POP3 diagnostics

[jfkyachts]

We can't be the only ones who are affected - surely!?

So frustrating.....

[Peter240119]

Do you have openssl?  On my Linux computer, I ran it in a terminal window but you may have a GUI version.  With the version I have, I run "openssl s_client -connect mail.btinternet.com:995 -crlf" and it comes back with a load of diagnostics ending with "read R BLOCK" and then "+OK POP3 server ready".  When POP3 wasn't working for me, I was getting "read R BLOCK" and then "closed". 

[jfkyachts]

You lost me, sorry - I have a standard MacBook Pro.....wanting to run apple mail. 

I have noticed that if I change my password, then it has to have 12 characters....my current one is just 11......is this the secret?

[Peter240119]

Hi JFK, 

I can assure you I'm no techie.  I've no experience of Apple computers but I suspect that you can open a terminal window and run the same openssl command.  It's just the "+OK POP3 server ready" message that you're looking for; if you get "closed" then it's the BT server that's not sending you the necessary message rather than anything wrong your end.  

Do try changing your password, as it's the only thing I've done and everything's now working for me. 

P

[jfkyachts]

It is still not working...and I have changed my BT ID password...but it keeps  getting refused when I try to put same password up for BT email.....what is the password called -something to do with 'auth.id'?

[jfkyachts]

It is still not working....bizarrely, the BT system is now requesting different passwords for either BT Mail or MyBT....it's very weird.....it has now been a week. I have changed my webmail password, which I had assumed was my BT ID.......but that has not worked.

In desperation I might try iMAP but I have a ton of quite important messages on POP........can anyone help out there,.....or tell us if it really is BT at fault? Are they trying to tell us something to move accounts?

[licquorice]

A few things.

Your email password and MyBT passwords are independent of each other. They can be the same ( as can any 2 discrete logins) but not necessarily.

It is not a universal problem, POP3 works just fine for me.

Any emails collected via POP3 will be stored on the device that downloaded them. They may also be stored on the BT server if you ticked the relevant box on your mail client. Sent mails will only be stored on the device that sent them, not the BT mail server.

You can't change from POP3 to IMAP on the fly, you need to delete and recreate the account on your client.