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Mail is flaky with Network Solutions IMAP account

Recently (several months now) Mail is flaky in accessing the IMAP mail accounts I have with Network Solutions. Sometimes it works fine, and sending mail (SMTP) always has worked well. Sometimes, Mail will start refusing to access my email accounts (and always just on one domain name). Once it decides not to work with these accounts, when I try to access them it pops up a window asking for the password on the IMAP account. I put it in, and eventually get a message telling me that the username or password is unknown. If I then go to Preferences -> Accounts, go to the offending account, select the password, delete it, and put it in again (all steps are required), then click on save, there are no errors. Mail then download the outstanding emails on that account, but usually starts asking for the password again within a few minutes. I never have this problem using webmail or when I use Thunderbird. What setting do I have wrong? I have even deleted the account from Internet Accounts, then reloaded it and let the Mac set it up automatically. I have the box checked to tell Mail to automatically manage my account settings.


I have this problem on Mail for both Macs and on Mail for iPhone. It's always the same accounts, but Network Solutions can't find any problems.

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015), macOS Sierra (10.12.4), 8 G RAM, 512 G SSD

Posted on Jun 25, 2017 4:45 PM

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12 replies

Jun 26, 2017 7:26 PM in response to tygb

This article describes three possible situations:

  1. Google Mail is causing the problem with two-step verification. I am using Network Solutions and not Google.
  2. The password I provide is incorrect. This can't be the case, both because I can log in via webmail and because, when I finally get Mail to accept my password, it works for a while.
  3. The email account needs to be restarted or needs a new password. Again, then it would never work, rather than working only sporadically.

I have been through as much of the help site as I could find, and did not find a solution. I have also spent a long time with Network Solutions, but will try again tomorrow or Wednesday.

Jun 26, 2017 1:49 PM in response to tygb

Unfortunately it is a mail account for which the Mac (actually, the Mail application) keeps asking for my password. It also doesn't accept the correct password. There is no problem with accessing my keychain.


I assume the reason I have the same problem on the iPhone and both Macs is that they synchronize their internet account information; I don't synchronize the keychain.

Jun 26, 2017 8:29 PM in response to John Galt

I do usually use a VPN, but turning it off did not make any difference. I will try that again once I see the problem again. It also wouldn't explain why only certain domain names have problems (unless Network Solutions is wrong about having tried all their possible debugging).


Worst case (and, believe, me, this is the worst case) I can return to POP instead of IMAP -- or I can us Outlook instead of Mail (OK, POP isn't the worst case after all).😁

Mail is flaky with Network Solutions IMAP account

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