Thunderbird does not check for new messages with charter.net
Thunderbird 45.0
The only time Thunderbird will download new mail messages is when it starts. Option is to check on start and at 10 minute intervals. The 10 minute interval check never seems to occur. Clicking "Get Messages" button does nothing.
I have attached a copy of console error log. What do I need to do.
Thanks!
Wayne Mery trɔe
All Replies (19)
I forgot to mention I am using IMAP.
Further investigation makes this look like it is not related to the console log I posted.
How do I get IMAP log?
As far as I can see it's a security issue. The logs you have posted say repeatedly that the server 'mobile.charter.net' (which is the server you are trying to contact, I assume?) does not support RFC 5746. Google that and you'll find pages of stuff explaining that it's to do with a vulnerability in secure mail transmissions. I have no technical knowledge and don't understand it beyond that, but clearly that's what it's about. What should you do? As a first step you could try removing the SSL security from your account settings temporarily: try connecting to the account without any security and see what happens. If your mail downloads OK then you know that this explanation is correct. What to do after that? I'd suggest you contact Charter and ask why their server doesn't support secure transmission as it should.
Thanks for the response.
It appears the security issue is separate. The failure to download new messages occurs without that message. I am in the process of creating IMAP logs. How do I make those available for people to see.
I am still having the issue of Thunderbird not downloading new mail. Manual get messages does not retrieve mail either. I have to close Thunderbird and start it again to retrieve new mail. Is no one else having this problem?
Yes other people are having the same problem: from my reading of the posts, most if not all of them are customers of Charter. I guess you're right that it's not a security issue as such, it seems to be that the Charter server responds when initially contacted by Thunderbird but not thereafter.
What should I be trying to find in the IMAP log that will help determine the problem?
If this is really related to Charter, what do we need to provide to them to get it corrected?
Thunderbird just updated to 45.1.0. The problem still exists. How do I troubleshoot this?
I just realized I thought the problem started when I upgraded to Windows 10. However, I proved that is not the case today. I performed a clean Windows 7 install on one of my machines and installed Thunderbird. It fail when I attempt to retrieve messages from Charter but succeeds with both Gmail and Yahoo. I then installed eM Client as a test. Same exact results. Am I really the only concerned about this? I am willing to provide whatever logs are needed to troubleshoot this.
There have beewn a few folk appear in the forum with random issues with Charter not downloading mails. Why I have no idea. But I doubt the issue is Thunderbird.
Some things to look at. Connections. Charter will have an upper limit on the number of concurrent IMAP connections for a particular user name. If it can Thunderbird will use up to 5 to speed things along. Most other mail programs use similar numbers, except for iDevices. The have no upper limit and will continue making more and more connections until the server bucks.
So as a diagnostic turn all other devices off that also get mail and wait 10-15 minutes to be sure the connections to the server have actually timed out.
IMAP log. See https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging Logs can get very large very quickly I suggest you upload any you want us to look at to something like gmail or box or whatever online service and post a link to the file.. Images of text are very cumbersome.
Failure to support RFC 5746 is a warning that your mail server is not as secure as it should be. It does not affect the ability to get or send mail. The important part of the message is the CVE-2009-3555 which is the Common Vulnerability and Exposure database reference. IIRC the warning was placed there after a somewhat heated discussion about the fact "the user has the right to know" Vs "the user does not need a pop up every 10 minutes about something they have little influence over"
What I think might have something to do with this is that you are getting an SSL error at all. Charter do not recommend SSL. for non mobile connections. Are you connecting to the internet using Charters service? Try changing the port to 143 and turning off SLL.. Does that work at all.
I am suggesting the non SSL as a diagnostic. I would really like to get to the bottom of whatever it is that is infecting Charter.
Thanks for your response. I will try what you suggest. I tried talking to Charter about the SSL issue. Might as well have been talking to a brick wall. I would really like to be able to talk with someone at Charter that can think and actually troubleshoot instead of reading canned answers. When I asked to have the situation escalated I was told all I could do was talk to a supervisor. He just repeated the canned answers.
Here is link with imap log.
https://app.box.com/s/qvk7jt6kq42e1o8jaq0xwye06rybfpns
Hope it helps. GMAIL retrieve worked properly. Charter did not. If you need anything else, just let me know. For this log the retrieve interval was 5 minutes. I normally use 15 minutes. Also, the messages were addressed to Charter with forwarding to GMAIL. Copies are left on Charter so Thunderbird can still retrieve them.
jlpshga trɔe
I have narrowed the issue down to what I see as a server bug.
2016-06-04 16:19:28.748000 UTC - 6948[16eb0de0]: e26800:mobile.charter.net:A:PARSER:Internal Syntax Error on line: %s: * STATUS Trash/Junk Mail (MESSAGES 0 RECENT 0 UNSEEN 0 UIDNEXT 5683)
That error indicated (despite the dodgy formatting) that the Trash/Junk folder name is being incorrectly parsed from the server to Thunderbird without the term being in Quotes.
Now we get into the weird world of trying to find a workaround.
Right click the account and select subscribe. unsubscribe from that folder. Right click the account again and select settings. In server settings select advanced and select the show only subscribed folders.
See if that has any effect. It will loose the folder. for certain.
From the log file the charter mail system software is Email Mx version" M.9.00.023.01 201-2473-194 vendor Openwave Messaging support-url http://support.openwave.com Date Mon Apr 4 21:15:22 PDT 2016
Perhaps you can get through the script jockeys with that information to a level two support person at Charter. Because despite us perhaps finding a workaround if they fixed the problem it would really help everyone.
Thanks for the response. However, that did not help.
What do charter have to say now there is evidence their service has an issue?
They say if I can access my email via their web site, that is all they agree to provide. I am going to document everything and find someone to involve. Does anyone know of a web site that provides some basics on tracing the IMAP protocol? I spent many years work on TCP, IP, etc., but never got involved with IMAP.
jlpshga trɔe
I posted this same issue somewhere around October of 2015. Still happening with 45.1.1. (Use Charter, just like others having the problem.) The only way it works is to close Tbird and restart. Then it works ONCE. To get any new emails, have to close Tbird & restart. So darned frustrating.
Thanks, Charter. (Not)
sewlady3 said
I posted this same issue somewhere around October of 2015. Still happening with 45.1.1. (Use Charter, just like others having the problem.) The only way it works is to close Tbird and restart. Then it works ONCE. To get any new emails, have to close Tbird & restart.
Your posting was https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1090982