Mozilla Thunderbird and Charter - "cannot connect to SMTP server"
I have been using Thunderbird for a few years now to manage my charter domain email account. On October 9th, 2023 Thunderbird stopped updating with new emails and the application started throwing an error stating "Cannot connect to SMTP server".
I have spent countless hours on the phone with Charter who have been very helpful in tracing emails for my account (both outbound and inbound) using their web email application. However, when testing with Thunderbird - everything goes wrong again.
My current server configuration is as follows: Server Type: IMAP Mail Server Server Name: mobile.charter.net Port: 993 User Name: full_email_address@charter.net
Outgoing Server (SMTP) Configuration: Server Name: mobile.charter.net Port: 587 Connection Security: SSL/TLS Authentication: Normal Password Username: full_email_address@charter.net
As it stands, I can send emails from my Thunderbird account to my various Gmail accounts that I have created while trouble shooting. My inbox has not updated since October 9th, 2023 in Thunderbird, but there are active emails coming into my account when I check my Charter web email inbox.
In addition to that, I have disabled all AV rules around email services. When I try sending emails in Safe Mode (Windows 11), I cannot send emails.
I have tried the following links of similar questions below, nothing has resolved the issue: "Thunderbird is not working with Charter" - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1159943 "Cannot send email via Thunderbird" - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1242053 "Server timeout connection" - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1073157
Ilungisiwe ngu Wayne Mery
All Replies (4)
What setting does your mail provider recommend you use? They set up the server and specify exactly what connection setting to use.
Despite lots of folk here offering links and advice as to settings. At the end of the day the only ones that can definitively state what the correct connections settings are is your mail provider.
Hello Matt! The settings I listed above are the recommended settings by Charter (provided here: https://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/spectrum-email-server-settings)
This issue is that Thunderbird is not connecting to Charter, and has been unable to for nearly 2 months now.
If you or anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I have years of folders and configurations set up in thunderbird - I’d like to not lose them because Thunderbird broke.
Ilungisiwe ngu thirdclassemailacc
I am almost certain we will determine Spectrum strikes again. A decade of listening to their customers and some of the rather bizarre things they have done does not inspire me with confidence.
However to move forward some sort of diagnostic information is needed. In this case it sounds like a log of the connection might be the way to go. But before going down that rabbit hole. Open the error console (ctrl+Shift+J) Clear it Attempt to get mail for the account. Note and report any error that appear in the error log as a result of seeking to get mail.
In particular I am looking for certificate errors and cipher issues. But any error may shed light.
Matt said
Open the error console (ctrl+Shift+J) Clear it Attempt to get mail for the account. Note and report any error that appear in the error log as a result of seeking to get mail.
Hello Matt,
I have gone back to the account to try what you requested above. Here are the steps I took: 1. Opened error console, cleared it using the garbage can icon. 2. Refreshed the inbox in two different ways - double click the inbox for my account and shfit-F5. 3. Neither of those actions resulted in any error being shown in the console log - it remains entirely blank.
edit: I have completed it a second time after full closing the application. There is one warning showing up: "size_on_disk - Truncating float/double number." I am not sure if that is relevant or helpful for you.
Ilungisiwe ngu thirdclassemailacc