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Can’t send email from NTL email address on IPad/phone

Terryh116
Joining in

Yesterday found that I couldn’t send email on mobile device, mails went into outbox with message ‘Unable to connect to SMTP server’. Could send mail via web browser.  Contacted Virgin support and told problem with mail app on my devices and no problems with my services which I did not agree with.  Subsequently put through to Virgin Homework’s Gadget Rescue department who said they could fix problem for a £9.99 month add on to my Virgin media package, I said that I don’t want additions to my package and was told there would be no charge if they couldn’t resolve the problem and they would call back in 20 minutes.  I then called customer service to say that I didn’t want additional service added to my current services and didn’t think I should pay to solve a problem that was of their making.  I was then put through to someone who I was told would fix the problem at no cost to me, I was told that the problem was that Virgin media were tightening security and that they needed to create a system generated 16 character password which they required a third party email address in order to generate it.  I gave my Google mail email address, and password was generated and I was told to amend my app mail setting for incoming mail and outgoing mail to use this password, this I did but I still had the same problem and was now starting to get a little annoyed , I complained that I had spent many hours talking to various Virgin support people and still had the same problem, I was then told it was Norton Anti virus causing the blocking of me sending emails to which I said I have been using Norton for years and did not believe that was the problem,  anyway the support person said he had spent a long time on the problem and could do no more and I needed to get support from Virgin Homework’s gadget rescue dept. Very reluctant and unhappy I again contacted Virgin Homework’s, and told they would instruct me what to do and no charge if they couldn’t fix problem.  So went through app mail settings and as I already knew there was no problem there, then checked WAN IP address and inputted this on SPAMHAUS which showed there had been two reported vulnerabilities on that IP and it had been blocked for outgoing mail by Virgin and that was the problem.  So Homeworks couldn’t fix it so there would be no charge, I was then transferred to another department who said they would raise a ticket to get the block removed from that IP and it would take about 5 days.  I have no idea what vulnerabilities were reported on IP or what could have caused them or if they originated from elsewhere, I use ASUS Zen mesh system with active AI protection and nothing shown on that and nothing indicated from Norton 360 so no idea what caused IP issue.  As I originally  thought the problem I had was due to actions taken by Virgin media and not Mail apps or Norton.  So I turned on my VPN ( don’t regularly use it) to use a different WAN IP/server and bingo problem solved.  My initial call to Virgin was around or just before 3pm it was now 10:50 pm so as a double check I phoned Virgin Homeworks and assured that the addition of their service had been cancelled and I would not be charged.  9am this morning, checked emails and there was one from Virgin media showing that Virgin Homeworks had been added to my services and my next bill was £9.99 extra, the other email was a welcome to Homeworks.  I now had steam coming out of my ears, so again rang customer support and eventually got Homeworks removed from my service package.  Why on earth did it take all that time and phone runaround to get to the cause of the problem, makes me wonder on tech support competence ?

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

JCmacc
Up to speed

There's a VM online support route for this issue which is obviously about your IP address (given the VPN fixed things) that fixed the problem for me even though it says it's not for support. Instructions below.

As I said, this has worked for me and others on the board and it was fixed fairly rapidly (well within 24 hours).

 

  • go to https://netreport.virginmedia.com/netreport/ :
  • select Email Sending Errors from drop down list
  • Other from drop down list
  • copy and paste the error message into  Log evidence field
  • enter your name into My name field
  • enter email address into Email address field
  • select Submit button

See where this Helpful Answer was posted

11 REPLIES 11

JCmacc
Up to speed

There's a VM online support route for this issue which is obviously about your IP address (given the VPN fixed things) that fixed the problem for me even though it says it's not for support. Instructions below.

As I said, this has worked for me and others on the board and it was fixed fairly rapidly (well within 24 hours).

