Webmail nightmare but cannot download via Thunderbird

[Nowhere]

Have up until recently accessed my email addresses via the Virgin webmail. Has always been poor but the last 3 or 4 weeks it has been practically unusable with server being unreachable, every sign in taking multiple refreshes, every change of folder taking multiple refreshes and actions unable to be executed like moving items from inbox to folders. Cannot currently access settings to check my filters but getting loads of spam so I think some of my filters are being ignored. Also, often cannot send emails.

This evening even multiple refreshes have not enabled me to view the body of emails.

I have tried clearing cookies & cache - despite the headache that causes on every site I use regularly - but of course that made no difference!.

Anyway, to bypass that I thought I would finally go back to Thunderbird which I used for pop3 donkeys years ago & try imap on there. Set it up with 2 of my minor accounts but one will only download historic email, nothing recent, the other has downloaded nothing. Both will send email, but not receive anything new.

HELP!

[Nowhere]

In case these are useful they show settings with personal details blocked out. [I added a pop3 option when couldn't get imap to work, but that is not downloading either]. [I unticked the buttons to auto download mail until I have this sorted] 

[coenoby]

---

@Nowhere wrote:

Have up until recently accessed my email addresses via the Virgin webmail. Has always been poor but the last 3 or 4 weeks it has been practically unusable with server being unreachable, every sign in taking multiple refreshes, every change of folder taking multiple refreshes and actions unable to be executed like moving items from inbox to folders. Cannot currently access settings to check my filters but getting loads of spam so I think some of my filters are being ignored. Also, often cannot send emails.

This evening even multiple refreshes have not enabled me to view the body of emails

---

I think it's best to look at the Webmail and Thunderbird issues separately, they might or might not have the same cause.

Looking at your Webmail issues, the "server unreachable" error and simple tasks in webmail requiring multiple refreshes could suggest an issue with your broadband connection or wifi.

Consider running a couple of commands to test that out:

In Windows,type "cmd" (without the quotation marks) in the search box (the 🔎 symbol) in the Task Bar.

Open the Command app, (it will open in a black screen)

Then copy and paste this text         ping mail.virginmedia.com   where there is the flashing cursor after the > symbol .

Press the return/enter key and the command will then run and come up with some statistics.

Then repeat that process by copying and pasting this text        tracert mail.virginmedia.com    where there is the flashing cursor after the > symbol and pressing the return/enter key.

Post the results of both those tests here.

Coenoby

[Nowhere]

Sorry it has been so long, busy time & having to work with new gmail due to this problem

Pinging mail.virginmedia.com [212.54.56.23] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 212.54.56.23: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=241
Reply from 212.54.56.23: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=241
Reply from 212.54.56.23: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=241
Reply from 212.54.56.23: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=241

Ping statistics for 212.54.56.23:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 38ms, Average = 29ms

Tracing route to mail.virginmedia.com [212.54.56.23]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 25 ms 26 ms 29 ms webmail2.tb.ukmail.iss.as9143.net [212.54.56.23]

Trace complete.

[coenoby]

---

@Nowhere wrote:

Sorry it has been so long, busy time

---

I have to apologise too. I've been away for a few days so not had much time to spend on the forum.

The ping and tracert results were not what I was expecting so let's start again.

1) The webmail issue

Are you still seeing the "Server unreachable" error when trying to access your Webmail account? Several people reported that earlier this year (here for example https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Inconsistent-Server-Connection/ ). The Forum Team got involved with that but there was no clear resolution to the problem. It did seem to resolve itself eventually.

2) Thunderbird

Clearly Thunderbird is not going to pick up any new emails until you tick the "Check for new messages" boxes and "Allow immediate server notification when new messages arrive" under the Server Settings heading so I would tick those.

Some people have found that temporarily changing the connection security setting to "none" , checking for new emails (which will fail) and then setting it back to "SSL/TLS" seems to restart the downloading of new messages. So you could try that.

I do not use VM email but I do have a number of ntlworld.com and virginmedia.com email addresses I use for test purposes. I have just checked them and they are all sending and receiving fine win in Thunderbird so it does not seem as if there is a national issue with VM email.

Finally, you say that you are working using a Gmail account, so are you managing that by Thunderbird or Gmail's own web service. If you are using it via Tbird is that working ok?

Coenoby

[David_Bn]

Thanks for your post @Nowhere, and to @coenoby, for following up on this post for me.

If you're able to provide answers to the questions posted in the latest response, we'll be best placed to assist you further.

Kindest regards,

David_Bn

[Nowhere]

I am mostly now just getting 3 dots in middle of blank screen 

After a few refreshes I usually now get into the web email, but cannot do anything more than read because it then just hangs when I try to download content or reply, or change folder. 

I would prefer to move over to Tbird but I tried above suggestions and it still wont download any new messages. [I was previously relying on clicking get mail which was why I hadn't yet ticked to auto retrieve, but have now done that]

Weirdly I can send email from there even though I cannot receive - does that trigger any thoughts?

[Nowhere]

Just to add re Gmail, I am not using Tbird for that at all, I am just using Gmail website

[coenoby]

---

@Nowhere wrote:

Weirdly I can send email from there even though I cannot receive - does that trigger any thoughts?

---

The only thing I can suggest is to check which VM email folders you have subscribed to in Thunderbird.

Right click on your VM email account in the left hand panel of Thunderbird and then click on "Subscribe" in the drop down menu.

Check that all your VM folders are listed and ticked.

Coenoby