it is on purpose. Yes, many of us are annoyed and complaining.

Complain away here, but keep it clean. Maybe be creative.

[TennMom]

I am experiencing the same problem.  At first I was annoyed, now I'm downright angry.  I work from home and accessing my email is crucial.  It would be helpful if one of the experts could instruct as to how I might access my email without using the shortcut.

[hornets27]

I agree, the comcast.net home page is junk and I want no part of it.  Let me have my direct link back.

[Anon39065]

Oh dear... I was mildly irritated this a.m., thinking it was just a fluke.  Now I, too, am angry.  Talk about being held hostage, having comcast's home page being jammed down our throats just to get to our email.

Is there someplace else we should be addressing our complaints?

[JR071702]

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Anon39065 wrote:

Oh dear... I was mildly irritated this a.m., thinking it was just a fluke.  Now I, too, am angry.  Talk about being held hostage, having comcast's home page being jammed down our throats just to get to our email.

Is there someplace else we should be addressing our complaints?

---

Even though this is not a SmartZone issue per se, I would use the SmartZone feedback page:

http://www.comcastsupport.com/forms/net/sccfeedback.asp

And let Comcast know that you want to have the http://smartzone.comcast.net link go directly to the SmartZone logon screen - and not redirected to the Comcast home page.

JR

[cmcalkins]

OK, so is there a way to get into smart zone email?  I keep trying the icon and just get forwarded to home page.  Cannot get on the account sign in.  Help me, please!

[madylarian]

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TennMom wrote:
I am experiencing the same problem.  At first I was annoyed, now I'm downright angry.  I work from home and accessing my email is crucial.  It would be helpful if one of the experts could instruct as to how I might access my email without using the shortcut.

---

Unfortunately, this was a deliberate move and, as of now, there is not shortcut.  I have no idea why Comcast made such an ill-advised change.

mady

[cmcalkins]

No short cut, but how do we access our emails?  Is there another way?  Thanks

[boscru6469]

I agree with all of you. I pay for this service and feel that it is my decision on how I use this part of it.

[Again]

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cmcalkins wrote:
No short cut, but how do we access our emails?  Is there another way?  Thanks

---

From the comcast.net homepage portal, click on Sign In and sign in and then click on the email icon.

You can also set up and use an email client like Outlook Express [XP] or Windows Mail [Vista], Windows Live Mail [Vista and XP], Thunderbird, SeaMonkey Mail, Pegasus, Incredimail, etc....

[cjortega]

FWIW: I have a shortcut on my desktop which has the arguement  http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail  which takes me to SmartZone. I've not noticed any problem as is being described in this thread.

WinXpHome, FireFox 3.0.7.

[JR071702]

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cjortega wrote:

FWIW: I have a shortcut on my desktop which has the arguement  http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail  which takes me to SmartZone. I've not noticed any problem as is being described in this thread.

WinXpHome, FireFox 3.0.7.

---

Claude,

Were you already signed into the forums here?   It's my understanding that going to the forums first does not redirect you to the Comcast home page and once you sign in for the forums, you can then use the other shortcuts.

JR

[BethKatz]

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cjortega wrote:

FWIW: I have a shortcut on my desktop which has the arguement  http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail  which takes me to SmartZone. I've not noticed any problem as is being described in this thread.

---

Hmmm. That did seem to work for me. Here it is as a link:

http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail

[Again]

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bethkatz wrote:

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cjortega wrote:

FWIW: I have a shortcut on my desktop which has the arguement  http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail  which takes me to SmartZone. I've not noticed any problem as is being described in this thread.

---

Hmmm. That did seem to work for me. Here it is as a link:

http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail

---

It only works if you're already signed in.  I copied the link, then closed my browser, effectively signing me out.  Re-opened the browser and pasted the link in, and I was directed to sign in.

[BethKatz]

You weren't having to sign in before? I was.

At least you can bypass the Comcast portal.

Thank you, cjortega, for the link.

[JR071702]

Of course, now that it's publicized, the engineers will probably close off that shortcut too
JR

[cjortega]

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JR071702 wrote:

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cjortega wrote:

FWIW: I have a shortcut on my desktop which has the arguement  http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail  which takes me to SmartZone. I've not noticed any problem as is being described in this thread.

WinXpHome, FireFox 3.0.7.

---

Claude,

Were you already signed into the forums here?   It's my understanding that going to the forums first does not redirect you to the Comcast home page and once you sign in for the forums, you can then use the other shortcuts.

JR

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I had been signed in to the help forum, but I closed the browser, then clicked on the desktop shortcut. I can get to email when it is the first thing that I do in the morning. So it isn't a kept cookie thing.   

 

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[BethKatz]

We can hope that it isn't easy to close the hole or that they had some other reason for doing this that using the direct route doesn't bother. They would have seen it eventually.

It worked for me in both OmniWeb and Firefox on my Mac after quitting my web browser.

