Spectrum/Charter MacOS Mail Doesn't Work

I finally resolved the same issue with recently creating a new Charter email account on a MacBook Pro using High Sierra. Open the Mail app and create a new account. Enter your Charter email address except for the last letter, for example, xyz@charter.ne

This should cause an error and should display options to add the incoming and outgoing server name. Correct the email address, enter your password, incoming server: imap.charter.net outgoing server: smtp.charter.net

You may get a message that the app cannot send your password securely on IMAP, so that decision is yours. This is how my other charter email account was configured years ago. Trying to configure the servers as mobile.charter.net never worked on the Mac OS app but works fine on iOS. Hope this helps

This didn't work for me until I went into SAFE MODE (holding down the shift key while rebooting the Mac) quit any apps or programs that are running, turn off the Firewall, and them create the new account. Followed the procedure as suggested.

Thanks everyone for the help.

MacBook Pro 2013

High Sierra 10.13.2

KenK

It is October 13, 2017 and I began having problems with Spectrum mail - sending only in the last week. I deleted one account and added it back in which is an automated process. The second screen was populated with information from the Spectrum server - incoming and outgoing mail set to: mobile.charter.net as per the website instructions. To get to the third screen (as the next button is greyed out) - I deleted the last letter of the email address and added it back in and I could get to the 3rd screen. The final screen allows one to decide which programs will use the mail account. This work fine for a few days and now I just spent two days to get the accounts to send mail. Today when I ran through the automated process of adding a new account, the outgoing mail is populated with: imap.charter.net I then deleted the username and password in outgoing mail and these revert "optional". When outgoing mail fails, you have the option of selected a different server or editing the server list. I changed "Charter" to mobile.charter.net and then the send mail is working (for now). I used mail preferences to edit the other accounts and now they all work! I wonder if Spectrum is rolling out the new mail system across the country at different times.

After spinning my wheels on this for at least 6 months, I have decided that dfuerpo’s solution is the best. I think the mobile servers need to be used in order to be able to send mail from any network. Apple’s Mail app just cannot deal with Spectrum’s flakey imap service.

So far I am very pleased with Airmail 3. And the configuration was easy following his instructions.

Thank you so much for posting this. It shouldn't have to be this difficult. I am setting up a new imac and all of my other (not charter) email accounts worked perfectly using the manual settings so I knew that the problem was with Charter. The rep at Charter wanted me to call Apple, but I figured since I couldn't even sign in, that Apple would refer me back to Charter. So glad I found this thread!!!

Here is what I want to add for Desktop set-up with Mac OSX (High Sierra). Follow the instructions above to initially use the name@charter.ne instead of charter.net to get you to the manual settings screen. When you get to server settings tab, it may take a couple of tries to get the settings to stick. For some reason mine kept changing back even though I was choosing "save". Also, for some reason the account name in the SMTP section was displaying as "Charter". I entered my full email account (name@charter.net) instead. That is how the directions to set up some of my other email accounts that are not Charter are set up and they have been working properly.

The first test that I did to see if these settings worked resulted in an immediate receiving of a test email to my Charter account, but the sending from the Charter email account was very delayed and hung around in my draft bin for some time but finally went through. I sure hope that this gets solved soon so that people don't have to use typos to get their accounts set up. I have my fingers crossed that this will remain working.

Dec. 2017 St. Louis Mo. Ipad Pro's and Mac laptops all running latest OS.

Switched to Charter for higher speed at the same price I was paying for a DSL.

Started having problems with outgoing email. (apple mail that worked fine for years with old service provider.) First it took 3 to 4 minutes to establish the account (IMAP with the mobile.charter.net) I verified this with the online Charter email setup instructions. The outgoing instructions said to use the smtp.charter.net settings. Didn't work after 5 minutes of verifying. I had to reboot to stop the process and start again. After having to go through this changing different settings finely got email working. Two days later the outgoing mail (smtp.charter.net) stoped working. Deleted the account again 3 or 4 times, finely getting email working again with the outgoing email set to IMAP (mobile.charter.net) for bought incoming and outgoing mail.

Again two days later the iPad Pro outgoing email stoped working. All other MAC's were working fine. So went back to the "Delete the account and go through the same setups again". I don't feel like paying for a new email program and don't understand how a service provider as widespread across the country as Spectrum / Charter is and as many Apple users their are and have these problems? The steps and suggestions posted in this thread helped me get through this.

PS: getting to a Charter live help "Person" is a challenge in its self and with a 50/50 chance of solving the problem.

Today is October 19, 2017. I updated my phone (IOS 11.0.3 and computer El Capitan 10.11.6). My desktop will not download the mail that is on the server. The phone occasionally downloads a stray email-no rhyme or reason that I can find as to the random message it selects. Emails will appear in my inbox on the phone and then just disappear. I have spent about 20 hours on the phone this week with Spectrum and with Apple. We have restored the phone from a back-up (no luck) and are trying this with the computer. Based on my reading, this is a ghost in the Apple machine. I do not feel very hopeful that there is a fix. I will probably go to another email address. I have the phone to synch my mail, calendar..... Guess I will be looking at Androids in the future. I need the mail to work when I am not at my computer.....Very, VERY, FRUSTRATING. What a time sink.

Thanks for posting this. I had the same issues trying to configure Charter/Spectrum email on a Macbook 12 with HighSierra. I just couldn't get outgoing mail to work with the Mac email client. I finally gave up and tried your solution of using a 3rd-party client. Airmail 3 is working so far...

airmail 3 plus your helpful instructions solved my problem too. Both charter spectrum and Apple need to include this in their own Support websites. It would have saved me 12 hours of searching and retrying installs plus 3 lengthy phone calls.

Thank you! This worked like a charm!!! So glad to not have to sit on hold with Spectrum and go through so much wrangling via phone to get my mail account back on my desktop Mac. So cool to watch all my emails just appear suddenly! Thanks again!

I wonder what the risk is in having an unsecured password being sent to the server??

Can't somone who is technical in nature from Charter or Apple take this information and be able to work backwards to piece together what is going wrong?

Each time I call, nobody from Charter will even give me the time of day. They tell me to use their 1998 style web based web browser and that they don't work with any third party clients. Apple has it documented within their system to refer the client to Charter as there is nothing they can do. ....

Thank you, thank you! After days of trying to figure out what was wrong, your solution helped me!!!! THANK YOU!

Thanks so much this worked for me with my Charter email and my new Mac book air.

I'm having same problem. Mail quit working and says PW and or ID wrong. All other devices work fine with same log in.