Email over wifi at work

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Level 1

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Email over wifi at work

I'm having some issues getting email to work on my iphone over wifi. When I am at home, everything works using my wireless network. When I'm at work however, Safari, Youtube and Google Maps work great (really fast actually)...however my email (which is set up for gmail) won't connect to the server.

Basically it stays stuck on "checking for mail". Sometimes it will stay there indefinitely...other times, after a few minutes, it will give a message about the connection to pop.gmail.com failing. It also won't send email. It stays stuck on "sending..." for a few minutes then says "Cannot Send Mail. The connection to the server smtp.gmail.com" failed."

The main difference between my wireless network at home and at work is that in order to use the internet on my iphone at all at work, i first have to go to an internal website in safari and enter a user name and password. I did ask one of our IT guys and he told me that wireless account is in the DMZ so it shouldn't be blocking any of the ports.

I don't get much (usually none at all) signal for at&t in my office. However, if I go somewhere that I get signal and turn off the wifi, everything works fine. It sort of sounds to me like it's trying to use EDGE just for email, but really I have no clue.

Any ideas?

Posted on Jul 10, 2007 11:28 AM

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Answer 1

Ed Morris

Level 1

119 points

Jul 10, 2007 11:52 AM in response to danneboy7

Have you tried logging into your corporate website (thus enabling web services) and then sending mail through the mail application? When you log into the internal website, the router uses your username and password to enable service to your iPhone's IP address. Once that connection is established, you should have full access to all services, including mail.

If that doesn't work, I would recommend turning off Wifi for the duration of your emailing, then turn it back on when you want to browse and YouTube and such.

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Answer 2

danneboy7 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 10, 2007 12:05 PM in response to Ed Morris

i think what you described is what i already do.

In order to use safari, youtube or google maps i have to first log into the corporate site...otherwise they either time out or just sit there doing nothing. After logging into the corporate server once, everything works just fine, except email.

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Answer 3

PTBoater

Level 4

2,857 points

Jul 10, 2007 12:27 PM in response to danneboy7

Do you know if your IT department blocks email ports? Mine does.... 😟

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Answer 4

danneboy7 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 10, 2007 12:34 PM in response to PTBoater

Our IT people are really lenient actually. They told me that the "guest" wifi account doesn't have any restrictions on it. I believe it doesn't have access to network drives, or other computers on the network, but as far as ports go, everything should be open.

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Answer 5

ell

Level 1

20 points

Jul 16, 2007 1:23 AM in response to danneboy7

Basically it stays stuck on "checking for mail".

I get this with a home network where I'm using a computer's built Airport as a wireless router (WiFi) to share an ethernet internet connection (personal web sharing). It turns out I can only get email on the iPhone when the built-in Firewall is turned off...not acceptable. I probably need to enable some port, but enabling the available ports with the built-in firewall does not help. Also found UDP traffic cannot be blocked to get web access at all. Might need a more sophisticated firewall, but will probably just get a dedicated wireless router (Airport) and then things should work ok. If that makes sense...

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Answer 6

ell

Level 1

20 points

Jul 16, 2007 1:33 AM in response to danneboy7

found UDP traffic cannot be blocked to get web access at all

Strike that. Now web access is working OK with UDP blocked. Definitely hadn't worked previously though, on multiple occasions. I don't exactly know what's up with that.

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Answer 7

Jul 19, 2007 4:22 PM in response to ell

Man was I glad to find your post. I have been having the exact problem since yesterday using Network Sharing (wifi) from my imac to both my iphone and mbp. I thought it was a .mac problem because they have been having issues and .mac is the only mail account I have on iphone and mbp.

I had been using it successfully with all options checked in the advanced pane of the firewall settings, that is udp, logging, and stealth. So when I saw your post I turned off the firewall, sent a test mssg, and it worked. Turned firewall back on, sent another test mssg, and it still worked. Then it stopped working again! I posted in the ".mac on your desktop forum" earlier today and sent two mssgs to support.

I only recently learned of Network Sharing and was glad I wouldn't have to get an airport base station just to share wifi with my (then only) MBP. But with this and the fact that Network Sharing only allows WEP and not WPA I guess I will have to shell out the bucks.

Could Network sharing have a limitation of just one device? I never had a problem until I got the iPhone and started using it in addition to the MBP to receive wifi from my imac.
.

Basically it stays stuck on "checking for mail".

I get this with a home network where I'm using a
computer's built Airport as a wireless router (WiFi)
to share an ethernet internet connection (personal
web sharing). It turns out I can only get email on
the iPhone when the built-in Firewall is turned
off...not acceptable. I probably need to enable some
port, but enabling the available ports with the
built-in firewall does not help. Also found UDP
traffic cannot be blocked to get web access at all.
Might need a more sophisticated firewall, but will
probably just get a dedicated wireless router
(Airport) and then things should work ok. If that
makes sense...

Reply

Answer 8

Jul 27, 2007 9:44 PM in response to ell

ell said ---->It turns out I can only get email on the iPhone when the built-in Firewall is turned off...not acceptable.

This is not just with the iPhone. I could not get mail with my MacBookPro either. I have an iMac set up to share its ethernet internet over the airport. However I found a solution.

Go to System Preference -> Sharing
Click the Firewall Tab
Click "New..."
Choose Port Name: Other
Type in TCP Port Number(s): 143, 25, 110
I left "UDP Port Number(s):" blank
Make the Description: Mail
Click OK

You should be rolling now.

Port 143 is for IMAP (mac.com uses this)
Port 25 is for out going mail
Port 110 is for POP3 (Comcast and many others use this)

I do not understand why this was not built into the firewall, and I can not speak for the security implications caused by this fix. I works, I don't see a security problem, because the iMac (computer sharing the internet) seems to use these ports, but am am not an IT wiz.

Good Luck

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Answer 9

Jul 28, 2007 4:54 PM in response to Leif Casey

If you are not getting internet at all, make sure the following is set:

Go to System Preference -> Sharing
Go to the "Services" tab
Make sure "Personal Web Sharing" is On
Click OK

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Answer 10

SiPodder

Level 1

0 points

Aug 18, 2007 10:27 AM in response to Leif Casey

Thank you Leif Casey! I am indeed rolling now!

Thank goodness I found this post. I was going crazy trying to send/receive email via wifi on my iPhone. I don't know why this info isn't more readily available. Networking stuff drives me crazy.

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