Message Edited by bethkatz on 03-10-2009 04:19 PM

[madylarian]

---

Again wrote:

It only works if you're already signed in.  I copied the link, then closed my browser, effectively signing me out.  Re-opened the browser and pasted the link in, and I was directed to sign in.

---

I tested it by signing out of the forums, closing my browser and wating a few minutes.  Just to be sure I used my direct link to the forum and it took me to the sign in, so I know I was not still logged on.  Then I used the link and it worked just as Beth and Claude say.

mady

[JR071702]

Claude,

Kudos coming your way (actually, I did have this saved in my Firefox favorites already - buried in my Comcast links.   I must have used it as a shortcut to bypass the home page before for Webmail.)

JR

[cjortega]

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JR071702 wrote:

Claude,

Kudos coming your way (actually, I did have this saved in my Firefox favorites already - buried in my Comcast links.   I must have used it as a shortcut to bypass the home page before for Webmail.)

JR

---

Thank you. 

 

73 years old today, and my brain still works, ..... mostly.  

 

[JR071702]

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cjortega wrote:

73 years old today, and my brain still works, ..... mostly.

 

---

[BethKatz]

Happy Birthday, Claude! You gave us all a present. Thank you.

[elbrute]

It works for me too.

Happy birthday Claude, and thank you for the present.

Dave

[Anon39065]

Hmmmm... after returning home and attempting to access my email, now all I get is the infamous Page Cannot Be Displayed error message. 

It appears that there's a widespread outage - I wonder if these two actions are related?  Could comcast's ill-advised change - forcing us to go through their homepage to access our email - have somehow caused this massive outage.

[JR071702]

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Anon39065 wrote:

Could comcast's ill-advised change - forcing us to go through their homepage to access our email - have somehow caused this massive outage.

---

No

[bob0006]

Having same problem here.  About ready to quit Comcast. 

[nrf]

What you are suggesting is not working.  I am signed in, my name at top left of comcast.net yet when I click on the email shortcut the home page just reloads.

[barrywmoore]

I really REALLY hate smart zone.  It has to be the dumbest thing that Comcast has done, and I have yet to hear one good reason why they stick with it.  Its been nothing but trouble from day one.

HOWEVER, since I have been trying to access my mail for the last four hours, I discovered a way around the most recent outage.

When you go onto Comcast...go to the "Community Forums" link at the bottom of the page.

On that page, you will see an area where you can sign in.  Do so here.   For some reason Smartzone is working in this way.

After you sign in, you will be back on the Community Forums page....and there is a link right there for "Email"...Click that..and you can retrieve your email.

Hope this helps anyone that has to get that email today.

[Welcome_to_Post]

I know it's probably not true, but there are many times that Comcast seems to be going way out of their way to annoy as many customers as possible. 

[TennMom]

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Welcome_to_Post wrote:
I know it's probably not true, but there are many times that Comcast seems to be going way out of their way to annoy as many customers as possible. 

---

I don't know, I'm thinking it is true.  After finally getting access to my email - thanks to the many helpful people taking part in this discussion - I'm faced with another, new annoyance.  Until tonight, there was an arrow to the right of the emails which allowed me to widen the screen and block out the huge ads.  Now, that arrow is no more.  Perhaps the geniuses who designed SmartZone don't have good peripheral vision, but I do.  It is annoying and distracting to have ads, some of them animated, blinding me from the right as I try to read my mail.  Oh well, we got an offer from another provider today and I'm going to give it some serious consideration.  I've had just about enough of Comcast "fixing" things which "ain't broke."

[BethKatz]

Yes, it's been a bad day. For the record, there was a major email outage for about an hour this evening (roughly 5:30 - 6:30pm EDT 10 March 2009).

Everyone who needs access to SmartZone should be able to bypass the Comcast portal by using this link:

http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail

If that isn't working and you've quit your web browser, restarted, and it still doesn't work, please start a new thread and describe your situation in more detail.

[JR071702]

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TennMom wrote:

---

Welcome_to_Post wrote:
I know it's probably not true, but there are many times that Comcast seems to be going way out of their way to annoy as many customers as possible. 

---

I don't know, I'm thinking it is true.  After finally getting access to my email - thanks to the many helpful people taking part in this discussion - I'm faced with another, new annoyance.  Until tonight, there was an arrow to the right of the emails which allowed me to widen the screen and block out the huge ads.  Now, that arrow is no more.  Perhaps the geniuses who designed SmartZone don't have good peripheral vision, but I do.  It is annoying and distracting to have ads, some of them animated, blinding me from the right as I try to read my mail.  Oh well, we got an offer from another provider today and I'm going to give it some serious consideration.  I've had just about enough of Comcast "fixing" things which "ain't broke."