 

  • go to https://netreport.virginmedia.com/netreport/ :
  • select Email Sending Errors from drop down list
  • Other from drop down list
  • copy and paste the error message into  Log evidence field
  • enter your name into My name field
  • enter email address into Email address field
  • select Submit button

Thank you for that helpful reply, if I had known it would have saved hours on the phone. The IP in question was showing no issues yesterday on SPAMHAUS.  Also since googled that type of problem and info says problem is likely blocked WAN IP by your ISP and solution is to use a VPN or turn router off for a period of time, at least 5 minutes and may take several attempt and may need to leave off overnight ( depends frequency that ISP refreshes IP’s) should then be dynamically assigned a new WAN IP when router boots up.  Still doesn’t explain to me why Virgin tech support didn’t know of this common likely issue.

 

 

When I had the issue, I tried the turning off router idea several times without success - nothing stopped the error message that "IP blocked" when I tried to send e-mail via Outlook via the home Hub. Not sure if the IP was never changed or that any new one was instantly blocked.

Using the report form was pretty quick and seems to be (fingers crossed) a permanent fix.

kahannah
Joining in

I sympathise - have had exactly the same runaround today, pillar to post within Virgin, then same thing with Gadget Rescue who also couldn't fix it and referred me back to Virgin because "there is an internal IP block". Told that to two more Virgin people who didn't seem to understand and took me round in more useless circles then the second one referred me back to Gadget Rescue... When I said no, they told me the problem is at your end, he suggested I use webmail on my devices rather than Outlook or the Mail app - what is this, the 1990s? What makes it even worse is that these are two Virgin email addresses, not even another provider. I'm not technical so I don't understand the VPN stuff you described above unfortunately. I've raised a complaint and will also try JCmacc's online support suggestion. Going to check I haven't been charged for that Gadget Rescue thing too.

The VPN basically gives you a different IP address from your Hub, so it gets around the block. Same thing if you use Outlook (or similar) on a phone - go via your home wi-fi it's blocked, but use data and it's OK. Those are just ways to diagnose that it's your Hub IP address that's blacklisted.

Have been made to jump through hoops by Virgin to identify my problem of not being able to send mail from iPad/ phone on Tuesday and again yesterday having to phone again because Homework's had been added to my package despite me telling just about every virgin support person I spoke to Tuesday to say that I DO NOT want Homework’s added to my package and receiving an email yesterday saying Homework’s had been removed, I received an email a couple of hours ago with my next bill which included Homeworks on my package.  So I rang Virgin yet again, third day running and told Homeworks HAD NOT been removed from my package even though the support person I spoke to, said there were notes on the system to say that I do not want Homeworks.  Again told that he (support person) had now removed Homeworks from my service package and a refund would be applied to my account.  I asked for email confirmation that Homeworks had now been removed, which I still await.  Can’t say I feel confident since I received email yesterday saying it had been removed only to find out today that it had not.  No tech knowledge is needed to used basic VPN, if you want to investigate just Google VPN providers and look at recommendations and charges then if you want a VPN just got to relevant supplier web site which should give you an option to get their VPN, download app from App Store make your payment and create your account, then open the app you will be given option of servers in different countries, tap/click on your chosen one, usually one in U.K. if you are in U.K. and tap/click connect and that’s about it. There will be various simple setting options which you can look into but just allowing the default will get you started.  You can usually choose to make a block payment or pay monthly and normally you are not tied to a contract period, and most are not expensive.

 

A check on SPAMHAUS yesterday shows no issues on the IP concerned but still appears blocked by Virgin.  I did try turning of Virgin router (in modem mode) an my ASU’s XT8 mesh routers for about 15 minutes but just got same HUB IP assigned so don’t know if leaving off overnight would result different Hub IP getting assigned.  Anyway as I have VPN May as well use that although can’t connect to Ring doorbell or Blink camera’s on IPad or phone with VPN on.  Will give until next week to see if the IP gets unblocked, if not will try the NETREPORT approach.

Hi @Terryh116, thank you for your posts. 

We're sorry to hear about the problem you're having and the poor experience you've had in relation to HomeWorks 😔

In order to look into this for you further, we'll send you a private message on here. Look out for the envelope in the top right-hand corner.

If you're on a portable device with a smaller screen, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner and select "messages" from the additional menu options.


Regards,
Daniel

Will look out for your message, still no confirmation that Homeworks has been removed from my package following my phone call today