Can't Get Thunderbird Mail Configured for Comcast

[Boris]

I'm running a live version of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS along with it's default
Thunderbird 52.7.0, both 64-bit.

I've set up newsgroups just fine, but I can't seem to get the mail set
up, whether POP or IMAP.

When I enter my Comcast user name and email address, Thunderbird tells
me that "Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database".

I press "Done", and get "Configuration could not be verified - Is the
username of password wrong?" (No, it's correct.)

I press "Manual configuration", and all looks ok. Going back out to the
Mail window, I do see that even though my configuration could not be
verified, Thunderbird has set up an email account "***@comcast.net".
Hmm...I press "Get Messages", and get "Failed to connect to server
mail.comcast.net". But, I can compose and send email successfully.

If I try setting up an email account I have with Yahoo, the
configuration is found in the Mozilla ISP database, but it cannot be
verified.

When I run Windows 7 or 10, I use the same settings when in Thunderbird,
and all is fine.

Any ideas as to why I can't get Thunderbird Mail to work in Ubuntu?

[Paul]

Post by Boris
I'm running a live version of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS along with it's default
Thunderbird 52.7.0, both 64-bit.
I've set up newsgroups just fine, but I can't seem to get the mail set
up, whether POP or IMAP.
When I enter my Comcast user name and email address, Thunderbird tells
me that "Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database".
I press "Done", and get "Configuration could not be verified - Is the
username of password wrong?" (No, it's correct.)
I press "Manual configuration", and all looks ok. Going back out to the
Mail window, I do see that even though my configuration could not be
Hmm...I press "Get Messages", and get "Failed to connect to server
mail.comcast.net". But, I can compose and send email successfully.
If I try setting up an email account I have with Yahoo, the
configuration is found in the Mozilla ISP database, but it cannot be
verified.
When I run Windows 7 or 10, I use the same settings when in Thunderbird,
and all is fine.
Any ideas as to why I can't get Thunderbird Mail to work in Ubuntu?

Flavor of SSL/TLS ? Port number ?

I've heard of this database idea, but didn't realize it
actually worked. No ones ever mentioned it. There was a
discussion long ago about "wouldn't it be neat if..."
and I guess that function is the result.

*******

There is a logging feature, but it doesn't look like much fun.
They could have put this crap into about:config, instead of
making it out of shell environment variables.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_logging_for_mail/news

https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging

If you compiled the product from source, you could also turn
on a "console" function, which opened a black terminal window
and dumped messages in it. But the messages themselves were
perfectly useless.

And you can't use Wireshark all that easily because of the
SSL/TLS.

Back in the old days of PPP dialup, I don't know how many
times I consulted the verbatim recording the logger would
make of the "initial PPP conversation". You could see whether
it was using header compression or whether authentication
succeeded and so on. That was a great feature. Too bad more
Internet tools did not offer to collect a "decrypted"
recording of the conversation they were having, so Wireshark
would not be needed.

Occasionally you get lucky with Wireshark, and you see a tool
making references to the wrong internet address. But other than
that, it's not going to help all that much. I understand someone
knows how to break into the SSL/TLS on a host and decrypt it,
but I don't know how to do that.

Paul

[Boris]

Post by Paul

Post by Boris
I'm running a live version of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS along with it's default
Thunderbird 52.7.0, both 64-bit.
I've set up newsgroups just fine, but I can't seem to get the mail set
up, whether POP or IMAP.
When I enter my Comcast user name and email address, Thunderbird tells
me that "Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database".
I press "Done", and get "Configuration could not be verified - Is the
username of password wrong?"  (No, it's correct.)
I press "Manual configuration", and all looks ok.  Going back out to
the Mail window, I do see that even though my configuration could not
be verified, Thunderbird has set up an email account
connect to server mail.comcast.net".  But, I can compose and send
email successfully.
If I try setting up an email account I have with Yahoo, the
configuration is found in the Mozilla ISP database, but it cannot be
verified.
When I run Windows 7 or 10, I use the same settings when in
Thunderbird, and all is fine.
Any ideas as to why I can't get Thunderbird Mail to work in Ubuntu?