---

I got into SmartZone with both Firefox and IE6 and I see that arrow in both browsers - what browser are you using?
JR

[sataddict]

Thanks for the url to bypass the Comcast.net redirect. I don't want to be forced to get my email by going through their main page. If they keep toying around with this stuff I'll just go back to DSL, the cost is cheaper anyway.

Once again, the company proves how inept they are when they start retooling stuff and giving us more than we really want, how about leaving things alone and giving us all a price break instead of constant increases for aggravation? It's Comcastic!

[TennMom]

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JR071702 wrote:

I got into SmartZone with both Firefox and IE6 and I see that arrow in both browsers - what browser are you using?
JR

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I'm using IE6 and the arrow is not there.

[barrywmoore]

Yeah its still happening...one in the morning on the Pacific coast.

I have figured out ways around it.  Got the link directly to Smartzone. (Has anything been more poorly named in history?)  Also if you log out of Comcast, and then log back in you can access your mail.

Of course why should anyone have to jump through these freaking hoops to get something as simple as email.  The entire Smartzone experiement has sucked.  The address book is clunky, overly complicated and takes forever to add names.  The reply keys are tiny...poorly designed.  In fact all the icons are poorly laid out.   Its really is the worst mail service I have seen in a decade, and thats saying a lot.  I would prefer to just use Comcast for my mail, but instead I am forced to use other portals and services because Comcast literally does not get it.

MAKE OUR MAIL SIMPLE..EASY TO USE...and CLEAR.  QUIT MAKING IT MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS AND USE.

There is no reason at all for this level of poor service.  none.

Oh look..still cant directly access my email....what a shock.

[wymi]

Our Email is still down here in the Chicago area. AT&T U-Verse is building out all around us, when it's available in our area were gone! Comcast you'll loose many more customers due to snafu's like this! Thanks to everyone here for the work arounds to help us get our Email.

[BethKatz]

If your email is still down now on Wednesday morning, you need to report it to Comcast.

[2harts4ever]

Good morning,

I just talked to Comcast via Live Chat and they say the problem requiring us to go through the Comcast home page to access our email is a 'system maintenance' problem???

I strongly recommend anyone else having a problem with this new approach to view OUR email should contact Comcast support and let them know you are dissatisfied.  The link is: 

http://www.comcastsupport.com/forms/net/sccfeedback.asp

Regards,

2harts4ever

[BethKatz]

Yes, comment about needing to go through the portal page. The cleaner you keep the comments, the better impact they will have.

And in the meantime, use the direct link to SmartZone of:

http://www.comcast.net/qry/goto?app=mail

[BungalowMo]

---

Again wrote

From the comcast.net homepage portal, click on Sign In and sign in and then click on the email icon.

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Oh...you must be assuming that I actually GET the log in page.  I keep getting the Comcast homepage.  Which I never did want to use anyway.  I could care LESS about the hollywood news stories they try to force feed me.

EDIT:  The mail shortcut works!!  Happy Birthday!  

But still.... we shouldn't have to go through all this 

Message Edited by BungalowMo on 03-11-2009 08:30 AM

[turalura]

Thanks for the link..works great!  FYI Comcast IS my home page (too lazy to change) and I cannot get a sign-in page by clicking e-mail icon..so I click on help and then click on e-mail....it STILL takes me back to Comcast home page!....Before this link...the only way to get to SmartZone was to sign in to the Comcast help forums and then click on e-mail from the "help & support" page...this started yesterday...I use Outlook Express...but I like to get in to my web mail and sort through and delete and clear out the trash!  Thanks again for the link and Happy Birthday!

[CWH803]

CJ

May your every wish be granted, after an appropriate reconsideration delay, of course, for figuring out the Grail URL string for SmartZone that bypasses that "Dead Rat Floating in the Gutter" Comcast Home page.

[cjortega]

   Well it looks like they "fixed" it..Clicking on my desktop shortcut now takes me to the comcast.net home page.

Its good that I don't normally use the webmail access or I would be getting very angry.

Edit:  Looks like they are still diddling, as, after making this post, I tried it again, and this time it worked.

Time to have another cup of coffee and a piece of pineapple upside/down cake.

Message Edited by cjortega on 03-11-2009 09:26 AM

[BethKatz]

Enjoy the cake, but it looks like the special back way in will soon be blocked.

If you find another one, I'd love to have you share, but maybe you shouldn't.

[Queen-Evie]

Post deleted. My work around worked a couple times. Then it started taking me to the Comcast home page.

Message Edited by Queen-Evie on 03-11-2009 10:43 PM

[sataddict]

Yep, the URL you posted is "fixed", way to go Comcast! If anyone finds a link to get around the freaking home page and just go directly to the mail page please post it, I'm beginning to see red over this problem.

[JR071702]

Mod NSM998 has posted that the bug with the logon loops has been fixed and the workaround is no longer needed.

While the shortcuts are still being directed to the Comcast home page (if you are not logged into another Comcast property already - such as this forum or the Community forum), this is by intent.

Therefore, this thread is being locked.

JR