Receving emails on IOS devices but not Mac

Question

Level 2

186 points

Receving emails on IOS devices but not Mac

Hi

For the past week I have been receiving emails on my iphone and ipad but only sporadically on my Mac. This is because Mail can't connect to icloud. Connection doctor gives me the message 'could not connect to this iCloud server' and then asks me to check my settings etc. But they're perfectly fine and sometimes, out of the blue, it does connect. I've never had this problem before. I can log into iCloud perfectly well and see my mail that way. But obviously I want to have my desktop mail working properly. Anyone got any ideas?

thanks!

WG

MacBook (13-inch Aluminum Late 2008), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jun 18, 2013 3:11 AM

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Answer 1

writergirl2 Author

Level 2

186 points

Jun 18, 2013 5:18 AM in response to writergirl2

I should add that when I open connection doctor this is the message: The server returned the error: The server “p03-imap.mail.me.com” cannot be contacted on port 993.

So is the problem the port, or the server it's trying to connect to? And why would it have suddenly become an issue?

thanks

WG

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Answer 2

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Jun 18, 2013 5:28 AM in response to writergirl2

Try to change that port to 110.

If that does not work try to delete mail account and readd it.

If that does not work take your mac to another network and if you don't have problems on other - your network is blocking you and you have no problem on ios devices, cause they can bypass network by using cellular service.

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Answer 3

writergirl2 Author

Level 2

186 points

Jun 18, 2013 5:36 AM in response to fromsouth

Hi

Thanks for your suggestions. I changed the port but that didn't work. I should also have said that I can actually send emails, just not receive them. It's not my network because my devices are actually using the network and not the cellular service.

WG

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Answer 4

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Jun 18, 2013 5:46 AM in response to writergirl2

Thank you for letting me know that you can send.

You may be a bit optimistic about your network, but lets assume that you are correct. Here are incoming settings for icloud mail.

IMAP (Incoming Mail Server) information:

Server name: imap.mail.me.com
SSL Required: Yes
Port: 993
Username: example@me.com (use your @me.com address from your iCloud account)
Password: Your iCloud password

As you can see your previous port number was correct. In that case I would suggest second step of troubleshooting that I provided previously. Unless you want to try to change port back to 993 and sever name from "p03-imap.mail.me.com" to the one I provided above.

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Answer 5

writergirl2 Author

Level 2

186 points

Jun 18, 2013 6:29 AM in response to fromsouth

Thanks again!

I honestly don't think it's the network - It's my home network I've been using it for years with no problem. I'm a bit surprised at the p03-imap.mail.me.com because as far as I remember it was always just imap.mail.me.com - so I'm wondering if that was changed somehow - though how I don't know.

I changed back the port and was going to change the server but realise that it's greyed out and I can't. So it's looking as though I'll have to delete the account.

FYI (sorry, I should have provided all this info at the start) I have another account which forwards to my Mail account and that's picking up mail and forwarding it perfectly well.

WG

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Answer 6

writergirl2 Author

Level 2

186 points

Jun 19, 2013 2:19 AM in response to fromsouth

So last night I shut down the Mac. This morning when I restarted mail was working perfectly. Then, out of the blue again, when I tried to SEND a mail I got a message saying that it couldn't send mail. Closed mail, opened it again, and mail was sent.

Weird - and frustrating!

WG

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Answer 7

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Jun 19, 2013 3:52 AM in response to writergirl2

Go to Internet settings and change your DNS server to Google DNS. What I suspect happens to you is:

You have set that account up a while ago, since then settings of server changed. You mail still seems to be able to renegotiate correct SMTP and sometimes can't. Deleting account would put correct settings in place, cause it will get new info during setup. But you seem to be reluctant to use that option. Google DNS will give a bit more juice to negotiating power. I may be wrong.

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Answer 8

writergirl2 Author

Level 2

186 points

Jun 20, 2013 2:05 AM in response to fromsouth

Hi again

I'm not reluctant to delete the account, I guess I wanted to track down the various possible issues first. So have set it up again and will let you know.

Thanks for your advice!

WG

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