Xtra email no longer receives on Outlook 2003 / Outlook 2011 for MAC

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Xtra email no longer receives on Outlook 2003 / Outlook 2011 for MAC

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8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1707821 23-Jan-2017 09:36

I had a request at work last week from a client asking me to look at why their Mac wouldn't receive email suddenly. They could send fine.

I could see no settings had changed. Did all the usual checks, rang Spark to see if any issues reported. Specifically told them it was Outlook 2011 for Mac. They said 'nothing we're aware of, it should be working fine'.

So Spark, if you're going to go and make a change like this, you should probably either let clients know first, or at least make sure your help desk staff actually know about it. I actually called both the standard support team and the Yahoo/SMX changeover team and got the same answer from both.

Anyway, I managed to get it working with a bit of trial and error - this was my workaround and I post it purely in the hope that someone from Spark won't read this and then block this method too (assuming they have the ability to do so - I suspect this would only be controlled by Yahoo). It worked for me - obviously no guarantees it'll work for everyone.

- This workaround was for a client using Outlook 2011 on a Mac, using POP3 (didn't test with IMAP as I didn't need to).

- Change the incoming POP3 mailserver from pop3.xtra.co.nz to pop.mail.yahoo.com
- Add @xtra.co.nz to the end of your username (if not already there).

All other settings (TLS/SSL/etc) should all stay the same.

Hope this helps those of you that were as surprised by this as my customer was.

Spong

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#1707826 23-Jan-2017 09:46

zylex:

I had a request at work last week from a client asking me to look at why their Mac wouldn't receive email suddenly. They could send fine.

I could see no settings had changed. Did all the usual checks, rang Spark to see if any issues reported. Specifically told them it was Outlook 2011 for Mac. They said 'nothing we're aware of, it should be working fine'.

So Spark, if you're going to go and make a change like this, you should probably either let clients know first, or at least make sure your help desk staff actually know about it. I actually called both the standard support team and the Yahoo/SMX changeover team and got the same answer from both.

Anyway, I managed to get it working with a bit of trial and error - this was my workaround and I post it purely in the hope that someone from Spark won't read this and then block this method too (assuming they have the ability to do so - I suspect this would only be controlled by Yahoo). It worked for me - obviously no guarantees it'll work for everyone.

- This workaround was for a client using Outlook 2011 on a Mac, using POP3 (didn't test with IMAP as I didn't need to).

- Change the incoming POP3 mailserver from pop3.xtra.co.nz to pop.mail.yahoo.com
- Add @xtra.co.nz to the end of your username (if not already there).

All other settings (TLS/SSL/etc) should all stay the same.

Hope this helps those of you that were as surprised by this as my customer was.

This may work now, but once mail moves to SMX/NZ, I'd suspect you'll be stuffed again. A Spark CSR told me on Friday that only Outlook 2011 or newer was supported. When I asked if that was OSX or Windows, he said "both", obviously not knowing what he was talking about. A real c*ck up if you ask me.

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zylex

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1707833 23-Jan-2017 09:55

Spong:

This may work now, but once mail moves to SMX/NZ, I'd suspect you'll be stuffed again. A Spark CSR told me on Friday that only Outlook 2011 or newer was supported. When I asked if that was OSX or Windows, he said "both", obviously not knowing what he was talking about. A real c*ck up if you ask me.

Yeah I should have mentioned that - I've told the client it'll possibly only work until the changeover but that buys them some time to change from Outlook 2011 to something else. I tested and found the built in Mac Mail client seemed to work fine. I don't know what requirements SMX have but suspect you're right.

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1707838 23-Jan-2017 10:05

zylex:

Anyway, I managed to get it working with a bit of trial and error - this was my workaround and I post it purely in the hope that someone from Spark won't read this and then block this method too (assuming they have the ability to do so - I suspect this would only be controlled by Yahoo). It worked for me - obviously no guarantees it'll work for everyone.

- This workaround was for a client using Outlook 2011 on a Mac, using POP3 (didn't test with IMAP as I didn't need to).

- Change the incoming POP3 mailserver from pop3.xtra.co.nz to pop.mail.yahoo.com
- Add @xtra.co.nz to the end of your username (if not already there).

All other settings (TLS/SSL/etc) should all stay the same.

Hope this helps those of you that were as surprised by this as my customer was.

Interesting workaround.

Mind letting me know the OSX version too? i would love to test this as in systematic testing Outlook 2011 has not worked, adding the @xtra is normally not supported.

I can't say if that work around will go away or not, but i can say that spark are not actively trying to block any client.

Spark are simply enforcing higher security requirements.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

zylex

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1707902 23-Jan-2017 10:43

hio77:

Mind letting me know the OSX version too? i would love to test this as in systematic testing Outlook 2011 has not worked, adding the @xtra is normally not supported.

OS X 10.7.5.

hio77:

I can't say if that work around will go away or not, but i can say that spark are not actively trying to block any client.

Spark are simply enforcing higher security requirements.

Totally understandable, but they probably should have warned the clients it would have had an effect on; rather than them waking up to a surprise and a mail client that could only provide an 'unknown error' (error code 105 in this instance, which a Google search provided limited expansion on). I would have thought they'd have logs available that show the methods clients use to retrieve their mail - (I know the POP3 servers i've worked with do). Admittedly they'd have a much larger data set, but I can't imagine it would have been that difficult to check who it would have an effect on and send an email/letter/something to let them know. Or as I mentioned, at least make sure the helpdesk teams were aware something had changed and not to just tell their customers it must be something wrong with their computer. I'm also thinking if my client was aware of the fact it was down to Spark, he would probably want them to pay for my time - obviously not going to happen, but I have some sympathy for him paying the bill for the time I spent on it.

