Apple Mail will not work without webmail login

[philo-gypsy]

Spontaneously about 2 weeks ago, Mail stopped being able to receive or send email due to login issues (after using without problems for several years).  Nothing had changed on the computer or with my ATT DSL service, but  ATT kept dk-ing my good user name and password.  Yahoo escalations could not come up with a solution.  All my settings are correct, but unless I log in to webmail (or unless someone at ATT logs in on my behalf) Mail on my Mac will not connect with the servers.  Once I log in, I'm good for the day, but overnight the login will apparently expire and I will have to login again.  Ditto if I clear my cookies and close out the browser I used to login.

I do not wish to use webmail or have to continue this daily login process.  Please help!!

[pamelaz]

Hello philo-gypsy,

Thank you for contacting us about this issue through the forums and I apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced.

In order for us to isolate the cause of your issue, there is a need for you to try it on a different computer, if possible. If the problem does not occur on the other computer, then there could be an issue with the Apple

Mail itself. If this still occurs on a different computer, with the same

settings, the problem may be within our server.

One other thing that you can try is to check on your  "Keychain access"

under "Utilities" and delete all items stored that are related to Mac Mail or AT&T Yahoo! Webmail. From there, you can go back to your Mac Mail and see if it will go through this time.

Also, since you have already contacted our Yahoo! Escalation Team, one option is to have your password reset by one of our representatives.

After

the reset is done, you will be asked to personalize it and make a new one.

Make sure that once this is done, you also change the password saved in your Mac Mail.

Please do call our telephone helpdesk at your most convenient time using the numbers provided below. You may also opt to contact us via chat if this will be more convenient for you.

Should you need further help regarding your post, please feel free to post your reply on this thread or you may call our Technical Support Helpdesk.

You may reach them at 1 888 321 2375 if you are from these states - KY, TN, NC, SC, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL; and 1 877 722 3755 if you are located in CA, NV, KS, MO, OK, AR, TX, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH, CT.

You can also contact us through chat at the following links.

For CA, NV, KS, MO, OK, AR, TX, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH, CT. - https://pattta.att.motive.com/netagent/questionnaire_c2c_dsl_sw.aspx

For KY, TN, NC, SC, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL - https://pattta.att.motive.com/netagent/questionnaire_c2c_dsl_se.aspx

For quick answers, make the new AT&T Help site your first stop. Visit http://www.att.com/esupport/ where you'll find pages of product information to assist you.

Thank you for choosing AT&T where we value your Business.

[philo-gypsy]

Thanks for responding to my post.

I have already had the password reset by ATT.  I then go in with the reset password to change the password (to my own password) and the same thing happens.

I do not have another computer with my Apple Mail settings, but nothing has changed on my computer from the day Mail was working until it suddenly stopped.

I am sorry to say the representatives I have spoken to at the telephone numbers you supply seem not to have any idea what to do about this.

I have copied the log from Mail's "Connection Doctor."  The problem seems to be that unless I have logged into webmail first, I get this

READ Mar 01 06:38:01.610 [kCFStreamSocketSecurityLevelNegotiatedSSL]  -- hostop.att.yahoo.com -- port:995 -- socket:0x115d78ef0 -- thread:0x115defec0
-ERR [AUTH] invalid user/password

If I log into webmail, my user name and password are accepted and maildrop works.

[pamelaz]

Hello philo-gypsy,

Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience that you have experienced.

Client Email configuration is not within AT&T's scope of support as it is a third party software. However, we can provide you the correct server settings to use. You may access the link below for the walk through on how to verify your Apple Mail settings.

From the steps provided in the link, there is an option for you to view information on your client email version. Just click on 'Personalize Your Support' for you to select your appropriate client email which is Mac Mail or Apple Mail.

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB401568

Since you are able to access your webmail using the password that you set up after it has been reset temporarily by our Voice Representative, it would mean that it is not a login issue or a password issue. What you need to do is update your Apple Mail with the new password. Before doing so, please remove any saved password you have in your Apple Mail if there is. Once updated, and the settings are verified, then your Apple Mail should be working fine.

