Visitor

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3 Messages

Friday, August 22nd, 2025

Email not working when overseas on WiFi, works on cellular

I am out of the USA and cannot get emails on my iPad, when I am connected to WiFi. If I turn on cellular, emails will arrive. No change in settings. 
works sometimes if I connect to VPN and pretend to be in the USA. But very slow. 

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Official Employee

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2.3K Messages

2 months ago

 

user_y6n7k5

Thanks for reaching out. I completely understand the importance of accessing your account, and I’d be reaching out too if I were in your position.

What you're likely experiencing is a security measure designed to prevent access from overseas IP addresses. These protections are in place to help safeguard your account from unauthorized activity. As you mentioned, using a VPN is typically the best workaround in these situations, and it’s great that you’ve already taken that step.

 

Visitor

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3 Messages

@XfinityPeterH​  - but if a VPN can go around the system then it is not a whole lot of security but just an annoyance to the customer. 

Official Employee

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1.9K Messages

@user_y6n7k5 I will certainly pass along your feedback and share your experience. I hope your overseas trip is phenomenal. Did you have any additional concerns for us?

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Regular Visitor

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4 Messages

1 month ago

This has been going on for two years.  No real solution.  Exactly as described and the quick solution is / has been use cellular. The exception:  we have noted that when staying in a US based chain like Hilton, Raddison, Marriott - in London for example - no issue - changed to Tower Hotel London and the issue was present.  Some solutions have suggested enabling third party access in your Xfinity email settings - it was - an on/off toggle didn't solve it.  Xfinity's first step is to login in via browser to your Xfinity account / email.  This does get you to your email via the website but is very slow - better than nothing.  

To clarify the issue in my case:  iPhone email / get email / presented with login failure / password request / enter password / fail / account error at bottom of screen.  Occasionally, when entering the password and failure - emails did download in the background.  Only sometimes.

We were on our international cellular plan anyway - but note, the iPhone defaults to the hotel Wi-Fi if you joined - you must turn off wife to make sure you are on cellular data; email will work.  Don't know if this is an Apple or Xfinity issue or both.

Unrelated domestic issue now fixed:  The most recent ios18 release for the iPhone fixed a very, very slow start of retrieving email - headers were coming first and body delayed up to one minute.  With Xfinity email, this has been an issue for over one year - but the fix appears to have been Apple.

(edited)

Visitor

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3 Messages

@LLLLB​  on my iPhone, I had AT&T cellular so I could get emails. On iPad, I was using Wi-Fi and used VPN set to the USA to make it work. 

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