Flavor of SSL/TLS ? Port number ?

SSL/TLS
995 in
465 out (like I said, outgoing works)
Authentication: Normal password

Post by Paul
I've heard of this database idea, but didn't realize it
actually worked. No ones ever mentioned it. There was a
discussion long ago about "wouldn't it be neat if..."
and I guess that function is the result.

Yeah, I thought that was cool. Like other mail clients that auto set
server configs.

Post by Paul
*******
There is a logging feature, but it doesn't look like much fun.
They could have put this crap into about:config, instead of
making it out of shell environment variables.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_logging_for_mail/news
   https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging

I will look at those two links.

Thanks.

Post by Paul
If you compiled the product from source, you could also turn
on a "console" function, which opened a black terminal window
and dumped messages in it. But the messages themselves were
perfectly useless.
And you can't use Wireshark all that easily because of the
SSL/TLS.
Back in the old days of PPP dialup, I don't know how many
times I consulted the verbatim recording the logger would
make of the "initial PPP conversation". You could see whether
it was using header compression or whether authentication
succeeded and so on. That was a great feature. Too bad more
Internet tools did not offer to collect a "decrypted"
recording of the conversation they were having, so Wireshark
would not be needed.
Occasionally you get lucky with Wireshark, and you see a tool
making references to the wrong internet address. But other than
that, it's not going to help all that much. I understand someone
knows how to break into the SSL/TLS on a host and decrypt it,
but I don't know how to do that.
   Paul

[Bernie]

It's a bad ipv implementation in Thunderbird. TB is probably using IPV6
and Comcast is set to IPV4. I had this problem some months ago.

So, if you are having email problems turn off IPv6 in Thunderbird so it
is IPv4 only.

Options/Advanced/General/Config Editor Except the risk.

Just enter IPv6 in the search bar.

Toggle the setting to read: TRUE

network.dns.disableIPv6 modified boolean true

Now your Thunderbird should work.

BTW... Outlook still will fail, but TB works! This is an intermittent
problem with Comcast servers but can affect others.



You may have to turn off IPv6 on your router or NIC card in your computer
especially if you use Outlook. This may be intermittent as Comcast
appears to have implemented IPv6 incorrectly on some email servers. All
depends on where you are and which email servers you get.

[Boris]

Post by Bernie
It's a bad ipv implementation in Thunderbird. TB is probably using IPV6
and Comcast is set to IPV4. I had this problem some months ago.
So, if you are having email problems turn off IPv6 in Thunderbird so it
is IPv4 only.
Options/Advanced/General/Config Editor Except the risk.
Just enter IPv6 in the search bar.
Toggle the setting to read: TRUE
network.dns.disableIPv6 modified boolean true
Now your Thunderbird should work.
BTW... Outlook still will fail, but TB works! This is an intermittent
problem with Comcast servers but can affect others.
You may have to turn off IPv6 on your router or NIC card in your computer
especially if you use Outlook. This may be intermittent as Comcast
appears to have implemented IPv6 incorrectly on some email servers. All
depends on where you are and which email servers you get.

Bingo! That did it!

Just for fun, I toggled back and forth between TRUE and FALSE, and TRUE
consistently allowed me to Get Messages, and FALSE consistently gave me
"Failed to connect to server mail.cocast.net".

I made no changes to my NIC card nor my router. Of course, that may
change if I get connected to a different email server, or if Comcast
makes a change. While Comcast's internet has been pretty much rock
solid for me, many times I've had to chase solutions to changes that
they've made without informing subscribers.

Many thanks for the reply.

[Bernie]

I'm glad it worked. I spent about five hours with over three hours
talking to different Comcast support people. I finally found the problem
on the web.

In some parts of Comcast land they do have ipv6 servers, we must live in
the proverbial slums. lol