E-Mail and Xfinity Connect Help

[alarmman]

What is the correct IMAP outgoing server settings for a non-Comcast email box (privately hosted). I use 25 outgoing and 143 incoming with no authentication set. It usually works fine but for most of today it would not send messages (from 3 different domains and 2 computers using the same Comcast Internet connection). Tech support said that Comcast does not support IMAP even from private domains and that the setting of 25 was going away. 587 was the preferred setting. However 587 does not work.

[Bartleby]

Sounds more like a question for your hosting service, since I assume you mean you want to use IMAP with their mail servers.

[Joel]

Like Bartleby said, the answer will be dependent on whatever your other email service supports. Comcast is moving away from Port 25 for SMTP and in many cases are blocking it at the modem; most providers support the RFC standard for authenticated send which is Port 587. Be sure you are authenticating to the server. Port 465 will also work with authentication and SSL.

3rd-party IMAP accounts are accessible from your Comcast connection. Personally, I use a Gmail and MobileMe account via IMAP. If you are attempting to run your own email server on a residential connection, be aware that this is not allowed and is in fact a violation of your TOS. Only Business level accounts are authorized to run servers on their connections.

[alarmman]

I've been using IMAP with my host for over a year. They support it. They give me the incoming server name. My ISP (Comcast or AT&T) provides the SMTP server and the error I was getting yesterday concerned THAT server. I am just looking for the correct settings from Comcast. Additionally, while on hold, I setup a POP3 mailbox on the same domain. 25 was also the only setting that worked.

[alarmman]

Thanks. No. My Host is Hostica and the mail is stored on their server. I actuallly didn't know I couldn't host an email server residentially.

[Joel]

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alarmman wrote:

I've been using IMAP with my host for over a year. They support it. They give me the incoming server name. My ISP (Comcast or AT&T) provides the SMTP server and the error I was getting yesterday concerned THAT server. I am just looking for the correct settings from Comcast. Additionally, while on hold, I setup a POP3 mailbox on the same domain. 25 was also the only setting that worked.

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Comcast's SMTP server settings are as follows:

Server: smtp.comcast.net

Port: 587

Encryption: optional but recommended. This setting is dependent on your email client (SSL, TLS)

Authentication: Password - usually "the server requires authentication" - this is different from Secure Authentication or Secure Password Authentication (CRAM-MD5) which is NOT supported

Port 465 is also supported. SSL required with authentication as above.

For more on Specific email client settings, see the FAQs or the new Customer Generated FAQs at the top of this forum.