If you access Hotmail through your browser, are there any new messages that aren't being downloaded to TB? If so, try deleting the new messages one at a time in case one of them is blocking the download.

I could understand that except I have three Hotmail accounts and have not received mail on any of them today. So I find it highly improbable that an email chose to block each one of them today. If you think that is possible, please let me know and I'll try it.

Actually, I went in and tried deleting some messages and nothing changed. I guess my question still remains, is there a problem with the connection between Thunderbird and the Hotmail servers. What changed last night that would cause this problem? Is it possible for someone to check on a connection problem. If I knew how, I would do it myself.

Thunderbird is software running on YOUR computer. There is no Thunderbird servers to have a problem with.

I guess there is more to this problem than meets the eye. I am trying to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and the problem may be related to that. They tell me that I need to change the outgoing server to an IP address that they have given me. I looked in the Account Settings but do not see a way to enter the IP Address in the Outgoing Server box. I entered it in the server name box but that has not resolved my problem.

Do you have any idea how I can change the outgoing server to this IP Address? I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes these things could be simpler.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

A similar problem came up recently, but in that case the problem was how to send through a VPN, not receive as in your case. Did you try entering an IP address (not the one for the outgoing server) for the incoming server name? Probably best to ask your VPN provider.

Although I don't believe in consequences, I think this might be one of them. My email was working fine until I installed my VPN. I use the Thunderbird email application, which I like a lot, for three Hotmail accounts and two Yahoo accounts. After installing the VPN I could receive mail but could not send it on any of my accounts. I contacted the VPN and they sent me some numeric IP Addresses to put in my account settings. One for the Hotmail accounts and one for the Yahoo accounts. I did as instructed and the email seemed to work okay. It was late in the evening and I went to bed. The next morning, I could send and receive emails on the Yahoo accounts, but could only send emails on all of the Hotmail accounts.

I guess I'd like to know if anyone else is having this same problem. I'd hate to think it was just me.  :-)

I would like for Thunderbird to tell me if there is a way to change the outgoing server in the Account Settings, so I can enter the IP Address in there, or does the fact that I entered an IP Address in the Server Name box, cause it to override any other entries? Or should that even make a difference with me receiving mail?

Also, at what time limit does Thunderbird send back a message that the connection to the server timed out? I continually get that message.

I found a way to do a ping on the Hotmail server and the fastest response time for the last two days was 258.09 which seems very slow for a business computer. At least for a business that wants to stay in business. So is that time above the Thunderbird threshold of the connection time out message to be generated?

Thanks for all your help and suggestions, Carole

First, I don't know why you want to change the outgoing server name to an IP address, as you say that sending on Hotmail is working, but receiving isn't.

Second, the default timeout is 100s, but you can increase it if necessary by changing the mailnews.tcptimeout preference in Tools/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor.

For what it's worth, I can send and receive through my Hotmail account set up here in TB with no delays, but that is with no VPN and no security programs scanning the mail folders.