Can't logon to Virginmedia mail from any remote client devices

[cmarston1500]

I am having trouble with an ntlworld.com account. I can log into webmail and can send and receive but can't connect from Outlook, iphone mail or any other remote devices.

This started happening a few weeks ago. Initially, the device stopped sending email over smtp.virginmedia.com but we could still receive email. Since then we have changed the email password and can still log into the VM portal and email ok. However, now we can't logon for IMAP or SMTP at all on any devices.

Test shows

< 525 5.7.13 Authentication Denied (VM321)
* Closing connection 0
* schannel: shutting down SSL/TLS connection with smtp.virginmedia.com port 465
curl: (67) Login denied

This to me would indicate an issue with the username and password but they seem fine. 

We have also looked at Spanhaus and we are not on the list for the IP we are using.

If we switch to login in from our Virgin media internet connection I get 

< 235 2.7.0 SMTP350 Authentication successful for user XXXXXXXXX@ntlworld.com ;id=7wP5q7ecZq3uK;sid=7wP5q7ecZq3uK;mta=csmtp6.tb.ukmail.iss.as9143.net;d=20230610;t=130507[CET];ipsrc=[MOD EDIT: Personal info]
> HELP
< 214-2.0.0 This is cmsmtp ESMTP service help
214-2.0.0 This is cmsmtp ESMTP service help
< 214-2.0.0 To contact postmaster send email to postmaster@virginmedia.com.
214-2.0.0 To contact postmaster send email to postmaster@virginmedia.com.
< 214-2.0.0 For local information send email to Postmaster at your site.
214-2.0.0 For local information send email to Postmaster at your site.
< 214 2.0.0 end of HELP info
214 2.0.0 end of HELP info
* Connection #0 to host smtp.virginmedia.com left intact

Why is Virgin email only authenticating correctly over the Virgin network? We need email to work over mobile and wifi.

[Graham_A]

@cmarston1500 VM have recently changed the log in requirements for accessing VM Mail via third party apps.

If you change the password for the account in My Virgin Media > Account settings > Account details you will not be able to use the new password to access the account via an email client. Email client access now requires an app specific password which can be generated in the MyVM > Account Settings > Account details > Mailbox App password management

Once generated use the app password in place of the VM webmail password when using an email client.

[用心棒]

The error code indicates there have been too many unsuccessful authentication attempts within the last  hour resulting in further attempts from same network / IP Address  failing. To resolve the issue:

• review all devices accessing the email account to confirm authentication credentials are correct
• wait an hour before checking if issue is resolved

NB Virgin Media recently introduced an App Password that should be generated and used when configuring email client. To do this sign in here My Virgin Media | Virgin Media, select Account settings > Virgin Media Mail settings > Generate new App password and update all email clients with new app password.  Already mentioned by Graham_A in previous post.

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[cmarston1500]

I had the same issue with the iphone when I tried on the Virgin network IP address. This is a circuit I manually switch over to so nothing else would be trying to access the account. 

[cmarston1500]

Perfect that is great and now we have a thread for this that should assist others as well.

[cmarston1500]

Note the App password worked for imap, but SMTP is still rejected. SMTP was the original problem we were trying to fix so I am actually no further forward.

SMTP send using the App generated password

[MOD EDIT: Personal details]
< 525 5.7.13 Authentication Denied (VM321)
* Closing connection 0
* schannel: shutting down SSL/TLS connection with smtp.virginmedia.com port 465
curl: (67) Login denied

[cmarston1500]

As another test. If I connect my internet connection back to using Virgin SMTP works with the generated App password

curl -v smtps://smtp.virginmedia.com -u {username}@ntlworld.com:{apppassword}
* Trying 212.54.56.51:465...
* Connected to smtp.virginmedia.com (212.54.56.51) port 465 (#0)
* schannel: disabled automatic use of client certificate
< 220 csmtp3.tb.ukmail.iss.as9143.net cmsmtp ESMTP server ready
> EHLO BOOK-RDD5266A1U
< 250-csmtp3.tb.ukmail.iss.as9143.net hello [MOD EDIT: Personal info], pleased to meet you
< 250-HELP
< 250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN
< 250-SIZE 52000000
< 250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
< 250-PIPELINING
< 250-8BITMIME
< 250 OK
> AUTH PLAIN
< 334
[MOD EDIT: Personal details]
< 235 2.7.0 SMTP350 Authentication successful for user {username}@ntlworld.com ;id=8dcWqMYHQJnJ7;sid=8dcWqMYHQJnJ7;mta=csmtp3.tb.ukmail.iss.as9143.net;d=20230612;t=111353[CET];ipsrc=86.3.155.154;
> HELP

If I switch back to a non Virgin internet connection we are back to SMTP authentication failure.

[用心棒]

@cmarston1500, as a matter of urgency generate a new App Password as the current one was disclosed in the earlier posted curl outputs; forum moderators have redacted it from posts.

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@cmarston1500 wrote:
⋮
If I switch back to a non Virgin internet connection we are back to SMTP authentication failure.

---

Check if the non-Virgin Media network connection's IP Address is listed by Spamhaus. To do this:

1. browse to https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ip&ia=answer and note the Your IP address is value
2. go to https://www.spamhaus.org/lookup/
3. enter the Your IP address is value (from step 1) in the Search single IP, domain or hash field and select Lookup
4. follow the advice offered if listed

[cmarston1500]

Ok will do. The IP for the other network is not on Spamhaus. I have tried from different VPN IP addresses and mobile sim data. 

[用心棒]

Virgin Media have their own block list on which the public IP Address appears. I can only suggest than when the issue next occurs run the curl command and post just the VM error code here or error messages shown.