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Sherrill

Jan 22, 2007, 7:28 PM

Post #1 of 7 (6802 views)

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Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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Am glad I read the article in GUAD REPORTER re SORBS and Prodigy. I knew that emails I sent from my Prod address were not being received and knew I also was not receiving mail sent to me. So I called Prod and they gave me some new numbers for POP3 and SMPT. Worked for a few days but am back to same problem. In addition I just helped a friend who just moved here install Infinitum when I set up his computer. No luck whatsoever with OEX and receiving mail. That's okay cause I got his computer to simply connect his USA comcast.net account. Hey he's getting and sending all his email!

So now when I call Prod they tell me that only reliable way I can get my email is to log on to prod.net.mx and sign in. Needless to say am not pleased! I do a lot of email biz and have had same email now for 7 years. Signed on to SORBS to check IP add 192.168.1.67 which is today's IP for my email. They say they don't have it listed. Don't wanna give up my address, dont wanna use hotmail and yeah I have a back up Yahoo where I have been frantically sending copies of email to see if they really go out.

Sooo I am whining and I do have a real question. Is anyone else experiencing this? What are they doing about it? And have they tried something offered at: http://www.SMTP.com where they offer to make sure your emails go out/a single SMTP server which relays your messages?

I suppose I really know the real answer and that is to give up on Prod and get a new address. Depressing thought.

johanson / Moderator

Jan 22, 2007, 8:39 PM

Post #2 of 7 (6789 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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First your experiences with your loss of emails both being sent by you and from others to you is not unique. Many have opened web based mail accounts like Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail Etc. to try do prevent or minimize such email loss. But even these email solutions are not foolproof.

Now you mentioned you set someone up so that they could use their Comcast email account from afar. What did you mean? 1. using Comcast WebMail or 2. using an email program like Outlook or Outlook Express?

When I check my comcast email I do it through Outlook and/or Outlook Express and receive my mail directly from "mail.comcast.net" mail server and send my mail using the server of the Internet Service Provider I am connected to

Sherrill. Could you give me the date of that article on Sorbs and Prodigy in the Guadalajara Reporter? Although I write a weekly technical article for the paper, I've been out of town for a few weeks and would like to know the date of the article so I can go back and look it up.

Sherrill

Jan 22, 2007, 9:31 PM

Post #3 of 7 (6784 views)

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Re: [johanson] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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Hi Johanson,

Thanks for your reply. My friend is in Ajijic. Has Infinitum router/DSL but not wireless. He wanted to get his email as if he were in states. When I set up his Comcast email account thru OutlookEx and tested it he received nothing and could send nothing. Called Prod and they said as is usual these days the problem is with OEX and is not theirs. Would not even give me the new SMPT numbers they had given me. He is not really computer literate and his goal is to go to certain links/favorites and receive and send some emails-that's all he wants. So I set it up that Comcast is his homepage and he simply signs ln for mail - password is automatic and gets all his email and has eliminated the new prod email address and OEX. As I said he is happy. Please use the link below for comcast sign in.

https://webauth.comcast.net/...lcenter.comcast.net/

Saved the SORBS article- Entitled "Undelivered Prodigy emails? Blame SORBS". Was in GUAD REPORTER Jan 6-12, 2007 issue. I am very interested in follow up. So please let me know what you learn.

sfmacaws

Jan 23, 2007, 12:36 AM

Post #4 of 7 (6779 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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Sherrill, 192.168.xxx.xxx is an internal private IP number given probably by a DHCP server, in plain english it will not be seen as a valid IP number outside of your network. The DHCP server is no doubt in the Prodigy modem, there are sites on the net that will tell you what IP number you are sending from, I don't know the addresses off hand but a google should work. Actually, try one of the speed test sites, most of them also tell you your IP number and the hops your test takes to get to their server. A genuine IP number will not start with 192.168 or with 10.0.

I spent some time hassling with Prodigy for some else a year or two ago and I believe that the SMTP problem is because Prodigy has blocked the usual SMTP port and only allows outgoing mail on a different port. This means, you can't use your own SMTP server unless you can also have it listen on a different port, some can and some can't.

I don't really remember how I solved it, I do remember being really disgusted with Prodigy. Any networking person will be able to figure it out with some time and testing, that's all I did. If they don't already know, tell them to check for open ports.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

johanson / Moderator

Jan 23, 2007, 9:51 AM

Post #5 of 7 (6753 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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Sherrill, you wrote: "When I set up his Comcast email account thru OutlookEx and tested it he received nothing and could send nothing. Called Prod and they said as is usual these days the problem is with OEX and is not theirs. Would not even give me the new SMPT numbers they had given me. He is not really computer literate and his goal is to go to certain links/favorites and receive and send some emails-that's all he wants."

I have a Comcast account, and if I were to enter my Comcast settings into Outlook Express (OE) be I using my Prodigy or Lagunanet account, I would be able to receive my email from Comcast, but not send my mail via Comcast. I would need to send it via the ISP I am connecting to using their not Comcast's settings (for outgoing mail). However if you use Comcast's web based email service, you can use their outgoing mail service.

According to the owner of Lagunanet, an ISP here lakeside, SORBS offers a good product.

bournemouth

Jan 23, 2007, 10:13 AM

Post #6 of 7 (6746 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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What it comes down to is, unless you are also maintaining an ISP account somewhere else, it is simpler to set up an account with Gmail, Yahoo etc. because Prodigy is never, ever going to let you send out mail that is not under their address.

We just ignore our Prodigy email address - it must just be full of spam by now and I can't remember how to log onto it anyway - and use other services. There is also a better chance that your sent emails will be received this way as Prodigy addresses are often blocked elsewhere because of their history of allowing the sending of spam.

roamer22

Jan 24, 2007, 6:16 AM

Post #7 of 7 (6716 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Problem with Outlook Ex, Prodigy & SORBS

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Buenos Dias Sherrill.
Iam a Gringo who arrived SOB around December 17 and found I had problems with Comcast so I set up a Yahoo account because from what I see most of the locals use it with no problemo. I since have fixed my Comcast account letting me use both. I had to go into Outlook Express and into account settings and make sure my user name and password were OK in my incomming server settings and the box marked log on using secure password authentication was unchecked and finally the section marked Outgoing Server the box is checked marked my server requires authentication and then click on the settings button and check use same settings as my incooming server. Don't kow if it work for you but here in Corozal Belize it works just fine.
BFN Jerry