| Author |
Message |
    
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5368
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 29, 2006 - 10:37 pm: | 
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After this morning's power failure, I haven't been able to connect to my usual Comcast mail server using the OSX Mail client. So I send them a message:
Quote:Is the local mail server down? I can't connect except through web
mail. Thanks.
Some four hours later I get back:
Quote:Thank you for contacting Comcast, my name is xxxxxxx.
I understand you received an e-mail asking you for your account information.
The message you refer to is fraudulent and is not an official Comcast e-mail.
You should not respond to the e-mail. If you thought the message was a
legitimate Comcast e-mail and replied with the requested personal information,
contact your bank or Credit Card Company.
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Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 4270
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 29, 2006 - 11:46 pm: |
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insert long sigh <here> |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 15172
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 9:51 am: |
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I recently read a story about someone using the vendor's IM facility for tech support. It turned out to be based on Eliza, the AI psychotherapist. This comcast emailer sounds no better.
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tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5369
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 11:11 am: |
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Maybe worse. I solved the problem independently, but in the meanwhile I'd followed up on their first response. I wrote:
Quote:Dear xxxxxxx [as if it were a real name anyway],
Why would you think, from the message I sent, that I received a fraudulent e-mail?
My problem is not even remotely that. It's that I can't connect to my comcast.net mail server. I've always connected to a server just called "mail" using the Mac "Mail" client [emphasis added], and it's not responding. I can only get my e-mail through this web-mail tool.
Setting the server as mail.comcast.net doesn't work either.
Maybe there's a DNS issue. Can you please look into THIS problem? Thanks so much.
Tom
They responded with this:
Quote:Dear Tom,
Thank you for your message concerning the Comcast High-Speed Internet service.
I believe the issue you are experiencing with your e-mail is due to incorrect settings in Outlook Express. I have included the steps for checking these settings below, as well as a link to our help site that contains the same instructions with helpful, easy-to-understand illustrations.
Please click on this link to view the detailed instructions with graphical illustrations: http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/index.jsp?faq=EmailOutlook_Express17739&CM.src=e supm
Or if you prefer you can follow these step-by-step instructions:
To verify the settings in Outlook Express 6.0 using a Windows Operating System:
Followed by a 20-step process, including setting the POP server to mail.comcast.net -- which I'd already told them didn't work. I've responded with this:
Quote:Dearest xxxxxx2:
Do human beings read these messages, or is this just an auto-response from a piece of software?
I've solved the problem independently, but please note that I said I'm using a Mac, and the OSX "Mail" client. Not a Windows Operating System, and not Outlook Express 6.0.
No response necessary, I'd just take it as further evidence that I need to tie up your phone lines next time.
Best,
Tom
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composerjohn
Citizen
Username: Composerjohn
Post Number: 943
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 12:28 pm: |
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BOOYAH! Take that Comcast!!
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Glock 17
Citizen
Username: Glock17
Post Number: 1635
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 12:53 pm: |
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And this is why you get Optimum Online from Cablevision. Always reliable. |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 4276
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 1:39 pm: |
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Can't get it in Maplewood |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 15174
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 5:52 pm: |
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I don't like any mail service that comes bundled with internet connectivity. comcast sounds bad, but verizon has got to be worse. Get gmail or pay for email service.
By the way, tom, what was the solution?
With the problem you had, I would have opened a terminal window and done
ping mail.comcast.net
and also
telnet mail.comcast.net 110
The latter would have opened a raw POP connection, or tried to, anyway.
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tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5377
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 6:06 pm: |
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pinging mail.comcast.net worked, the server was there; but I couldn't connect to it with the mail client. I've tried telnetting to that server before, but the telnet service is turned off.
The solution was to turn everything off, let it sit a few minutes, then turn on the cable modem. When it was up, turn on the router. When that was up, boot the computer. I had a feeling that was going to be the solution in the first place, but I had a lot of things open and didn't feel like shutting it all down, |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 15175
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 9:46 pm: |
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I appended "110" to the telnet command above. That allows you to have a raw POP conversation. You would type the commands that your mailer normally send. Type "help" for a list of commands. Practice doing this before you have your next problem.
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tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5382
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 9:55 pm: |
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right you are -- thanks. |
TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 103
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 8:21 am: |
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LOL - TomR you debug this stuff like I tend to... Telnet to the port and have a conversation. I'm convinced that the human readable interface is one reason that many internet protocols took off like SMTP vs OSI ones. Anyone who has done any serious stuff with ASN.1 knows what I am talking about.
I've always been a strong believer in plain text configuration you can at least cat/grep vs unique custom binary formats. I guess this is why XML has become so popular. Text files with easy generation/parsing.
--tarp |
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