Sky Preventing Accessing Alternative SMTP / POP servers?

[spcdust]

In the last two to three weeks I have had issues with my OSX mail client connecting with my .Mac emal servers - these are totally independent of Sky's SMTP servers and a paid for e-mail service. My work computer, and therefore a totally different network, has no issues connecting with these e-mail servers yet Sky seem to be restricting my access. When I attempt to send an e-mail I get the error that "The server "mail.mac.com" was refused a connection on port 993.

I don't know if it's possible, without relevant usernames and passwords, but is anyone able to test on their computer wether they can succesfully connect to these outgoing and incoming servers.:

smtp.mac.com
mail.mac.com

I've done as many tests and checks as I can and the firewall seems fine it's just something that has recently manifested itself. I really do hope that Sky aren't forcing us to only be able to use their e-mail service.

Thanks for any forthcoming help - I appreciate this particular forum is very busy at present with Sky's terrible implementation of migrating their e-mail servers. I am also can't get my Sky e-mail account to work however I rarely used it as I have always relied on the reliability of my .Mac e-mail service which now also seems to have been compromised by Sky....Doooooooooh!

Cheers

spcdust

[the_sky_goat]

I have several alternative email services running on my machine quite happily. However having just checked my .mac account I find that it does not work either - but I am not aware of sky specifically blocking port 993.

[spcdust]

I have several alternative email services running on my machine quite happily. However having just checked my .mac account I find that it does not work either - but I am not aware of sky specifically blocking port 993.

Thanks for your quick response. As my work places network does not suffer the problem I suspect then that it's Sky to .Mac issue - which I have a horrible feeling will just remain unresolved as each party will say that it's the other ones problem. Also, I really cannot see how Sky's first line technical support will be any assistance as the chances of them even understanding the issue seems remote. I've considered submitting a fully detailed query using the online technical support form but that's rather restrictive in it's problem classifications, none of which match my issue.

Does anyone have a direct e-mail address of higher up technical support (ever the optimist) which would enable me to fully explain the issue to someone that doesn't just read an irrelevant script?

Cheers

spcdust

[eyemdee]

Thanks for your quick response. As my work places network does not suffer the problem I suspect then that it's Sky to .Mac issue - which I have a horrible feeling will just remain unresolved as each party will say that it's the other ones problem. Also, I really cannot see how Sky's first line technical support will be any assistance as the chances of them even understanding the issue seems remote. I've considered submitting a fully detailed query using the online technical support form but that's rather restrictive in it's problem classifications, none of which match my issue.

Does anyone have a direct e-mail address of higher up technical support (ever the optimist) which would enable me to fully explain the issue to someone that doesn't just read an irrelevant script?

Cheers

spcdust

My advice would be to use the online technical support form, categorise as best you can, then give a detailed description of the problem. You will probably get a response from T1 to which you can reply with any further comments.

They will in my experience pass anything which they do not fully understand to T3 who should then read what you have said and sort it!

The problem with the telephone is that things get horribly distorted and misunderstood. At least if you have some written communication you are more likely to be believed. And its cheaper!!

[the_sky_goat]

I'd definitely like to hear what sky has to say about this. Would be a tragedy of massive proportions if they were blocking other ISP's email traffic.

Anyone else reading this who is successfully using a totally separate email account to Sky or Gmail?

[Saturday]

Anyone else reading this who is successfully using a totally separate email account to Sky or Gmail?

No problems with my BT or Fasthosts accounts.

[the_sky_goat]

OK, so that's a good start.

The thing is, for me at least, is that it fails to connect to .mac far too quickly for me to believe that it is actually even checking.

[jonathan_d]

are you sure its supposed to be port 993?

i can't get in using that but i can get to the smtp on port 25 and the other on port 110

[spcdust]

OK, so that's a good start.

The thing is, for me at least, is that it fails to connect to .mac far too quickly for me to believe that it is actually even checking.

Exactly the same here, it's so instant it doesn't even seem to be checking - nothing has changed in my set-up / account log-ins so quite perplexed.

spcdust

[the_sky_goat]

are you sure its supposed to be port 993?

i can't get in using that but i can get to the smtp on port 25 and the other on port 110

Yup, it's port 993. I tried it on 110 too - no difference.