Invalid userid or password when trying to send email

[BillH45]

I use Thunderbird (under Windows 10) to organise my emails (POP and SMTP). Suddenly about a week ago, 'sent' emails refused to go. T'bird requested that I enter my password, which I did and immediately got the message
"Sending of the message failed. The message could not be sent because the connection to the server (SMTP) mail.btinternet.com timed out. Try again."
On trying again , I get
"Login to server mail.btinternet.com with username (my email address) failed." with the options to Retry, Enter new password or Cancel. The first two just cause the failure loop to restart and Cancel gives
"Sending of the message failed. Unable to authenticate to Outgoing server (SMTP) mail.btinternet.com. Please check the password and verify the 'Authentication method' in 'Account settings | Outgoing server (SMTP)'."

None of the SMTP server settings has changed for years and as I said this just started very suddenly one morning part-way through sending a series of emails: one worked, the next didn't. I have checked and re-checked all the settings and even changed the password two or three times. No change. I have another BT account defined to T'bird and that sends and receives with no issues. I also have two other accounts with different providers and they also work fine. I've discounted any firewall interference by temporarily stopping ZoneAlarm and  trying a send which failed the same way.

The curious thing is that the account that fails under Thunderbird can both send and receive emails via BT's webmail interface. Well, you might think it's a Thunderbird problem, but I don't think so. I installed another email client product called Mailbird on a different laptop and registered the account with the issues, but it also refuses to send emails, citing exactly the same problem with trying to connect to the SMTP server. So, T'bird is absolved, in my view anyway, and I think the problem must be at BT's end. This is supported by the fact that my access to this account on both my iPhone and iPad started failing even to receive emails at the same time as the Windows problem appeared. I normally only use those  devices for reading emails, not sending, but a test send failed too. These have worked fine  for years up to now.

I did call the BT support line (before I tried Mailbird on another laptop) but they refused to take this any further because as far as they are concerned it's working ok as I can send and  receive via their web interface. I did mention the failures on my phone and iPad that seemed to start at the same time but that was just dismissed, saying 'there are often problems with Apple devices'.  Not my problem, guv.

Anyone got any ideas?

Bill

[licquorice]

First question to ask is are you still a BT broadband customer or paying for Premium Mail. If neither, your mail will have been downgraded to Basic Mail which is only accessible via a browser.

[BillH45]

Hi, thanks for responding. 

I've been a BT broadband customer and email user for years and years. I've just checked my 'products' on the My BT page and it says I have 'Standard' email. The descriptions of Standard, Premium and Basic make no mention of any of them being able to be accessed by webmail or otherwise.  Basic apparently doesn't allow me to have more than one email account, but I have three (two for me and one for my wife) and I'm told I can have up to eleven. I'm sure if I had been downgraded they would have told me, no?

I wasn't even aware until you told me that there were different levels of email available in BT, but to me, it looks from the descriptions that 'Standard' is identical to 'Premium' but free (maybe for longer-standing customers?).

Bill

[Scienceboy]

Are you using a VPN

I have to keep switching my VPN on and off, or BT email (via Apple Mail client) will not work and I get repeated requests to enter passwords. I ignore those, change the VPN setting and refresh email, and hey presto.

However, if I am overseas BT regularly see my accessing my own email as a security breach attempt, lock my account and demand a password change. time after time after time...

Not understanding that we might sometimes travel outside these isles is the most Brexit thing I've ever come across. Computer says no...

[BillH45]

No, I don't use a VPN, and I'm UK-based, in Edinburgh.

I'm getting really, really frustrated with BT's password control. During this period since sending emails in Thunderbird (and Mailbird) became impossible last Tuesday I have had to change my BT Id password three times and I've changed my email password four times (in order to be able to receive emails in Thunderbird). No password seems to 'stay' for more than a couple of days. I tried to log in to My BT using my BT Id yesterday in order to reply about my level of email provision (see above) and it refused the password I had changed to only a day or two previously. I changed it again and immediately that password became my email password too. It's a shambles.

I'm new to this forum - does anyone from BT get involved and pick up problems reported here?