Forum Discussion

DeLorean's avatar
DeLorean
Joining in
7 months ago

Virgin Media outgoing SMTP mail server error

Since mid-afternoon on the 25th June Outlook has been unable to send e-mail through Virgin Media's outgoing SMTP server for all of our virgin.net e-mail accounts.

We receive the error...

Task '*****.*******@virgin.net - Sending' reported error (0x800CCC78) : 'Cannot send the message. Verify the e-mail address in your account properties. The server responded: 530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401)'

I have also been contacted by customers in Basingstoke who are also experiencing the same issue.

P.S. Incoming e-mails via POP3 are working fine.

Is anyone else experiencing this problem and is aware of what's going on?

e-mail
email
Error
smtp
virgin.net
  • KatherineN16's avatar
    KatherineN16
    Joining in
    7 months ago

    Same thing with my outgoing emails. Very annoying and no idea why. I’m hoping it will resolve itself… 

    For some reason that I don’t understand I cannot usually send emails from my laptop when away from home but I don’t usually have problems at home. 

  • DeLorean's avatar
    DeLorean
    Joining in
    7 months ago

    Okay... an easy fix.
    Virgin Media must've recently changed their requirements for sending e-mail.
    Simply enable: "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" in each Virgin Media Outlook e-mail account.
    ...and voila the is problem solved!

     

    • Kim_T's avatar
      Kim_T
      Joining in
      7 months ago

      I don't have Outlook - I have the Mac Mail app, and it doesn't have an option called "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication." So I'm stumped. 

      • sdad's avatar
        sdad
        On our wavelength
        7 months ago

        What does it have in outgoing settings?

    • plaird's avatar
      plaird
      Joining in
      7 months ago

      Hi DeLorean,

      I don't see how the above would work for me.
      I have my own domain and email address and as such have different incoming POP settings.
      Virgin long ago removed my virgin mail account - through lack of use I guess.

      I'm an ancient customer and up until yesterday used smtp.blueyonder.co.uk, port 25, no authentication setting specified. It's been that way for over a decade.

      Now I can receive mail, but any attempt to send gets the dreaded "530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401)" error. I've tried ticking that box above, entering my Virgin Media account creds, changing port etc. but nothing works.

      • Graham_A's avatar
        Graham_A
        Very Insightful Person
        7 months ago

        plaird If you have your own domain and email address then you need to be using the SMTP server settings provided by your domain email supplier.

  • sdad's avatar
    sdad
    On our wavelength
    7 months ago

    You Need to tick "requires authentication" in server settings.

    • Kitt-Cat's avatar
      Kitt-Cat
      Tuning in
      7 months ago

      Hi any idea how to do this in thunderbird. I’m really stressing about this. 

      • Ayisha_B's avatar
        Ayisha_B
        Forum Team
        7 months ago

        Hi Kitt-Cat 

        Sorry to hear you are having issues with your third party email client. 

        Can you confirm everything is working via WebMail?

  • nialled's avatar
    nialled
    Dialled in
    7 months ago

    I have also been having a problem with smtp.blueyonder.co.uk since Monday, 24 June 2024
    It has been working as a smart host for my aging Exchange server for well over 15 years
    Now, I am getting an error message every time I try to send an email
    Delivery has failed to these recipients or distribution lists:
    [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
    This message was rejected by the recipient's e-mail system. Microsoft Exchange will not try to redeliver this message for you. Please check the recipient's e-mail address and try resending this message, or provide the following diagnostic text to your system administrator.
    The following organization rejected your message: csmtp1-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services.
    It seems that something has been changed. I haven't bothered calling support because previous experience tells me it will be pointless

  • nialled's avatar
    nialled
    Dialled in
    7 months ago

    It is still bouncing my messages. Did you have to change any of your settings to get it to work

  • nilo's avatar
    nilo
    Joining in
    7 months ago

    I used the "Repair" option on my email account within Outlook - worked for me

  • nialled's avatar
    nialled
    Dialled in
    7 months ago

    According to one of the Forum staff, if you don't have a Virgin Media email address (which incidentally they stopped issuing in 2022) then you cannot generate a password to use with one of the VM SMTP servers (eg smtp.virginmedia.com). Without the password, you cannot authenticate with the server & you are stuffed. Time for everyone to start looking for alternative mail relays.
    Quite remarkable really. As far as I am aware, all of the other ISPs still provide mail relays for all their customers

  • Kitt-Cat's avatar
    Kitt-Cat
    Tuning in
    7 months ago

    I’m having the same problem with thunderbird. But I have no idea what’s going on or what to do. Hoping someone here can help and advise.

  • Legodude_uk's avatar
    Legodude_uk
    Tuning in
    7 months ago

    I have set my App password and everything was working fine, then suddenly yesterday it stopped sending emails again! I have reset the app password in the Mail App on iOS and it still isn't working (Webmail is fine). I have also deleted the account from the Mail App and when setting it up again it said that the SMTP server wasn't responding!

    • Legodude_uk's avatar
      Legodude_uk
      Tuning in
      7 months ago

      Interestingly, just got home and connected to the home WiFi and the emails sent…

  • Peter-55's avatar
    Peter-55
    Tuning in
    7 months ago

    Is there a consensus here on how to overcome this problem (being able to send mail) ?  Can't send via computer or via iPhone and yet always have done until recently.  

    • goslow's avatar
      goslow
      Alessandro Volta
      7 months ago
      Peter-55 wrote:

      Is there a consensus here on how to overcome this problem (being able to send mail) ?  Can't send via computer or via iPhone and yet always have done until recently.  

      Enabling outgoing SMTP server authentication is the most simple of the changes which have allowed some people to reconnect (but there are plenty of other ways it can be broken too).