Inbound and outbound mail using 3rd party applications stops working when traveling

For months I have been experiencing issues receiving and sending emails via 3rd party mail applications such as Mac native Mail or Outlook, especially when traveling (both domestically and internationally). Once I return to my home state, the issue miraculously resolve.

Focusing on the outbound mail issue first, I have confirmed that the correct box is checked to allow access to 3rd party mail applications but continue to experience issues sending mail. I have confirmed the correct credentials are configured in the settings area of both my iPhone, Mac native Mail and Outlook applications. At this moment, I can receive mail but cannot send mail from 3rd party applications but sending mail is working successfully via the web interface.

Inbound mail issues seem to precede my outbound mail issues. When traveling, I suddenly begin getting prompts to enter my password when attempting to fetch inbound mail on the Mac native Mail and iPhone Mail applications. Whether I enter a password or not, the mail continues to be retrieved and shown to me. Obviously it's not a password issue despite the pop-up panel to enter login credentials. This is completely annoying behavior.

What is going on Xfinity? This level of service is unacceptable. Trying to get assistance via your bot is infuriating as well. I am hoping to get some answers here in this forum.

Thanks in advance to anyone that can direct me to a solution.

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XfinityDilary

Official Employee

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3.1K Messages

30 days ago

Thanks for reaching out, user_jr24o9. I know how frustrating inconsistent mail behavior can be, especially when you’re traveling. Let’s walk through a few things that will help us pinpoint the problem. Based on what you’ve shared, the issue is likely related to how your mail apps connect and authenticate when you’re on different networks. Here’s what we should check next so we can get this permanently resolved.

Confirm whether IMAP/SMTP Are Actually Enabled in the Account. In Outlook, you can log into the web interface and verify: Outlook on the web > Settings > Mail > Sync email. IMAP = ON / SMTP = ON.

Check SMTP Port + Encryption (Most Common Cause When Traveling). Many hotel/airport/foreign ISPs block SMTP ports 25, 465, or 587. If outgoing mail fails only when traveling, this is extremely likely. You can verify the settings to make sure they are correct: SMTP server: smtp.yourprovider.com. Port: 587 (recommended), Encryption: STARTTLS.

Reset Authentication Tokens in Each Mail App. Those repeated password prompts (even though emails still arrive) strongly indicate stale OAuth tokens.

On iPhone
Settings > Mail > Accounts > Select Account > Delete Account
Re-add the account using OAuth (Sign in with Microsoft). NOT “Manual IMAP”.

On Mac Mail
Mail > Settings > Accounts > Remove the account
Re-add it using OAuth sign-in.

In Outlook
Preferences > Accounts > Select account > “Reconnect” or remove/re-add.

This forces a full token refresh.

Lastly, test SMTP from a Different Network While Traveling. If the issue only happens on hotel/airport Wi-Fi, it’s a network port restriction, not an account issue.

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Inbound and outbound mail using 3rd party applications stops working when traveling

XfinityDilary

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