Why won't Charter Mail on Android connect to outgoing port?

[AC Question]

Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Have an Alcatel One Touch Fierce and have used Charter account on Mail app for at least a year. Recently it won't connect to the outbound server.

Message: Cannot connect to server (554 impout004 charter.net ESMTP server not available.).

I removed the account and tried to reinstall it but get the same message.

My settings are all correct according to Charter's web page and service reps. T-Mobile says no problem on their end.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Welcome to Android Central! It might be a problem on the server side for Charter Mail. Did the people at Charter tell you the servers are all working ok?

You're using these settings for mobile email, right? Charter.net Email Settings

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

"ESMTP server not available" is computerese for "Charter's outgoing server is down".

 

[Melissa Tate]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Thanks. Yes, I have verified the settings multiple times. Charter said their server is fine. I can use their outgoing server on my laptop and my Kindle. I tried to set up a charter account on my husband's phone (which is an identical Alcatel) and it would not connect to the outgoing server either. Alcatel says they are not aware of a problem with the phone but do have some reports of Charter server problems. Odd thing is that is worked fine for about a year (using MAIL) and just stopped working (intermittently at first) a few weeks ago. During the intermittent phase outgoing mail would just sit in the outgoing file forever. I removed the account from MAIL and now it won't set back up. I got it set up on MYMAIL on my phone and it says it is sending and moves to the sent folder but it never arrives anywhere.
I'm going to try calling Charter one more time.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

There's a protocol difference between SMTP and ESMTP. It could be that Charter recently transitioned from one to the other, and that while they were in transition, sometimes they were running SMTP and sometimes ESMTP. And your phone's email app can't handle ESMTP. Just a possibility. (I'd have to be one of Charter's software or network people to actually know.)

Calling Charter's "customer support" (most CS reps know about as much about email protocol as they do about Martian Court protocol) probably won't get you any "do this and it'll work" answers - you may have to push to level 2 customer support, then tech support, then engineering. And then, you might actually have to bring the phone to them (assuming they're the kind of company that actually cares whether their customers get service - a lot don't these days), so that they can look at their network when your phone is sending an email and see exactly what's happening. (Or manually sending an email - they can do that by running a terminal on your phone - and watching the servers' responses.)

Sometimes we just have to accept what they do to us. I just threw out a pretty new hand vacuum because the battery won't hold a charge for more than a few seconds, the battery isn't under warranty, and replacing the battery (probably with one no better) would cost more than buying a new vacuum. So I just posted a scathing review, and won't be shopping there any more. Sometimes that's all you can do.

 

[Melissa Tate]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Your explanation makes sense, even though I am not very tech savvy. I'll go back to the Charter route and see what happens. Thanks for the info and the "sympathy"

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

No problem with the sympathy - I hate leaving people frustrated. (My philosophy when I owned my cellphone stores was that every customer left satisfied unless satisfying them would seriously impact on our ability to stay in business. [I never got rich, but I had customers traveling 2 hours to come to my store.])

 

[grrlfriend]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

I just started having the exact same problem today. Tweeted to Charter and they said call customer service. I have a feeling a lot more people have the same issue and don't realize it yet. Wish they still had the tech people on Twitter - was so much quicker to get get resolution to issues. Now it will take at least 30 minutes of my life to find out it is a problem on their end. Sigh.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Tech support (the real thing - with technicians) costs money. The purpose of a business is to make as much as possible, not to spend as much as possible. Be thankful that they have support at all. Some day it's going to be "unless the phone breaks, it's your problem". (An old joke but with some companies it seemed as if payment of the bill voided the warranty.)

 

[aklim]

Re: Why won't Charter Mail on android connect to outgoing port.

Be thankful that they have support at all.

How would I know the difference? Besides not being lied to by tech support? I'd rather you not help me than lie to me with promises of tier 2 and "will call back" or "I'm sure we know and are working on it." I'd be happier if you say "sucks to be you" than to promise what you don't know anything about or cannot deliver.

 

[aklim]

I have the correct settings. Most times sending won't work. When you try to go into outgoing setting, it cannot authenticate server. Once in a while it works. As such, I know the settings are right. Been struggling with it for since we had to use imap.

Charter is no help. They are worse than me trying to figure it out. Called many times and got lied to so I'm not going to call again. All they do is pass the buck.

My office Microsoft Exchange Activesync works but it is irritation when you can receive BUT CAN'T send email.

What is the work around? I have too many things coming to charter to change email address easily. If I had cable modem for another company where I live, I'd have switched long ago so I can't cut the nose to spite the face.

In case I forget to mention, CHARTER SUCKS THE BIG ONE but I can't lose them yet. So is there a client I can use? TIA

 

[loriann26]

I found the solution after playing the back and forth game with charter and my phone provider! Finally! Go into you outgoing email settings and unlock the sign in required check mark your out going email will begin to work right away

 

[loriann26]

Go in outgoing settings unchecked sign in required box your emails will start working

 

[aklim]

Outgoing seems to work. Now if I can stay that way for the long run, live will be great. Thanks.