Cannot set up 2nd Bigpond email address on my Mac Mail

Question

Cannot set up 2nd Bigpond email address on my Mac Mail

Imac 10.13.6; Mac Mail 11.5

I have had a Telstra account for years, with 2 Bigpond email addresses. Both are IMAP/smtp.

I have always accessed these two email addresses on Mac mail, although Bigpond webmail also works.

A month or so ago, the second email address stopped sending or receiving Bigpond mail.

Telstra Help service suggested checking Mac Mail settings. That was done and no issues were seen. The only differences between the two email addresses were the User Names and the email addresses.

Telstra Help service suggested following the Troubleshooting guide, even though it dealt with Telstra Mail faults, which I was not experiencing. That was done and unsurprisingly, it was not successful.

Telstra Help service suggested changing the failed email address password. This was done through the Telstra Help service and it was unsuccessful.

Telstra Help service suggested deleting the failed email address in Mac Mail and reloading it as a new email address. This was done and it was unsuccessful. I was unable to set up a new email address at all!

Telstra Help service finally suggested that because Telstra Mail still worked, it was a Mac issue and I should get help from them!

I have had a suspicion that at some time Telstra started using User Names that were email addresses minus the @ etc and that this may be incompatible with Mac mail.

I tested this by trying to set up, on Mac mail, a second “test” version of my first email address, which already works well on Mac Mail and Telstra Mail.

It failed with the same “Unable to verify Account Name or Password ....etc” that I get on my other email address setup attempts and that others have reported on this forum.

I’m now wondering if there’s a conflict between Account Name and User Name in either Mac mail or Telstra Mail.

I’d appreciate thoughts and advice.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jul 5, 2021 6:43 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

DiZoE

Level 4

2,937 points

Jul 6, 2021 8:00 PM in response to dexter_y_ximena

Hey there!

Do you use any network filtering software, or a type on VPN? Although one email account may still work, I’ve seen this happen with particular accounts before until it was removed.

Is there no errors when running Window > Connection Doctor?

I may also check to see if a proxy is enabled in System Preferences > Network > Advanced > Proxies. If so, disable, “Apply” and test.

It could also very well be account specific, as you said, only on this device.

I was also thinking as said before if an app-specific password was required for your Mac to access your email for this account, or some type of key was needed, as some email providers require now.

Although you may have not gotten any password/authentication errors, as long as you have the password, I might try removing the Keychain entry:

Quit Mail

Open Keychain Access from Finder > Applications > Utilities.

Search your email address on the top right, delete any results, especially the “Kind” that is “Application Password”.

Restart, re-launch Mail.

This is just a guess, otherwise, can you confirm if:

This is the only device not working?

Does the same happen in Safe Mode?

Does the same happen in a new admin account? (You can create one just for testing, then just delete it, it’s a great test).

Does the same happen on another network? (Even if you know your network connection is solid)?

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/start-up-your-mac-in-safe-mode-mh21245/mac

Hope something here helps, or at least leads to a solution cheers!

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Answer 2

Jul 7, 2021 8:37 PM in response to DiZoE

"After putting in those credentials, for it ask for any other info? Such as incoming and outgoing servers?” Yes, step 2 configures IMAP/smtp settings, but the fail message “Unable to verify Account Name or Password” is invoked in the step 2 entry box, which displays imap/smtp entry fields as well as “Cancel” or “Back” buttons. The “Signin” button is greyed out.

"Cancel” takes me out of setup and “Back” returns me to a blank step 1.

If I ignore the red fail message and continue to fill in the imap and smtp fields, the “Signon” button ungreys and can be selected.

That gets me another message "Password could not be sent to “smtp.telstra.com” securely”.

If I select “Continue”, it grinds away until the fail message finally appears again.

I’ve tried the wrong password (unintentionally) - same result.

I only have this one Mac desktop.

