Forum Discussion

mikebrg's avatar
mikebrg
Tuning in
2 days ago

ntl account via Mac Mail login issue

I have been struggling now since July 14th trying to re-establish a sign-in with Mac Mail on my ntl email accounts on my desktop Mac. The virgin server will not recognise my email or passwords despite me having my identity verified and new email passwords being set up several times, with the help of the phone support people who are often sympoathetic and helpful but out of their depth. The usual routes come to nothing.

I can use webmail as a temporary access method but it is not as good as using a client.

Several 'tickets ' have been raised by both phone support and gadget rescue but nothing happens and no-one ever rings back. I have spent days on the phone with some charming people but to no avail. Latest advice was to wait five more days and see what happens!

I have removed the old ntl account from Mail but cannot set up a new account. Very frustrating.

I am sure the problem lies with the new Virgin platform/server. When will it be fixed?

mikebrg

4 Replies

  • coenoby's avatar
    coenoby
    Very Insightful Person
    2 days ago

    mikebrg​ "trying to re-establish a sign-in with Mac Mail on my ntl email accounts............ The virgin server will not recognise my email or passwords"

    So are you using the Mail app password (the 4 word passwords)generated from the My Virgin Media Account in Mac Mail or the same password that you use to sign into VM webmail?

    You definitely need to generate a Mail app password for each of your VM/Ntl email accounts. The password you use to access VM webmail will not work in any email app.

    You need to do this for each of your ntlworld email accounts:

    Sign into the My Virgin media account for that email account using the VMO2 ID for that email account.
    Select Account Settings
    Select Identity & Security Settings
    Select Manage your products
    Select Manage email app password
    Click on the blue button 'Get New Password'

    You then need to update the email settings in your mail app with that VM email address and the Mail app password for that email account.

    As I said you need to do that for each email account - they will each have their own mail app password.

    Try that and see how it goes.

    Coenoby

     

  • mikebrg's avatar
    mikebrg
    Tuning in
    2 days ago

    Many thanks for rsponding.

    Yes, I am using the new email password (the one with four words) to sign in to the Mail app. In fact, I have generated 5 of these for my account under the supervision of the phone assistance. I am only using the latest one from this morning. The supervisor recommended I wait 5 mins for the computer to catch up with my email account but unfortunately it still does not give me access to my account even with a wait. I have tried using the new password every twelve hours but every time the server reports  'check email address and password' or similar.

    I have different passwords or now, a passkey, to log in to Virgin Media and My Virgin Media and email via a browser.  These work OK. The new style password is different to these and only used on Mac Mail to try to login to my email. I have also tried to login using a fresh copy of Mac Outlook but still I cannot get in.

    I am unclear whether to use the ntl email address or the gmail address (verified) as the correct one for logging in to my email on Mac Mail? One of your colleagues said I should use the gmail address; another insisted it was the ntl address! Needless to say i have spent ages trying both - but neither work.

    I have removed my ntl email accout from Mac Mail as it was frozen at 14th July. I have then used the email names and new password in an attempt to set up a new IMAP account. Needless to say, your server will not accept them and set up the account.

    I will worry about the subsidiary ntl accounts when I have got the main (admin) one working.

    The phone advisor said that most users get in when they use the new style VM generated password. New passwords are being genertaed but they are not being accepted by your server. My experience is unusual but almost certainly related to something in your server.

    Any help is truly welcomed!

    Mikebrg

     

     

    • coenoby's avatar
      coenoby
      Very Insightful Person
      24 hours ago

      mikebrg​ "One of your colleagues said I should use the gmail address; another insisted it was the ntl address!"

      Just to clarify, I am not a VM employee, this is a VM community forum so the first responders are usually VM customers like yourself.

      However, I can confirm that you should definitely be entering the relevant ntlworld  address as your username in the settings of your Mac Mail. The Gmail address is just for signing into the VM webmail and My Virgin Media accounts. 

      I use the Thunderbird app one laptop and an android phone and the Blue Mail email client on another laptop. My ntlworld email accounts work fine with my Ntlworld email accounts with all those apps using the relevant Ntlworld address and Mail app ("word-word-word-word" format)  password for each email account.

      "the server reports  'check email address and password' or similar."

      Email apps often default to reporting an email/password problem when the problem lies elsewhere so it would would be worthwhile checking the email port,  server and encryption settings in Mac Mail to check they are correct.

      The correct settings are:

      IMAP settings
      Host Name: imap.virginmedia.com 
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address 
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password 
      Advanced settings 
      SSL Encryption: Enabled 
      Port: 993 (this may be automatically chosen by selecting SSL encryption) 

      POP3 settings (if you are  using POP3 rather than IMAP)
      Host Name: pop3.virginmedia.com 
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address 
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password 
      Advanced settings: 
      SSL Encryption: Enabled 
      Port: 995 (this may be automatically chosen by selecting SSL encryption) 

      SMTP settings 
      Host Name: smtp.virginmedia.com 
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address 
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password 
      SSL Encryption: Enabled 
      Port: 465 (this might not be selected automating by enabling SSL, so please check) 
      Authentication: Password 

      Coenoby

       

       

       

      • mikebrg's avatar
        mikebrg
        Tuning in
        11 hours ago

        Hi coenoby

        I am really grateful for your very clear responses and reports. Sorry I confused you with the VM staff and I recognise you as a true hero.

        I have been using your values and settings for over two weeks now, ever since I negotiated the VMO2 sign in and 'new style' password processes. But to no avail........

        Until this morning when I tried yet again to set up a new ntl IMAP account using my ususal ntl address (with new password) - and it went through! I have changed nothing my end so I am convinced something has been unlocked at the Virgin server end. 

        Curiously, my subsidiary ntl accounts under my admin accout have been going off and on for two weeks now for no reason but at the moment they are all working. I will check out their passwords later today.

        Thanks again for your encouragement to keep going. I do not know if VM tech staff read any of this but something changed today at the VM end but no-one let me know, as usual.

        I can only wish all other posters the best of luck with the legacy VM accounts and urge them to keep trying with the values you have laid out so clearly.

        mikebrg