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What does it mean,connection to server failed?

I'm trying read my email. I keep getting a message saying, connection to server fail. What does that mean?

iPad, iOS 7.1

Posted on Apr 5, 2014 2:37 AM

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Posted on Apr 5, 2014 4:41 AM

A server connection failure means that one or both of the two servers (SMTP for sending, and POP or IMAP server for reading and receiving mail) are offline, or that the network connection between your mail client and the two servers is either misconfigured or disconnected, or possibly that the specified mail server host names are incorrect.

Depending on the exact context of the error message, it can also pontentially involve a user setting such as an incorrect username or password setting, or that SSL/TLS network encryption is not enabled (most mail providers now require SSL/TLS encryption, though not all).


Given that you're encountering this error while reading mail, your POP or IMAP configuration doesn't match what your mail provider configuration expects, or the POP or IMAP server is offline, or the network connection between your client and your mail provider's servers is incorrectly configured or offline.


Confirm your settings for the POP or IMAP server against those from your mail provider, and confirm that you can reach other network sites — viewing eitber the Google or Bing search engine web site is a common test — to check whether your local network connection is working.


Here's the Apple iOS Troubleshooting Mail article; reading and following the information in that article might help get your iOS mail connected and working again. If not, it'll give you a better idea of what's wrong.


While this question is posted in the OS X Server forum, I'm going to infer that you're not running OS X Server here — OS X Server is an OS X configuration that contains various host and network services, including the servers used for the POP, IMAP and SMTP protocols. OS X Server allows you to run your own mail server. Based on your question and your footer, you're probably running iOS on an iPad, and having the problem connecting to Yahoo or GMail or your Internet Service Provider's mail servers. If you are running OS X Server here, then the above still applies, but you're also going to need to check the POP or IMAP server log files for error messages that might be logged there — the other end of the connection — as well as the network configuration and DNS services for the OS X Server system.

1 reply
Question marked as Best reply

Apr 5, 2014 4:41 AM in response to Cynbade

A server connection failure means that one or both of the two servers (SMTP for sending, and POP or IMAP server for reading and receiving mail) are offline, or that the network connection between your mail client and the two servers is either misconfigured or disconnected, or possibly that the specified mail server host names are incorrect.

Depending on the exact context of the error message, it can also pontentially involve a user setting such as an incorrect username or password setting, or that SSL/TLS network encryption is not enabled (most mail providers now require SSL/TLS encryption, though not all).


Given that you're encountering this error while reading mail, your POP or IMAP configuration doesn't match what your mail provider configuration expects, or the POP or IMAP server is offline, or the network connection between your client and your mail provider's servers is incorrectly configured or offline.


Confirm your settings for the POP or IMAP server against those from your mail provider, and confirm that you can reach other network sites — viewing eitber the Google or Bing search engine web site is a common test — to check whether your local network connection is working.


Here's the Apple iOS Troubleshooting Mail article; reading and following the information in that article might help get your iOS mail connected and working again. If not, it'll give you a better idea of what's wrong.


While this question is posted in the OS X Server forum, I'm going to infer that you're not running OS X Server here — OS X Server is an OS X configuration that contains various host and network services, including the servers used for the POP, IMAP and SMTP protocols. OS X Server allows you to run your own mail server. Based on your question and your footer, you're probably running iOS on an iPad, and having the problem connecting to Yahoo or GMail or your Internet Service Provider's mail servers. If you are running OS X Server here, then the above still applies, but you're also going to need to check the POP or IMAP server log files for error messages that might be logged there — the other end of the connection — as well as the network configuration and DNS services for the OS X Server system.

What does it mean,connection to server failed?

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