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Spectrum vs.comcast.net
I have this bizarre intermittent issue that I can't resolve. I have Spectrum internet, which has been reliable. I have email addresses on comcast.net, which I've had for many years. A few weeks ago, this problem started where, if I try to send an email from Windows Outlook, my Android email client, or an iphone email client, it hangs in the Outbox - but only during the day, it seems. This problem goes away around 4 or 5 pm Pacific time. One of many Googled try-this solutions was to remove my comcast.net account from my email client and the add it back in. I did this on my phone during the day when the problem was happening. When I tried to add the account back in, I couldn't - there was some vague "Authentication error". A few hours later, I noticed the problem had gone away - I could end an email from my Windows Outlook and it got sent just fine. So I went to my phone and tried to add back in my comcast.net email account while on my phone's hotspot wifi network, and this time it worked just fine and I was able to add this account back in.
I've noticed when this problem occurs, if I switch to another non-Spectrum network - like my phone's hotspot - I can send emails from my comcast.net accounts just fine, so that makes me think there is something about the Spectrum ISP services that are causing this problem. But what in the world could it be? I've been operating on Spectrum for months and this just started happening a few weeks ago.
When the problem occurs, I can go to the comcast.net email site and it's clear comcast email is working just fine.
Doesn't this sound like an authentication problem? But why would it just start working later in the evening? And how the heck do I troubleshoot/resolve this? Any advice greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
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Hello and welcome to the Spectrum Community.
Generally this issue would be on the end of Comcast or through the 3rd party app you are using to send the email. A way to see where the issue could be is to try to access the email through Comcast's website directly and try to send email from there while the issue is happening via Outlook. If it goes through there then the issue is with Outlook.
-Tyleen
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Answers
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Thanks - actually, I have gotten on Comcast.net email website and can send and receive emails just fine. The reason this isn't just an Outlook problem - the same thing happens on my Samsung Android email client on my phone and on our iPhone and iPad, neither of which is Outlook. However, like my Windows PC, when these devices are not on the Spectrum network, they are able to send emails from our comcast.net addresses just fine. So, the problem just seems to be happening when on Spectrum internet. Weird, huh? What is the world could there be about using Spectrum internet that would interfere with emails clients accessing the comcast.net smtp servers?
Thanks for trying to help - but it's not just Outlook here.
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You're welcome. So when you use the Comcast website directly does that work fine when using the Spectrum internet? If so then the issue is with third party clients and possibly the settings that Comcast gave you.
-Tyleen
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Tyleen - thanks for your reply! Yes, using Spectrum internet, I can use the browser-accessed comcast.net email just fine.
At the pressent time - 6:02 pm PT - I can send emails just fine from both my comcast.net accounts and from my Windows PC, my phone, and iPhone. A few hours ago, I couldn't. The settings I have for incoming and outgoing are the same that they were several hours ago - haven't changed a thing. The outgoing smtp.comcast.net settings have always been
Are there any Spectrum port settings that vary based on time of day?
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Okay so if the email works fine from their website when not working from the third party apps then the issue is on their end. There are no settings we would give you as the settings would be Comcast specific not us. We would only provide settings for Spectrum email services.
-Tyleen
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Hey - thanks, I get that. Sorry - I know this is exasperating. But how in the world can we access comcast.net email from the same clients with the same settings just fine over a phone's hotspot or anther network but not on Spectrum - except after about 4-5 pm in the evening? Is there any time of day thing for my cable modem settings?
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You're welcome. I understand the frustration. But if everything else works fine and it works as it's intended to otherwise meaning through their website then the issue is on their end with some issue with their email settings when using another client such as Outlook or Android email. There would be no modem settings that would prevent one email client from working only using third party apps.
-Tyleen
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