Issue Unable to connect with a mail client ( Outlook/Thurnderbird )

[anuanu]

Server operating system version

Ubuntu 22

Plesk version and microupdate number

Obsidian

Hello there,

I have been trying to connect my mail with mail clients(tried Outlook and Thunderbird) but getting errors : "Unable to Sign in . Check your credentials and try again"/"Unable to log in at Server . Probably wrong configuration , username or password " . Access via Roundcube webmail is fine.

Outlook Steps :
Error: Unable to Sign in . Check your credentials and try again
1. When I "Add Account" and enter my email([email protected]) it is unable to find the config and displays Sorry we couldn't find a match please choose your provider and asks me to choose from various provider (including an option of IMAP/Pop)
2. When I choose IMAP/Pop3 and enter the details and add the account details it throws : Unable to Sign in . Check your credentials and try again . I specify my domain name YYYYY.com as the incoming and outgoing server and below are the port configs I tried:
- manual Config - IMAP - incoming server - Port 993 and outgoing server - Port 465
- manual Config - IMAP - incoming server - Port 993 and outgoing server - Port 587
- manual Config - Pop3 - incoming server - Port 995 and outgoing server - Port 465
- manual Config - Pop3 - incoming server - Port 995 and outgoing server - Port 587

Thunderbird Steps:
Error: Unable to log in at Server . Probably wrong configuration , username or password
1) First I enter the username([email protected] ) and password as asked by application.
2) Then the message displayed is : "Configuration found at email provider" and asks me to proceed with IMAP or Pop3 And from there if I choose :
- IMAP - It displays "checking password" and then finally "Unable to log in at Server . Probably wrong configuration , username or password"
- Pop3 - It displays "checking password" and then finally "Unable to log in at Server . Probably wrong configuration , username or password"
Basically same error !
3) Then on selecting Manual Configuration I get the same error too (checking password - Unable to log in at Server . Probably wrong configuration , username or password ). Below is what I have tried as the ports :
- manual Config - IMAP - incoming server - Port 993 and outgoing server - Port 465
- manual Config - IMAP - incoming server - Port 993 and outgoing server - Port 587
- manual Config - Pop3 - incoming server - Port 995 and outgoing server - Port 465
- manual Config - Pop3 - incoming server - Port 995 and outgoing server - Port 587

Also in the settings, I have :

• Enable SMTP service on port 587 on all IP addresses - checked/selected
• Enable mail autodiscover - checked/selected

I am not sure what I am missing . Tried to look up how to set it up in Plesk Knowledge Base and follow the steps but couldn't get it to work.

Thanks!

 

[Peter Debik]

Probably wrong configuration , username or password

Maybe the system is right?

 

[anuanu]

Maybe the system is right?

• Username and Password: I am a 100% sure that cant be wrong as I have checked it multiple times and it works with RoundCube.
• Configuration - I am not sure, what should be the configuration. I have shared what i configured and it still wouldn't work.

 

[Kaspar]

This might sound silly, but are you sure you are connecting to the right host/server? Try using your servers full host name (the one defined at Tools & Settings > Server Settings) instead of your website domain name.

Also, if you use any proxy service, like CloudFlare, turn it off to see if that makes a difference.

 

[anuanu]

This might sound silly, but are you sure you are connecting to the right host/server? Try using your servers full host name (the one defined at Tools & Settings > Server Settings) instead of your website domain name.

Also, if you use any proxy service, like CloudFlare, turn it off to see if that makes a difference.

Thanks Kaspar. Where to find the full host name, its not there in the settings (attached the snapshot for reference)?

No proxy is used.

 

[Kaspar]

That's a screenshot of the Server wide mail settings
I was refering to Tools & Settings > Server Settings

 

[anuanu]

Thanks, I tried that as well, but it didn't work . :-(
I was checking logs in Log Browser -> Mail in Tools & Settings. I don't see any logs wrt to my attempted connection requests via the mail clients. But I can see logs when I use RoundCube and some regular suspicious attempts from unknown users with fake username. Does that mean that the connection request is not even reaching the server from the mail clients in the first place ? How can confirm this ?

 

[Kaspar]

Thanks, I tried that as well, but it didn't work . :-(

Did you get the same error when you tried using the full host name?

[...] Does that mean that the connection request is not even reaching the server from the mail clients in the first place ? How can confirm this ?

Looks like it. Could be a firewall blocking the access. Although you would be expecting a different error when a Firewall would block access. Could be a DNS issue as well. Could be an (routing) issue at your local network. Try again but via a different network (you cell/mobile network instead of you local wifi for example).

 

[anuanu]

Did you get the same error when you tried using the full host name?

Yes, same error. Though it seemed like it took longer to throw it.

Looks like it. Could be a firewall blocking the access. Although you would be expecting a different error when a Firewall would block access. Could be a DNS issue as well. Could be an (routing) issue at your local network. Try again but via a different network (you cell/mobile network instead of you local wifi for example).

Tried with my cell(hotspot on phone) and got same error.

So that leaves us with DNS being the issue. My DNS is not managed in Plesk but via my domain name provider ( IONOS, which has some limitations working with Plesk ) . Could that be missing records for IMAP/POP ?

 

[jorge ceballos]

Try intodns.com and /or mxtoolbox.com and check your MX records just to make sure its a server dns issue and not local in your computer.

A hack I have used is pointing the mail agent directly to the mail server using the IP instead of the domain. Remember to keep certificates in Auto and use port 587 for SMTP - most local ISPs have blocked port 25 .
Don't forget to disable your computer's antivirus too, sometimes they have their own firewall and decide which ports are used or blocked.

Hope it helps.