Again, please be reminded of these updated servers:

Incoming (POP) : pop.att.yahoo.com

Outgoing (SMTP) : smtp.att.yahoo.com (requires authentication) Incoming mail server : POP3 Incoming/Outgoing User Name : Full AT&T email address, including domain (e.g., test@att.net, test@bellsouth.net) Incoming mail port # : 995, secure connection (SSL) checked Outgoing mail port # : 465, secure connection (SSL) checked

Note:  When updating the secure server settings, check the SSL box first and then update the port number if necessary.

You can also contact our Support Plus department to help you configure your Apple Mail. Please call them at 1-888-263-4796. They are open from 8:00am - 11:00pm Central Time .

Should you need further help regarding your post, please feel free to reply on this thread.

For quick answers, make the new AT&T Help site your first stop. Visit http://www.att.com/esupport/ where you'll find pages of product information to assist you.

Thank You

[philo-gypsy]

I am sure you are trying to be helpful, pamelaz, but it is little insulting to have you suggest I go to support pages when I have been talking to ATT supervisor-level people for two weeks!  Do you think the supervisors don't know the correct server settings?  My settings are exactly as they should be.

As I said in my last post, ATT's server says my true user name and password are WRONG, unless I log into webmail first.  Then ATT's server says the exact same name and password are RIGHT.

[philo-gypsy]

I am disappointed that ATT is unwilling to help with this issue.

It has now been over two months this problem is persisting.

I have traveled to and from my ATT DSL connection and this seems to make no difference.  If I do not login to ATT webmail (which I hate), my Apple Mail app gets an incorrect password message from ATT (even though the password is correct).

Please note:  ALL MY SETTINGS ARE CORRECT.

Could this have to do with something in the yahoo mail protocol?

[wellconnectedli…]

I know this isn't the answer that you want, but it may be a work around.

Try Mozilla THUNDERBIRD as an alternative to Apple Mail. I have had to do this for two of my Apple clients recently.

Better luck.

{Personal content removed for your safety}

[philo-gypsy]

I so appreciate your trying to help --but how is this better than signing into webmail, then using Apple Mail as usual (which is what I'm doing now)?  Once I log in to webmail, Apple Mail sends and receives w/o a problem.....

[twirlyboggs]

PRESTO- now my apple mail recieves & SENDS now!!!! 

MAC MAIL 3.6 / OSX 10.5.8

ATT UVERSE  (STILL HAVE BELLSOUTH.NET EMAIL) ( PROBLEMS STARTED FROM DSL TO UVERSE )

INCOMING:

mail.bellsouth.net (same)

user name is:  your email address

password is your email password

port 110 (default) (same as when i had dsl with bellsouth)

NO SSL (same)

authen. = password (same)

OUTGOING:

description is just put “bellsouth email”

server name= smtp.att.yahoo.com (different than when i had dsl)

use custom default ports (same)

NO SSL(same)

authen.=password

user name=your email address

your email password

[philo-gypsy]

Now, suddenly this morning things have taken a turn for the worse.  Now, when I go through the aggravation of logging into ATT webmail and doing the capcha, EVERY DAY, my Apple Mail STILL doesn't work.  Remember, all my settings are correct and my password is also correct.  Nonetheless, ATT rejects my correct password as invalid.  It does not matter if I check the "keep me logged in" button on the login page or not.

Today I was able to effect a work-around by using Safari instead of my usual browser, Firefox, but what obstacle is next??

(By the way, I have an ATT DSL account in CT as well as the one I have here in NC and, when I sign in to webmail once up there, I stay signed in whether my computer sleeps or not.)  Something is wrong with ATT North Carolina.

HELP!!!!!!!

[jlund]

Yes, this is exactly what is happening to me.  I have happily been using my sbcglobal email through MacMail for 2 years.  It just stopped working about 2 weeks ago.  It says my password is bad.  I have spent HOURS with tech support both at AT&T and Apple.  

 I have also gone to the higher level tech person.  Apple has seen this before and says it is definitely an AT&T issue and occurs more with POP accounts, not with IMAP.  It is so frustrating.  I have set and reset my password, changed my keychain access, completely uninstalled the account and reinstalled to no avail.  I can access it through the AT&T website, but that is not what I want to do.  All my settings are correct, but the MacMail will not connect with the AT&T mail.  My gmail comes through MacMail just fine.   Would love a fix for this.

Thanks.

[sean12340``]

Well as usual you folks are not alone on this one.

I have the same issue and it only started occuring last Oct/Nov 2011 timeframe and no fix in sight from ATT to now and does not seem there is a plan either.

