We’ve been getting calls and trouble tickets recently from clients who are having issues sending, but not recieving email.  Last August, Comcast Voices mentioned that they’d be phasing out support for Port 25 as an option for customers’ outgoing email server (SMTP).  Most people should have been warned that Port 25 was going to be phased out, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

In a blog post, Comcast says,” In order to ensure a more secure network and email domain, Comcast will no longer by default allow access to port 25 for our residential Internet users. In addition, we are asking comcast.net email users to migrate to port 465, which offers SSL encryption. We will continue to support the industry standard port 587. Upon request to our Customer Security Assurance team this block can be removed, enabling access to use port 25 for other email domains, though the comcast.net email servers will no longer accept submission via port 25. These changes will occur gradually across our network beginning today.”

Many Comcast clients have found that 465 which is Comcast’s recommended port isn’t working, but 587 does work in every case I have seen. In the email program tutorials below please use port 587 when connecting to a Got2Web server.

Email Program Users (Outlook Express, Outlook, MacMail, etc.):
If you use an email program, this action will disable your program’s ability to send email until you change your email program settings to send email on port 587.

To protect your email security, click on the link for your current email software, then follow the step-by-step instructions to change your settings.

• Outlook Express
• Outlook 2003
• Outlook 2007
• Outlook 2010
• Windows Mail
• Mail (Apple OS X)

The solution in most cases is easy.  Just change the outgoing port setting to 587 and check the box for “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” within your email account settings.

Please feel free to contact us at Got2Web if you have further email connectivity issues.