Your comments about servers has given me a thought. My account originally began as a Bigpond account, operating from Bigpond servers (imap.bigpond.com and smtp.bigpond.com) A few years ago, it appears that the provider, Telstra, shifted to Telstra servers. I vaguely recall getting help some years ago because the transition locked me out of my emails. The solution was changing the servers to Telstra.

So, in a blind leap of faith and hope, I changed the server settings back to Bigpond and suddenly it started downloading around 500 emails!

By gosh, I think you fixed it for me (if it survives for a day or so).

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Answer 3

Jul 6, 2021 10:07 PM in response to DiZoE

"Do you use any network filtering software, or a type on VPN?” - No.

"Is there no errors when running Window > Connection Doctor?” - No errors detected.

"see if a proxy is enabled in System Preferences > Network > Advanced > Proxies” - No proxy enabled.

"Although you may have not gotten any password/authentication errors, as long as you have the password, I might try removing the Keychain entry” - There are 3 Keychain entries for the email address and another 2 for the truncated version (everything missing from “@ .... etc”). - I deleted them all, then opened Mac Mail and tried loading the email account. New account setup failed as before.

"This is the only device not working?” - Yes

"Does the same happen in Safe Mode?” - Haven’t tried that yet, but will give it a try next.

"Does the same happen in a new admin account?” - I tried creating a new account, but it failed also.

"Does the same happen on another network?” - Not sure how I might test that. This is my home desktop.

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Answer 4

DiZoE

Level 4

2,937 points

Jul 7, 2021 5:43 PM in response to dexter_y_ximena

Thanks for the info yeah, that helps! That almost narrows it down, so yes, testing in safe mode and on another network are definitely two good tests, cheers, let me know how it goes! There are lots of people with great ideas here who can also help. I haven’t dealt with Bigpond for quite some time, so it could totally be an account/provisioning, or permissions issue related to this device and this account, but maybe not, let me know how it goes, happy to help out!

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Answer 5

Jul 7, 2021 6:17 PM in response to DiZoE

Tried Safe Mode. No change.

Cannot access another network.

A further question: At the very first “Add Account” step, I have chosen “Other Mail Account”, simple because I don’t subscribe to any of the listed providers. On selecting “Continue”, the selection box asks for “name”, "email address" and “password".

Does the “Name” selection refer to the name of the intended account holder and the name used in the “from" and “to" banners of future emails?

Or, does it refer to the name of the mail provider?

By the way, I’ve tried both - unsuccessfully!

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Answer 6

DiZoE

Level 4

2,937 points

Jul 7, 2021 6:51 PM in response to dexter_y_ximena

No it’s just your name, you can typically put anything there, how you want it displayed.

After putting in those credentials, for it ask for any other info? Such as incoming and outgoing servers?

If not, can you try entering in the WRONG password intentionally, even a few times if needed, to see if these other options appear?

If so, I’m sure the servers are still similar to mail.bigpond.com, imap.bigpond.con, smtp.bigpond.com, etc.

If not, trying another network would be the last test, as it works fine on all other devices, and doesn’t work on this Mac, in safe boot or another user. This is really being stubborn.

Do you happen to have this same email on any other Macs? (On the same OS or otherwise?)?.

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Answer 7

DiZoE

Level 4

2,937 points

Jul 7, 2021 9:44 PM in response to dexter_y_ximena

No worries, I think you fixed it, I was just isolating possible causes. Well done trying a previous server. I have seen this before, especially when these companies get acquired and merge together, (For instance, Aol/Yahoo/Oath, or Hotmail/Outlook/Exchange, etc.), they try to adjust the servers on a system wide scale, and people all of the sudden can’t get or send mail, or access contacts, etc.

Anyhow, glad it worked out!

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Answer 8

PRP_53

Level 10

85,399 points

Jul 6, 2021 4:55 AM in response to dexter_y_ximena

Has Telstra ( BigPond ) instituted Application Specific Passwords to use with their services and or Two Factor Authorization processes. ?

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Answer 9

Jul 6, 2021 6:00 PM in response to PRP_53

Not that I’m aware of.

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Cannot set up 2nd Bigpond email address on my Mac Mail

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