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the server cannot be contacted on the default ports

Hi

I have an error message stating "The server ... canot be contacted on the default ports."

Can anybody help pls?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Sep 20, 2012 12:47 AM

Reply
1 reply

Sep 20, 2012 7:41 AM in response to Charliewoopots

I'll assume this is Mail.app. This usually means the server or the network is offline or wonky, or there's an error in the local configuration settings for the target server.


First: is this Mail.app that's reporting this error, and not some other tool with a similar error?


Is this iCloud or some other mail server?


Can you confirm that this is the iMac running OS X 10.5.8 that's in your footer? (That's a pretty old version for trying to access iCloud - formerly MobileMe - for instance. I don't think that'll work for most iCloud stuff, but it is possible to get mail to work. This as far as I know - the oldest local clients are running 10.7.)


Have you confirmed the ports for both sending and receiving are correct - there are two sets of ports for mail, and potentially two different mail servers; an SMTP server for sending, and a POP or IMAP server for receiving messages.


Have there been any changes to your local configuration or your local network? (Are other tools - such as Safari connecting to the web interface for iCloud or your other mail server - working as expected?)


What does the Mail.app Connection Doctor tool indicate? (Mail.app > Window > Connection Doctor)

the server cannot be contacted on the default ports

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