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Visitor

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2 Messages

Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 10:26 PM

EMAIL certificate error

Getting an email certificate error when starting Outlook. 

When starting Classic Outlook 365, I get an error message "Ther server you are connected to is using a security certificate that cannot be verified. The target principal name is incorrect."  I click on "Yes" to the question "Do you want to continue using this server?" and Outlook starts up and connects.  However, I'm having trouble re-connecting through the day. 

Visitor

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2 Messages

17 days ago

BTW, Outlook is configured to use POP3.comcast.net, with port 995 and 587, but the certificate is showing that it is for  imap.email.comcast.net 

It has valid dates from 5/20/2025 to 5/21/2026, issued by COMODO RSA.

I have an older Windows 10 PC that is configured the same way, but it does not get this certificate error on startup, and refreshes the email without issue throughout the day.

Official Employee

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2.5K Messages

15 days ago

We understand how frustrating email issues can be, and we’re here to help as much as we can, user_rbkl3f. While we’re unable to directly troubleshoot Outlook since it’s not an Xfinity product, we can absolutely assist you with accessing your Comcast.net email through the Xfinity Connect website and ensuring your Xfinity account is working properly.

 

Please keep in mind that using third-party email clients like Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird to access your Comcast.net email can sometimes introduce security risks, including potential exposure of your Xfinity ID and password. For the most secure experience, we recommend accessing your email directly through Xfinity Connect.

That said, if you prefer to use Outlook, we do have a helpful guide to assist you with configuring your Comcast.net email in Outlook:
Configure Outlook for Xfinity Email


We also strongly recommend using IMAP instead of POP when setting up your email in Outlook. Here’s why IMAP is the better choice:

  • POP downloads and removes emails from our server, which can cause issues if you check your email from multiple devices.
  • IMAP keeps your emails on the server, making it easier to sync across all your devices.
  • Changes you make on one device (like deleting or moving an email) will reflect on all your other devices when using IMAP.

More details on IMAP setup can be found here:
Switch your Xfinity Email from POP to IMAP on Microsoft Outlook

Also, please remember: if you ever change your Comcast.net email password, you’ll need to manually update it in Outlook or any other third-party email client. These programs don’t automatically sync password changes, which can prevent you from connecting to your email until the new password is entered.

If you're able to access your email through Xfinity Connect without any issues, then the problem likely lies within Outlook itself. In that case, we recommend reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance with their product. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about your Xfinity services, we’re always happy to help!

Contributor

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414 Messages

14 days ago

Check the last post by Michael Wentz in this thread:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/outlooks-failure-to-verify-comcasts-security/4c7178d2-a1ef-438b-9d52-0155336da386

He had the same issue of using pop but getting a cert for imap.email.comcast.net.

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