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Thunderbird will not receive messages

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It is unclear if this is a problem with Thunderbird or with my mail server, so I am posting this message to both.

I use Thunderbird 38.4 on Windows 10. My ISP is Tiscali (TalkTalk). Following the recent problems with TalkTalk, I changed my password, then deleted and re-created my Account on Thunderbird. This worked OK. However, I found that I had created an IMAP account, whereas previously it was a POP account. I deleted the IMAP account, and created a POP account. Since then I have not been able to receive any emails. I have tried both POP and IMAP accounts, following the instructions to the letter in each case. I have accepted the default settings offered by Thunderbird (mail.tiscali.co.uk). I have also tried the settings suggested by the TalkTalk help pages: pop.tiscali.co.uk or imap.tiscali.co.uk. There is no discrepancy in the port (110). With the POP account using pop.tiscali.co.uk I get an error message, but with the other configurations I get nothing, as if there were no messages to receive.

The outgoing mail (SMTP) to smtp.tiscali.co.uk works fine.

I can send and receive messages via my account on the TalkTalk/Tiscali webmail server.

I really would like an operational POP account.

It is unclear if this is a problem with Thunderbird or with my mail server, so I am posting this message to both. I use Thunderbird 38.4 on Windows 10. My ISP is Tiscali (TalkTalk). Following the recent problems with TalkTalk, I changed my password, then deleted and re-created my Account on Thunderbird. This worked OK. However, I found that I had created an IMAP account, whereas previously it was a POP account. I deleted the IMAP account, and created a POP account. Since then I have not been able to receive any emails. I have tried both POP and IMAP accounts, following the instructions to the letter in each case. I have accepted the default settings offered by Thunderbird (mail.tiscali.co.uk). I have also tried the settings suggested by the TalkTalk help pages: pop.tiscali.co.uk or imap.tiscali.co.uk. There is no discrepancy in the port (110). With the POP account using pop.tiscali.co.uk I get an error message, but with the other configurations I get nothing, as if there were no messages to receive. The outgoing mail (SMTP) to smtp.tiscali.co.uk works fine. I can send and receive messages via my account on the TalkTalk/Tiscali webmail server. I really would like an operational POP account.

Chosen solution

Solved!

I tried the auto-configuration once again for a POP server and this time it came up with the server name pop3.tiscali.co.uk. I had previously tried this name in a manual configuration and it had not worked.

However all is now working.

Now all I have to do is to persuade it to operate a Global Inbox (fingers crossed).

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All Replies (7)

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Have you tried disabling email scanning in your anti virus program?

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I did try disabling my anitvirus (Kaspersky) email checker, with no effect. The antivirus email settings have not been changed since I installed Kaspersky several years ago. They are 'medium'.

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re :With the POP account using pop.tiscali.co.uk I get an error message

What was the error message .....word for word or post image of the error to save time?

In the webmail account accessed via a browser, is there somewhere you select what type you can use POP or IMAP ? I only ask because sometimes it is necesssary to select which one you wish to use and sometimes they are both selected by default and sometimes only imap is selected by default. Check it out.

Check out info on Pop forwarding/ router info which may effect you.

What is the part after the '@' in your email address ?

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Thanks for your advice.

The error message is:

Unable to establish TLS connection to POP3 server. The server may be down or may be incorrectly configured. Please verify the correct configuration in the Server Settings for your mail server in the Accounts Settings window and try again.

The webmail server is currently up and running. I am responding to this through a message recently received. I cannot see anything in the Settings section of my webmail server that relates to POP or IMAP.

I cannot see anything in the two links you provided that helps.

My email address ends in tiscali.co.uk.

What is puzzling is that until early December, the POP protocol was working and had been doing so for years!

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Chosen Solution

Solved!

I tried the auto-configuration once again for a POP server and this time it came up with the server name pop3.tiscali.co.uk. I had previously tried this name in a manual configuration and it had not worked.

However all is now working.

Now all I have to do is to persuade it to operate a Global Inbox (fingers crossed).

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good to hear all is now ok.

Just for clarity, should anyone else locate this info: for email address ending @tiscali.co.uk

Email address username@tiscali.co.uk Incoming email server pop.tiscali.co.uk Incoming Port 110 Outgoing email (SMTP) smtp.tiscali.co.uk Outgoing Port 587 SSL No Outgoing Authentication Yes

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Thanks Toad Hall,

However the eventually successful server to receive mail is pop3.tiscali.co.uk, not pop.tiscali.co.uk.