Email not working since 15/04/24

[al67]

Seems that there a lot of problems being reported since yesterday, 15/04/24, mainly concerned with the SMTP server for outgoing mail.

For me, I get:

16/04/24, 23:04:47: SEND - sending mail message(s) - 1 message(s) in queue
16/04/24, 23:04:47: SEND - Connecting to SMTP server smtp.virginmedia.com on port 465
16/04/24, 23:04:47: SEND - Initiating TLS handshake
!16/04/24, 23:04:47: SEND - Server reports TLS error: Handshake failure.

I've tried protocol logging, but as the initial handshake fails there is nothing to log.

As requested in a couple of the other threads, here's a curl report:

C:\xxx>curl -v smtps://smtp.virginmedia.com
* Trying 84.116.6.19:465...
* Connected to smtp.virginmedia.com (84.116.6.19) port 465 (#0)
* schannel: disabled automatic use of client certificate
< 220 csmtp6-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services csmtp6-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services ESMTP server ready
> EHLO xxx
< 250-csmtp6-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services hello [MOD EDIT: Personal information], pleased to meet you
< 250-HELP
< 250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN
< 250-SIZE 52000000
< 250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
< 250-PIPELINING
< 250-8BITMIME
< 250 OK
> HELP
< 214-2.0.0 This is csmtp6-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services ESMTP service help
214-2.0.0 This is csmtp6-prd-nl1-vmo.edge.unified.services 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

I haven't made any changes to my mail client settings for years, as appears to be the case with others. I did try a couple of changes, but nothing worked. I would be wary of what appears to be very poor advice being offered via the helpline regarding changing passwords etc as this appears to be an un-notified change in the server.

So, if you have started having problems, please contribute to this thread and we can hopefully get someone at VM to take a look, rather than wait for the customary 2 weeks before the problem mysteriously fixes itself 🙂

[David_Bn]

Thanks for coming back to us @al67.

Any updates will be provided for as and when possible.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and confirm that our web mail function is still available to those who may be struggling with third party applications currently

Thanks

David_Bn

[CWILLS]

I echo this solution.

I had Outlook 2010 running on Windows 7. I spent am unhappy 20 minutes on the virgin media chat yesterday only to fail the online verifications checks and then to be sent a support guide on how to change my password! 
Anyway, I now have a Windows 11 machine running Outlook 365 and the same setup now works. I have spent the entire day today upgrading my setup which could have been avoided if VM had explained what they had done and how my old client machine could be configured for this change. 
I suspect the issue is to do with old encryption types used by win 7 or outlook 2010 and caused by a VM upgrade on the server. I tried my best to upgrade everything on windows 7, having spent another day on that.
Don't forget the email app password which I believe is new, but still didn't work on the old machine. 
Thanks for everyone's posts. Shame we have to resort to sorting these issues out ourselves. 

[GJD1]

Webmail working, but unable to send or receive e-mails on third party account (Outlook) since afternoon of 15 April 2024.

There must be a reason for this since others are reporting similar problems from the same date.

Help from Virgin would be much appreciated and may stop members leaving when their contracts come to an end

[al67]

A quick heads-up for anyone still still struggling with an ntlworld email address ...

Incoming mail can be retrieved from pop.ntlworld.com using your user name (exclude the @ntlworld.com) on port 110

Outgoing mail can be sent via smtp.ntlworld.com using no encryption on port 25

This might work with blueyonder with obvious changes.

It's like we've gone back 10 years 🙂

Quite why VM have provided no updates after more than a week is unbelievable and unacceptable. Guys, get a grip, let us know what the hell is going on 😞

[jpeg1]

Well done @al67 for getting that work around. You may well ask what is going on. Here's my suggestion. 

Step1 was to stop issuing new email addresses, two years ago. 

Step2 was to make all VM customers use non VM email addresses for their MyVirginmedia accounts

Step3 was to close all the old email accounts for non VM customers that should have been closed years ago but had been allowed to run

Step4 is to allow, by accident or design, for various operating problems with VM email to occur over an extended period so that many users lose patience with VM email and stop using it.

Step5 will be when the user base for VM email is so small that they can close it down without too many complaints. 

How does that sound? 

[ChrisK]

Unfortunately you are probably correct, it seems that as fewer customers are still using older operating systems and software that are no longer supported such as win 7 and outlook 2010 any problems due to this are put at the bottom of the list. VM obviously don't make money on email so it's costing them to keep the email accounts up to date so it's something they would like to drop. People who have older systems and software which work and do everything they need them to do are not making companies money, not all of us feel the need to have the latest PC's phones etc. and are quite happy if every just works as it should but will all eventually be forced to up date, the way things are going we will all be 'renting' PC's and software so we fork out a monthly fee as this will make more profit compared to people buying something making it last years and not paying for updates that they don't really need. 

Outlook still not working with Win 7 and Outlook 2010, my PC won't run Win 11 so it's a case of looking at something new which will probably be out of date in a couple of years.

[jtwn22]

Seems as if VM don't have this issue as a priority. Many see their email service as almost as important as their broadband. It is a real shame that it has been this long without a fix. I fear that something is now blocking Windows 7 - outside any authentication methods that Windows 7 may or may not have with the latest updates.

[ABADGE]

Hi All, Although I am on Mac OS I have had the same issue since 09/04/24.

Tried: Mail / Entourage / Outlook with the same problem with 2 different users. Set up new User, same problem. Tried on my 2nd Mac (Mac Mini) & this is also been effected from the same date.

iPad & iPhone (ios) not effected yet & able to use Webmail.

Phoned Virginmedia & they told me it would be chargeable to look into this!!!!

[tentman]

I was on the understanding that Virgin Mail was now handled by Gmail and has been for sometime. However I followed AL67 advice but with virgin mail addresses and strangley it works.............for now!

See Link: https://www.theregister.com/2009/04/15/virgin_media_gmail/

[ABADGE]

Do Virgin Media look at this site?