This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

Sending of the message [via Earthlink] failed. ... you may be susceptible to getting your password stolen.

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 32 views
  • Last reply by ecruoff

rwiniecki
rwiniecki
more options

Yesterday 6/1/21 TB 78.10.2 on my two Dell laptops stopped being able to send messages via Earthlink with 'Authentication method: Encrypted password', though my Gmail accounts still work. Now it says:

Sending of the message failed. The Outgoing server (SMTP) smtpauth.earthlink.net does not seem to support encrypted passwords. If you just set up the account, try changing the 'Authentication method' in 'Account Settings | Outgoing server (SMTP)' to 'Password, transmitted insecurely'. If it used to work but now doesn't, you may be susceptible to getting your password stolen.

Changing to 'Password, transmitted insecurely' allows sending, but I'm uncomfortable with that setting. "It used to work but now doesn't," so I wonder what the rest of the message means.

Suggestions?

Yesterday 6/1/21 TB 78.10.2 on my two Dell laptops stopped being able to send messages via Earthlink with 'Authentication method: Encrypted password', though my Gmail accounts still work. Now it says: Sending of the message failed. The Outgoing server (SMTP) smtpauth.earthlink.net does not seem to support encrypted passwords. If you just set up the account, try changing the 'Authentication method' in 'Account Settings | Outgoing server (SMTP)' to 'Password, transmitted insecurely'. If it used to work but now doesn't, you may be susceptible to getting your password stolen. Changing to 'Password, transmitted insecurely' allows sending, but I'm uncomfortable with that setting. "It used to work but now doesn't," so I wonder what the rest of the message means. Suggestions?

Chosen solution

I've been having a similar problem with sending emails. I just discovered the following solution in another thread in this forum, entitled 'Thunderbird "Send Message Error"': 

    These are the outgoing server SMTP setting which you should be using:

    outgoing server (SMTP): smtpauth.earthlink.net 
    Port: 587 
    Connection Security: STARTTLS Authentication      
    Method: Normal Password 
    User name: <email address>

So I went to my Outgoing Server Settings, found under Menu/Account Settings. (NOT Menu/Account Settings/Server Settings.) Clicked on the button marked 'Edit SMTP_server'. There I changed the Authentication Method from 'Encrypted Password' to 'Normal Password'. That seems to have fixed the problem. Emails are now sending without incident.

Based on the thread mentioned above, this issue may have been caused by Earthlink changing its server settings.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (3)

rwiniecki
rwiniecki Question owner
more options

After update to 78.11.0, the problem disappeared -- I'm again able to send messages via Earthlink with 'Authentication method: Encrypted password'.

rwiniecki
rwiniecki Question owner
more options

Woops! The problem is back. TB is still 78.11.0.

Modified by rwiniecki

ecruoff
ecruoff
more options

Chosen Solution

I've been having a similar problem with sending emails. I just discovered the following solution in another thread in this forum, entitled 'Thunderbird "Send Message Error"': 

    These are the outgoing server SMTP setting which you should be using:

    outgoing server (SMTP): smtpauth.earthlink.net 
    Port: 587 
    Connection Security: STARTTLS Authentication      
    Method: Normal Password 
    User name: <email address>

So I went to my Outgoing Server Settings, found under Menu/Account Settings. (NOT Menu/Account Settings/Server Settings.) Clicked on the button marked 'Edit SMTP_server'. There I changed the Authentication Method from 'Encrypted Password' to 'Normal Password'. That seems to have fixed the problem. Emails are now sending without incident.

Based on the thread mentioned above, this issue may have been caused by Earthlink changing its server settings.

Good luck, hope this helps.