Email accounts - servers

[BAJ475]

I had Comcast for years. When I moved from CA to ID I disconnected my Comcast service because Comcast is not available where we moved to. Comcast allowed me to keep my email addresses w/o charge and it generally worked well. Lately, however, when I've tried to send emails I am getting messages that the SMPT server won't let me connect. The problems comes and goes. I can send emails if I log into my Xfinity account with a web browser but not if I try and send email from Thunderbird and to use a web browser I have to create the email while logged in. Receiving email has not been a problem other than I had to turn off their automatic spam filter. I could complain to Comcast but that would be awkward when they are not charging me anything.

My present internet provider, TDS (fiber), does not provide email and suggested that I use Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook. While I have a Gmail account tied to my Android phone, I have not given out that email address. Google is the last company I would trust with my email. I also do not use Google as a search engine. I do not trust Microsoft. It is bad enough that I have to use them for Excel and Windows. Any recommendations on who to use for email?

I have been thinking about ProtonMail. I can get a single email address with limited features for free. But to use Thunderbird it appears that I will need a paid account ($5/mo or $48/yr) and that I could set up my own domain. Is anybody using them?

[SkyHawk]

Are you using authenticated SMTP connection? I would imagine you have to be authenticated since you are off their network, but who knows how they roll.

I would try SMTP with authentication and encryption (SSL or TLS), and also try another SMTP port

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/update-your-xfinity-email-settings

You may need to check your A/V and/or firewall settings too. Have you made any changes to your anti-virus or router/firewall lately?

[Robotron2k84]

Probably ties into oauth, which is why sending logged in works.

Try using a mail client that supports oauth.

[BAJ475]

Are you using authenticated SMTP connection? I would imagine you have to be authenticated since you are off their network, but who knows how they roll.

I would try SMTP with authentication and encryption (SSL or TLS), and also try another SMTP port

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/update-your-xfinity-email-settings

You may need to check your A/V and/or firewall settings too. Have you made any changes to your anti-virus or router/firewall lately?

Thanks for your reply. Yes it is authenticated with SSL/TLS. Comcast started requiring authenticated connections years before we moved. I have tried both of the recommended ports. There have been no changes with my A/V and firewall settings. The problem is random, which makes me think that is a problem with one of their servers. As a test, without changing any settings, I just sent a test email to my wife. It went through. I will try sending an email to my brother to see if that works. It did.

[BAJ475]

Probably ties into oauth, which is why sending logged in works.

Try using a mail client that supports oauth.

Thanks for your reply. The problem is random. It works fine and then for no reason it has trouble with the SMTP servers. Then for no apparent reason it starts working again. To me it appears that someone is attacking their SMTP servers or one of them is dying.

[Robotron2k84]

[denpython]

I use proton with brave and had to manually install the authentication software off of Firefox
Now it works. Thunderbird might be the same.
I like proton and pay annually. Better than free.

[BAJ475]

I use proton with brave and had to manually install the authentication software off of Firefox
Now it works. Thunderbird might be the same.
I like proton and pay annually. Better than free.

I use Thunderbird and according to Proton's site I would need a paid account and Bridge to use Thunderbird and their POP and SMTP servers. Not seeing any real advantage of Professional over a Plus account. Which do you have?