temporarily blacklisted IP

June 9, 2024 - Reported to Xfinity Support issue with @comcast.net emails not refreshing.

Macbook OS 12.7.5 using Mail app on home network using AT&T as internet provider.

Of the long established Internet mail Accounts for @comcast.net and @gmail.com - only @comcast.net emails stopped updating.

Observed in the mail app an alert icon (triangle with !) next to the comcast,net email accounts.

Clicking on the alert - Message displays: ONLINE STATUS - Temporarily blacklisted IP Address - try again later

Contacted support for: Xfinity, Apple, and ATT.

Apple support suggested using a different network as test to determine where the message originates from.

On my iPhone I turned off Wi-FI and enabled it to be a HotSpot then changed wi-fi connection on macbook from ATT modem to iPhone hotspot.

Result: The alert message disappeared after a few minutes and emails were refreshed. 

Was also able to delete/re-add existing mail account on macbook (which auto assigns the hostname to imap.comcast.net).

The same delete/re-add operation using internet from the ATT modem vs hotspot, the error message was "Cannot verify account or password".

ATT Support said the iMap server is managed by the email provider which is Xfinity.

My research suggests strongly that Xfinity owns this issue and they are responsible for fixing.

On my first call to Xfinity support, I patiently followed the agent's protocol of logging onto Xfinity.com and opening the email via the web portal.

Yes, was able to see all the emails which included very recent messages.

The next instruction was to re-enter the same password used for Xfinity web email on the macbook mail account.

Because the macbook does not display the password being typed in, there is no way to visually verify the exact same password was correctly entered.

The message each time is "cannot verify account or password" and fails.

This allows for xfinity support to suspect operator error entering the passwor and so this is done multiple times with same result.

At this point, Xfinity declares that because their email on the web is working, the problem is the Apple mail app and to contact Apple.

On my second call to Xfinity Support I got lucky.  The agent read the notes from the first call and wasn't going to put me through the same protocol again and escalated for a ticket to be created for engineers department with a callback in 24-72 hours.  I wrote down the ticket number and waited.

24 hours later, I received a call from xfinity security who took me through the first protocal of confirming I was successful connecting to email using the web brower.

I was then informed that it will take a moment (a moment being defined as a period of time), for my reported issue to be reviewed, and that I should use the web browser for email.

I don't know if my protestations at that point calling into question whether the underlying issue was that Xfinity has been hacked and my email/account data was now on the dark web, but the next day the emails on the macbook were refreshed to current messages. 

Today (June 12) the @comcast.net emails on macbook are refreshing and the alert messages have disappeared.

My conclusion is that

1) Xfinity has the ability to fix the issue, but it must be painfully slow and tedious, so a "moment" is 1-3 days.

2) Xfinity is requiring front line agents to follow protocol of verifying web browser access is working and then proclaim the issue is with 3rd-party mail apps.

3) Xfinity is struggling with a data breach while denying responsibility for the issues they caused and for their customers are now experiencing.

4) Xfinity will never offer any refunds or credits to their customers.

This is my first and last post.

Enough time is lost.

Hope it helps.