I am using Thunderbird (2.0.0.16) primarily for email, although I do still have Outlook Express (v 6). I am using Windows XP (fully patched) with a Netopia 2241 DSL modem and a LinkSys BEFSR41 router in a home network. I am using AVG Free Version 8.00 anti virus. No software firewalls.

Last Friday we suddenly could not send email. The error on Thunderbird was

[F]The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or else contact your network administrator.

The message I get from Outlook is:

[F]The connection to the server has failed. Account: Server:. Protocol: SMTP, Port 25, Secure(SSL: No. Socket Error: 10060. Error Number: 0x800CCC0E.

I have checked the SMTP settings in both Thunderbird and Outlook Express. They are as my ISP recommends (got those settings from their web site, plus verified w/Tech "Support"). I have tried connecting from my computer directly to the modem (no router). I have cut off the Windows Firewall. I have disabled the anti-virus.

Despite all of this, I cannot send email. When I go to the webmail service of my ISP (I will confess it is AT & T under bellsouth.net), I can send email from my account fine there.

I am beginning to wonder if the modem I have may be the problem? Anyone got any ideas?

Same thing happened to me, can not send out on outlook 6 same error code and everything. Been on the phone with Microsoft hours and days, they where very helpful and egar to get resolved. But nobody could help. Said my ISP is blocking Port 25, sends out OK on my ISP homepage. Did confrance call with ISP and Microsoft. No help at all, so ended up going to G-mail and works fine. But hard to adjust from using outlook for so long. Good Luck

Gmail works with Outlook.

How do you set that up?

GMail - Outlook 2003 - Help Center (http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=13278)

I am using Thunderbird (2.0.0.16) primarily for email, although I do still have Outlook Express (v 6). I am using Windows XP (fully patched) with a Netopia 2241 DSL modem and a LinkSys BEFSR41 router in a home network. I am using AVG Free Version 8.00 anti virus. No software firewalls.

Last Friday we suddenly could not send email. The error on Thunderbird was

[F]The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or else contact your network administrator.

The message I get from Outlook is:

[F]The connection to the server has failed. Account: Server:. Protocol: SMTP, Port 25, Secure(SSL: No. Socket Error: 10060. Error Number: 0x800CCC0E.


Now here is the interesting thing. After I gave up on AT&T's "Tech Support", I would periodically check to see if I could send. About three weeks later (this would be about Oct 3 or 4) I was able to send email again. I had not changed any settings or upgraded or anything else. It all of a sudden started working.

This leads me to suspect that the problem was on AT & T's end - although they denied having a problem. I have had it with those weasels. If they do not have the decency to tell the truth to their customers, I no longer want to do business with them . Perhaps if enough people leave them, they might learn a lesson.