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"connection refused" when accessing gmail pop server

I am having a problem connecting to gmail. I get a "connection refused" error when I try to download or upload mail. This problem started last Saturday Aug, 22nd, give or take a day. As for trouble shooting, here's what info I can share. I am connected to the internet because I can browse websites. I was able to access my mail on the gmail website, using the browser interface. On the website, I was able to read new mail that had been sent to me since the problem started, so there's no problem with the account itself. I have made no recent changes to my e-mail client settings and I tried another email client and had the same type of error message come up. POP is enabled in Gmail. I can not run the telnet test provided on gmail because it appears to be only available to PC users. However, I took my iBook down to the local pub, connected to the internet on wifi, and had no problem. My email client performed its normal functions as usual. At this point I gather the problem has something to do with my ISP specifically not being able to see gmail's server, or vice versa. Should I contact gmail to ask them if there is something they can check? If I have to resolve this through my ISP, what should I tell them to look for? Are there any setting in the System Preference Networking Control Panel I should be checking, such as proxies, ethernet, TCP/IP, etc? Thanks

Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Aug 26, 2009 6:02 PM

Reply
8 replies

Aug 26, 2009 6:16 PM in response to Mac Shevek

Great work so far Mac! 🙂

What's my ip...
http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/

Start with these three, check SpamCop or SpamHaus to see if your IP is there...

http://spamcop.net/bl.shtml

http://www.spamhaus.org/lookup.lasso

http://www.spamhaus.org/zen/

Sometimes an ISP or Mail Server will block a whole other ISP too, if it's the source of too much SPAM.

Might also see this post by Gallomimia...

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9465359#9465359

Aug 27, 2009 8:04 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for the info. I have followed all advice including what was posted in the other thread I was referred to. No solution thus far. The incoming and outgoing mail servers - two different IP's - at gmail are both affected, thus I'm assuming the problem is with my ISP. However, over on the gmail message boards, a handful of other people are reporting the same problem. But I guess my next step is to talk to my ISP. Thanks

Aug 27, 2009 12:22 PM in response to BDAqua

I have found that I can use "terminal" on my Mac to run a telnet command on gmail's server addresses. It says "connection refused". Pretty much the same thing my e-mail client said. So I am still working under the assumption that the problem has something to do with my ISP specifically not being able to see gmail's servers, or vice versa. But which is more likely? If the problem is with my ISP, should I simply ask them to change my IP address (or their IP address)? This is an area that I am not very familiar with. And there is an added complication that I may not be able to contact the ISP directly. I will have to speak to the landlord, and it will probably be a situation where I will have to tell the landlord what to say to the ISP. So I'm looking for the layman's nutshell way to convey the info to the landlord so that it does not get lost in the translation to the ISP.

And another point. I am being told that other users on my landlord's network are not having problems with gmail. Is there a way for ME to force the IP address on MY computer to change? Or is that not really the issue? Thanks

Aug 27, 2009 6:23 PM in response to BDAqua

Putting in the DNS servers did not work. Thanks for the input though. I wanted to try that and I just didn't know if that trick applied to POP servers (I went through something similar about three years ago when I couldn't access the CDDB website). Anyway, I will leave the DNS numbers in just for future advantage. How does one go about finding the appropriate DNS server numbers?

And the fact that this did not work tells us what? I'm still trying to understand if the problem is my ISP or gmail. Thanks

Aug 27, 2009 7:14 PM in response to Mac Shevek

Normally your ISP provides you the Numbers or it's picked up by your Modem then Router.

These Servers have been patched to guard against DNS poisoning, and are faster/more reliable than most ISP's DNS Servers.

http://www.opendns.com/solutions/overview/

And the fact that this did not work tells us what?


Your ISP, or wrong gMail settings.

Mine are...

Incoming imap.gmail.com (different for POP)

Port 993 Use SSL Password authentication

Outgoing smtp.gmail.com

username@gmail.com

Port 25 Use SSL Password authentication

.........

* The POP3 port for inbound emails is 110 (995 if you want to use secured POP3)
* And the IMAP port for inbound emails is 143 (993 if you want to use secured IMAP)
* The SMTP port for outbound emails is 25 or 2525 (465 or 587 if you want to use secured SMTP)

"connection refused" when accessing gmail pop server

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