Virgin Media Community

[andyroberts]

please help i have has issues with outlook asking for my password virgin media tech rang me and told me to delete account then re install it i have but cannot send emails now!!!  i can receive them. check all settings incoming imap.virginmedia.com and outgoing smtp.virginmedia.com not sure about the imap one as i thought it should of been pop3 but tried this as well and no joy.  tried for hours to sort this customer service saying its a software fault when it can't be if i have the correct settings from virgin media

[HowardML]

It really helps if you write in sentences, use full stops and capital letters at the start of sentences. You ask for help and then make it difficult for us to read what you have written. 

If you can receive but not send than you need to do things.

First check that you can use VM's mail system on the web.  Log into mail2.virginmedia.com and see if you can send. If you can then log out and back in Outlook do this:

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Outgoing-Authentication-Issues-Check-Email-Logs/td-p/3237...

We need to see the VM3xx error code to determine why you can send. It's a bit complicated but the best way forward. 

[andyroberts]

Howard apologies I am new to forums.  I followed your instructions but it said page not found when I i pasted in the instruction in file explorer to view the error.  I am using outlook 10.  Also I have noticed i have my email with all my folders below it, then under my folders I have the same email account with a (1) like this at the end.  This is where my received emails are landing and there are a few very old folders under this account.  I have no idea why I now have 2 emails apart from the (1) but the one I want to receive and send from will not let me do it.  The one with the (1) at the end receives emails but will not let me send. 

Andy

[HowardML]

I'm sorry you are making no sense whatsoever. I did not instruct you to do anything of sort you describe

Read what I said. First log into web mail to see if you can send from there. If you can then close web mail. Open Outlook and try to send an e-mail. But before you do that turn on Outlook logging to get the log file. And look for the VM 3xx error in the resulting log file. 

Your may need to Google for how to do this in your version of Outlook and how to find the log file of a send in Outlook.

[andyroberts]

Not sure if this is it but I think this might be the error message:   ReportStatus: RSF_COMPLETED, hr = 0x800ccc0f

[HowardML]

Not at all what is wanted. The line you want in the SMTP log has a VM3xx code in it. I'll try something else and approach it from a different angle. D on't think of asking what this is all about. I'll tell you if you get the kind of result that is an issue.

Open a fresh browser tab/new page. In the search box type exactly these letters IP nothing else. Click on search/enter and write down what the result is. Numbers and full stops. This is your public IP address which identifies you to the internet and others.

Now go here:

https://www.spamhaus.org/lookup/

Type your IP address in the first box exactly as you copied it down. Where it says enter an IP address. And then click look up.

Now this is important. Do this exactly as I say. Look at the result. Just tell us if there is an entry on the SBL line. Don't care about any other entries or any other lines. Just want to know if there is an entry against SBL. A simple yes or no is all we need to rule in or rule out one possibility. Understand? Don't quote your IP address in public.

Have you tried sending a mail in VM's web mail system? If not do that now. What is the result? Does it send or not. If you don't want to try sending to someone else send it to yourself. I need the answer to this as well.

[andyroberts]

Howard I can send and receive emails through the web based email.  I have found my ip address when I put it in that link it came back not found on SBL

[HowardML · Accepted solution]

OK. That rules out the obvious cause of what you are seeing, provided you have checked your public IP correctly. And I will take it that you have done so.

The fundamental fact is that Outlook of all varieties works perfectly well with VM's mail system unless there is something about the way you have configured it which is not right. 

I'll point you to the correct settings for this program and you should check yours carefully against them.

Do you know the difference between POP and IMAP? They are both the way the program works to collect incoming mail. SMTP is the set of rules that governs the way mail is sent. Don't confuse incoming with outgoing settings. You can chose POP or IMAP but you can't switch between them.  The difference between the two is that basically POP only handles one device at a time and with IMAP you can see your e-mail on all your devices and what you do on one is immediately reflected across all of them

So here are the settings:

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-configure-email-settings

However if you find that your SMTP send settings are correct we are back to square one. You will have to run Outlook logging and inspect the log file to look for the VM error code. That is the only way we will ever know what is causing the problem.

I've already given you the link on how to do that. So read the guide on how to do it and get ready to try again. 

[TJH-L]

Cheers Howard. Excellent help. Same problem for me. Outlook connection to SMTP server being rejected. Outlook log revealed code VM305. Virgin were going to charge me £20 plus £5 for 6 months to fix a problem with my IP being blocked. After a bit more digging, I assume they were going to log into Spamhaus and do an unblock request on my behalf! Did this and about an hour later, email sending ok. Also found some good advice about running Wireshark to try to locate any bots to a specific IP behind the router. Kudos to you, Sir, for your help.

[HowardML]

You are welcome. You have a spambot on your system somewhere. Common causes are a jail broken Amazon Firestick with unauthorised software on it; also the free version of Hola VPN. Thoroughly compromised program which is not a true VPN but a peer to peer networking system which does enable spam to be sent.

You should bear in mind that spambots go quiet and the Spamhaus listing which VM use as a trigger to deny e-mail relaying (sending) will be lifted until the next time your IP is detected as sending spam. Then whamho! Back to square minus 1.

Find the spambot, protect the web, save all the hassle of living with it!