Can no longer SEND or REPLY to email via O2 network

[Anonymous]

As I assume many people here do - I use my smartphone (iPhone) to have email function when away from my home broadband connection - has worked perfectly well for years. It seems something significant has occurred in recent days/weeks and O2 seems to have closed access to my ISP's SMTP server - in fact I have been advised by my ISP that this now applies to a large swathe of ISPs. Please tell me this is not correct! I have also learned that O2 have closed down their own smtp service (smtp.o2.co.uk) - so I cannot use that as alternative to relay my outgoing email when using their network.
Being able to take my email service with me is one of the most crucial functions of the iPhone and reason I purchased it. I cannot believe O2 would remove an essential service like this without even warning their customers. Outrageous!
...is anyone else actually having success sending email using their ISP email settings via O2 network? if so - please shout out.

[aldaweb]

@Anonymous That's good news. If you have been successful will you come back and update us as to what the problem was please.

[Anonymous]

Sure, but what I will say is that the problem is as I have previously suspected and mentioned here - it is a double problem:
1. O2's own email service (for those of you who actually have an o2.co.uk email domain name) has been shut down - we have established that.
2. Those of us using alternative ISPs (I think we can assume the majority of us) and using an O2 connected device were able to use the O2 smtp server in their mobile email client as a means of sending out email via the O2 network - and still RETAIN their own ISP's email address/domain as heading on that email - this function has now been taken away with the demise of the O2 smtp server - we knew that too.
3. SOME ISP's smtp server settings (but a rapidly shrinking list as the plugs are being pulled it seems due to some sort of new regulation) DID work on the O2 network without the need to modify anything - the O2 network would simply pass your outgoing email on seamlessly (I used to have BOTH smtp server settings in my device on the basis that the second one would be a fall-back option should the first one not work - so I really did not need the O2 smtp settings on a day to day basis). The bad news is that the "direct" route to your ISP smtp server OUT of the O2 network has also been severed (or will be imminently) - I am uncertain as to which party is throwing the off-switch i.e. is it the mobile network operator or is it the ISP as both are blaming each other (this has been the frustrating part of trying to get an answer out of them).
4. The only solution is to find an alternative smtp address that is currently immune from this "blocking" - it will NOT be one provided by your current ISP if you are already experiencing this problem - despite what many may tell you. You can try alternative port settings with your current "blocked" smtp settings but I have found no solution here in regards to TalkTalk. Your options are - find a third party organisation that will provide an smtp service that is currently immune to the issue (eg SMTP2Go) - but be aware they may charge you... if you happen to own an iPhone then there IS an alternative 😉

[Anonymous]

Street party cancelled... Seems it worked for few hours - now it does not. Am fuming. Why is it being so intermittent???? Had used iCloud SMTP server.... clever I hope you agree but I am veering towards self-harm now...

[Anonymous]

I've been looking into this for the past 15 mins or so and it looks like there has been issues with Pipex email for the past few years on all networks.

From what i can gather, the settings you were using and in particular the smtpauth address will work over your Wifi because that address is intended for use over ADSL.

On your phone, and I am happy to be corrected, I am under the impression that the following settings should be correct:

Login / Username: abc12@dsl.pipex.com or alias@dsl.pipex.com
Incoming email (POP3): pop.dsl.pipex.com
Outgoing email (SMTP): smtp.dsl.pipex.com
Incoming Port (POP3): 110
Outgoing port (IMAP & POP3): 587
SSL: No
Outgoing Authentication: No

Obviously you use password authentication, but can you try these settings and let me know how you get on? Do you get any error messages?

Could it be that its the smtpauth address thats having issues over the O2 network?

[MI5]

They were the SMTP settings I suggested a couple of pages back that apparently don't work.....?

[Anonymous]

Settings you list are same as have traditionally used - and importantly they worked over O2 also . Have tried the smtp address as opposed to smtpauth and does not work either...

[Anonymous]

...to emphasise - those settings worked until two weeks ago when the issue kicked off

[Anonymous]

The consistent response I get when trying to verify my email settings when creating an account is that my SMTP server did not respond and am advised to check Settings.

[Anonymous]

I have the exact same problem - Pipex /O2 mobile & problem sending mail on G3 network etc.etc 

From what I've been told by computer experts and after some investigating myself it is O2's mobile network that gives out the random IP addresses when the phone connects to its service. However because of major spamming on these O2 IP addresses they have ALL BEEN BLOCKED!!! by anti-spam organisations stopping email going out. O2 is aware of this but is not telling you as your only option is to move mobile service providers because there is nothing they can do about it.

I have complained bitterley and am thinking of taking it futher even down the legal route.

Good luck, I hope this sheds some light , I'll be watching this post with interest.

[Anonymous]

Hooray, some validation perhaps of the issue I have raised... however TalkTalk, in my case, are finally coughing to an issue with Port 587 smtp mail from outside network emails... I suspect that their issue may be in combination with something O2 are also doing as TT have been on the case for some weeks with no solution in sight - here is a link to a thread rapidly filling with irate TT customers experiencing same symptoms: http://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/My-email/Emails-Sent-But-Not-Received-by-recipient/td-p/1348131/p...
In direct response to previous poster I TOO am considering legal route as O2 seem to have resorted to blatantly lying to customers reporting network issues (I have transcripts of online chats with their so-called Guru's where they concocted stories about network problems that did not exist together with non-existent engineers actually working on the non-existent problems and went as far as quoting me timescales for the "repair" to be completed - just the sort of thing a customer would have been relieved to hear after being passed from department to department trying to find someone who had any understanding of what I was trying to describe) - Ombudsman comes to mind for a kick off...