New Install - Connection to SMTP Failed

1

Have previously installed and used eM Client on Windows 10.

I have now downloaded a free trial version to a new Windows 11 laptop. Incoming emails are received OK, but any attempt to send one results in this Error message:

“[SMTP] An attempt to connect to (my email address) failed.This could be caused by temporary server unavailability or incorrect settings, Do you want to check the settings?”

The password is shown as blank. I fill it in, but the send still fails. I tried uninstalling, waited a few days, then installed a new download after waiting a few days. Same result.

Virgin Media support have confirmed that I’m using the correct password to connect to their SMTP server, i.e. my Virgin Media account password, which I’ve used to log in with them to make sure I’m typing it properly.

In case it’s relevant, Windows Mail connects without a problem. McAfee was active on my laptop during the first download of eM Client, but was uninstalled before the second.

Any help would be gratefully received!

2

What are your outgoing mail server, port and protocol settings in eM Client ?

Also are you typing your complete email address for the username ?

Googling around looks like the Virgin Media smtp server settings are eg:

Server - smtp.virginmedia.com
Port 465
Protocol SSL / TLS
Authentication Required
Specify your email address & password.

3

Thank you, cyberzork.

Yes, my user name is the complete email address, and the Server and Port settings in my eM Client are as you set them out. It actually says “Force use of SSL/TLS” and “Server requires authentication” (ticked). It gives an option to “Use identity credentials” which is not selected; instead the selected option is “Use these credentials” with my email address and password below.

Any further clues would be much appreciated…

4

I had the same problem with smtp stating ‘fail’ - nothing I could do would fix it.
Then … I turned off my vpn and bingo, all good - if you have a vpn, it’s worth disabling to see if that works (but, whenever I need to send an email, I have to pause the vpn each time so the email will send - but this is a vpn issue of mine, not an emclient issue)

5

I have now fixed this. In eM Client, under Account there is a tab alongside IMAP and SMTP labelled Diagnostics. Running this checked and found that my SMTP server is not the Virgin default originally offered by eM Client, but has a different number. It corrected my account details in eM Client automatically, and all now works.

This is pretty impressive, even if my second-rate brain found it rather obscurely worded (which is why I hadn’t run it). Thumbs up for eM Client.

Thank you to both respondents for your time and suggestions.