The only workaround I have found (similar to some other people in various forums) is to access webmail first to clear the issue, and you need to do this EVERY DAY!

This definitely appears to be an ATT issue based on my experience.

Have been with att uverse and using att.net emali account for 3 years and this problem only surfaced in the last few months.

Home PC - outlook 2010 (previously outlook express 6.x)

iphone - my wife started using this for email access in Nov 2011

macAir - using Macmail in Nov 2011

Switched my att.net servers settings from the old "yahoo" ones to the new "inbound" and "outbound" last Dec to see if that would fix the problem. No avail.

I have fought with this by changing settings, changing passwords, making all passwords the same from iphone to pc email login to Macmail email login but no avail.

I have reinstalled the OS on MacAir and MacMail also - no luck.

Reading on this for several months I am convinced this is an ATT email server issue (I work in the tech industry and have been on to various level of tech support in ATT for several months - no luck).

Again the standard answer is - let me reset your password - did that a few times but a few days later back to the same issue again.

ATT just don't get it on this one.

I even had the ATT tech come out to my house check all my settings, my network within the house, do some repairs etc. and make sure all connections were excellent quality and sure enough 2 days later the problem with the email login returned.

Hopefully some of the online ATT reps can see this email and try to respond once and for all to give a very clear and concise solution to this problem that appears to be affecting many many users of att.net email.

Without that happening in the next few days I am going to give up and will be switching my email acounts off xxx@att.net and disconnecting my att internet connection, as well as asking for a refund of all internet service for the last 6 months. It is unbelievable how bad the att.net emai lservice is, and they advertize this as a benefit (yeah right).

[dsp256]

Guys, I can verify that this is NOT a platform-specific issue. I use several Macs and PC's and recognized this problem late February 2012, as mentioned earlier. For several years, I had no problem. This issue started with NO change to any HW or SW.  After nearly 2 months, 10 ATT support calls including 3 with Tier 2 support, ATT is clueless. I have tried with 3 different client programs on 4 different machines, both Mac and PC with the same result on all accounts. ATT's 'change password' resolution worked initially and only temporarily. I would then need to change the password, temporary fix, change password, temporary fix...over and over. Now, not 1 client app out of 3 on any machine is able to access my account, password change or not. I've also tried on different networks as well, and now ATT will not assist without a 'Support Payment'...for their own issue. One T2 I spoke with agreed that was a bunch of b$.

There is no question this IS AN ATT ISSUE which began around late 02/12. Maybe involving the way (or protocol) used to detect incoming requests to the login servers. I have a thought that if SOMEONE at ATT actually looked into this, they just might see that there was a change implemented around late Feb. I don't know but I do know that ATT's claim of 11 email accounts is misleading, to say the least, because I cannot access 1 ATT email acc with any client program.

• Verified all server and port settings

• Set up Thunderbird and other clients using ATT's server settings

• Attempted OE access from 2nd PC

• Attempted access from Mac #1

• Attempted access from Mac #2

• Attempted access from other network

ATT: PLEASE RESOLVE THIS ONGOING ISSUE  

[rcanzano]

I agree, this is an ATT issue, I have been a frustrated user of this company for years. This all started in Feb. Apple told me to use a gmail account, they NEVER have problems with them. They also say this is an ATT issue as well. My initial call to ATT took 2 1/2 to reset my password alone. I even contacted yahoo, they said if you can delink your att and yahoo accounts they can help, but because of contractual issueswith ATT, they cannot. I think its just about time to dump ATT, I wouldn't be surprised either if the moderator blocked this post.

It's been 3 months since this issue arose, its either to complicated for them to fix or they are more concerned with windows products or they just don't care.

[GoghVanGogh]

Add me to the list of people having log-in issues with Mac Mail and ATT.  I have done everthing mentioned above and more....many times.  This is very frustrating and although I would hate to lose my email address, it seems as if I have run out of options.  I love U-verse for the most part, but my patience is wearing thin.

[chiefruss]

it's nice to know that I am not alone in this!  AT&T wants me to pay extra for them to "fix" my computer that is not broken.  I can go to Panera Bread down the street and using their wi-fi, connect Mac Mail to my AT&T account with no problems.  Perhaps i should do my work at Panera Bread instead of at home!  I have set the account up as a POP account and as an IMap account and it makes no difference.  It escapes me why AT&T won't fix this problem.