Outgoing mail failureUnable to send emails from my "mail.optusnet.com.au" account on my iPhone

This happened to me on my iPad, and first noticed around 15 April 2024. In the past, as in every since the service was available, Optusnet has allowed sending to the outgoing POP3 mail gateway without requiring a logon. It's possible that this process has been changed to require [tougher] authentication (and, as with other changes made by Optus over the years, I can't find any indication that something was about to be broken). And I'm well over bothering to try Optus support.

I appear to have fixed it by using the following

* going to iOS settings/Mail/Accounts

* select the account from which you are trying to send mail (typically named as the email address)

* Outgoing Mail Server

* select mail.optusnet.com.au (should be ON, and I have others OFF)

* settings

• • Server is ON
  • hostname is mail.optusnet.com.au
  • Username is your email address (in form of [something]@optusnet.com.au
  • Password is your password for that email address (same as incoming)
  • USE SSL is ON
  • Authentication is Password
  • Server Port is 25 (I allowed this to default and it seems to work, despite SSL being on)

When I clicked "done", the server was confirmed and my next mail attempt worked - for the first time in over a week.

Your mileage may vary.

Thanks mate (TheMaiz). I've been trying to fix this for weeks. Nothing on any Optus "help" site suggests these settings, but they solved my problem.

Really appreciate you posting this.

LSapplequestions wrote:

Message failure on Mail

“Cannot send email the connection ‘mail.optusnet.com.au’ to outgoing server failed

Problem just started yesterday from my computers, iPhones and iPad

My server Optus says this is Apple problem not recognising my server, Optusnet. Been using server for years without hassle.

The issue is with Optus, you'll need to keep escalating the issue with them.

Try this:

From your Account info. Using a IMAP account.

Incoming mail server: mail.optusnet.com.au

Username: {fill it in}

Password: {fill it in}

Outgoing:

SMTP: smtp.optusnet.com.au

Then, from Advanced

INCOMING SETTINGS

Use SSL : select on (so green)

Authentication: Password

IMAP Path Prefex {blank}

Server Port: 993

Usually the outgoing mail server will be smtp.optusnet.com.au.

Try reviewing settings in this Support page even though it shows an iPhone, the settings should be the same.

https://devicehelp.optus.com.au/apple/iphone-12-ios-16-0/messages-and-email/set-up-your-mobile-phone-for-imap-email/

Try this:

From your Account info. Using a IMAP account.

Incoming mail server: mail.optusnet.com.au

Username: {fill it in}

Password: {fill it in}

Outgoing:

SMTP: smtp.optusnet.com.au

Then, from Advanced

INCOMING SETTINGS

Use SSL : select on (so green)

Authentication: Password

IMAP Path Prefex {blank}

Server Port: 993

Thanks for such clear directions. Worked like a charm. My iPad started doing the same around 15 April!! Sorry I have spent about 3 hours changing my passwords and mucking around asking Dr Google questions before finding you. Cheers

BTW Mac Jim ID thanks for posting that link - it helped me work through the problem.