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1707955 23-Jan-2017 11:54

zylex:

hio77:

Mind letting me know the OSX version too? i would love to test this as in systematic testing Outlook 2011 has not worked, adding the @xtra is normally not supported.

OS X 10.7.5.

OS X Lion, Perfect. will note that down and run a few tests in my envorment.

Due to the service still physically being with Yahoo, direct access to some logs may not be avalible.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

mattwnz

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#1708056 23-Jan-2017 13:38

Spong:

This may work now, but once mail moves to SMX/NZ, I'd suspect you'll be stuffed again. A Spark CSR told me on Friday that only Outlook 2011 or newer was supported. When I asked if that was OSX or Windows, he said "both", obviously not knowing what he was talking about. A real c*ck up if you ask me.

Sounds like they don't really know. They will likely just be following flowcharts, rather than having knowledge in all the versions of the software like many people on here..

I agree that that workaround will also likely stop working once yahoo ceases being the email provider. So it is going to probably need more work.

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zylex

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1708157 23-Jan-2017 15:56

hio77:
zylex:

hio77:

Mind letting me know the OSX version too? i would love to test this as in systematic testing Outlook 2011 has not worked, adding the @xtra is normally not supported.

OS X 10.7.5.

OS X Lion, Perfect. will note that down and run a few tests in my envorment.

Due to the service still physically being with Yahoo, direct access to some logs may not be avalible.

Fair point re logs. You'd hope to have a bit more insight once the changeover is complete I'd imagine.

Good luck. Hoping your testing won't bring about the closing of a loophole though! Especially given it'll only last up until the changeover.

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1708177 23-Jan-2017 16:51

zylex:
Fair point re logs. You'd hope to have a bit more insight once the changeover is complete I'd imagine.

Good luck. Hoping your testing won't bring about the closing of a loophole though! Especially given it'll only last up until the changeover.

as said before, it is definately sounding like a work around rather than a loophole.

I personally have no intention of it being "blocked" however if it is a working workaround in testing, i will submit it to be worked out why it does work.

May very well be there is a flag that adding the whole email drops down the security cert requirement or something.

once i test, will check TCP traffic to compare what goes on there.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

zylex

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1708203 23-Jan-2017 17:34

hio77:
zylex:
Fair point re logs. You'd hope to have a bit more insight once the changeover is complete I'd imagine.

Good luck. Hoping your testing won't bring about the closing of a loophole though! Especially given it'll only last up until the changeover.

as said before, it is definately sounding like a work around rather than a loophole.

I personally have no intention of it being "blocked" however if it is a working workaround in testing, i will submit it to be worked out why it does work.

May very well be there is a flag that adding the whole email drops down the security cert requirement or something.

once i test, will check TCP traffic to compare what goes on there.

I vaguely remember trying it that way and it still didn't work until I changed the pop3 server to yahoo, but I can't be sure since I don't have access to that computer now. Be interested to know what you find if you're able to share it.

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#1708206 23-Jan-2017 17:51

Tests done personally i dont see any issue in posting here although i do want a second verification and analysis first.

Who knows, maybe i configured a client wrong or its working in some places and requires further testing.

Obviously customer cases im limited in stating until confirmed as i dont want anyone claiming i have made an untrue comment (although that is the same reason i have a disclosure in my sig and no offical tag. This is my personal thing afterall. )

Definately common clear case is, lack of support for atleast AES 128bit, you are out of supported clients for spark at this time over ssl.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Jexla

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#1709142 25-Jan-2017 08:32

Love how Hio is bad mouthing yahoo now :)

When I made the suggestion of moving away from yahoo a few years ago after ANOTHER failure on their part on Spark's (then Telecom) facebook post I was blocked.

Now here we are years later doing exactly what I said to do years ago!

The world is a funny place, I love it! :D

Was at my parents place last week and they mentioned the issue and were directed to the web client which they weren't so happy about.

They have an old XP box that I don't even like touching because it's so infuriatingly slow just to do simple sh** on.

We'll see if they keep complaining about the web client, if so I guess I need to go through the grueling task of installing thunderbird.

hio77

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#1709143 25-Jan-2017 08:37

Jexla:

Love how Hio is bad mouthing yahoo now :)

I'll repeat again, Personal Opinion, Not per my empoyers opinion.

Also I have only stated factual facts.

Jexla:

They have an old XP box that I don't even like touching because it's so infuriatingly slow just to do simple sh** on.

XP will be a frustration regardless as it does not natively support AES 128bit, Any application that impents that overtop of the OS stack will be fine though.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Jexla

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#1709145 25-Jan-2017 08:42

I did say you, not spark.

I understand the difference, hope everyone else would too :)

hio77

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#1709188 25-Jan-2017 10:16

Jexla:

I did say you, not spark.

I understand the difference, hope everyone else would too :)

Just seemed to be directed at my role rather than a personal comment.

I'll explain further, I'm a relatively new agent to this side of things atleast. I have stepped into the migration in full swing, Next month we are off yahoo servers.

Personally, Yahoo issues account for major stress on both the customers side and an agents side. So i do appolgize for having preset frustrations with the service Yahoo offer however in my personal opinion they simply are not the service i would use.

That's not to say anything wrong about the xtra service itself or anything. Simply the Systems yahoo put inplace for this service currently.

As i Said before, any comments i have made have been factual. not bad mouthing a service at all.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

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