Looks like smtp.cox.net is down

Thanks, Chris.  It is back up now.  Before the original post, I tried to send from 2 computers, ping from both computers and test from an isitdown site.  All tests failed.  It's back up and I can send email now, didn't do anything but wait ... no restarts, no reboots, no setting changes, nothing, just came back ... just have to assume the server was down for a period of time this AM.

Outgoing email down again - typical Cox response blaming the user for server problems

Same thing's happening to me. Though I can ping it, when I send, it connects to smtp.cox.net and then just sits there until it times out. If I try enough times it may eventually send - I tried sending the same email nine times over two hours and it finally went. Something's up with the servers...

The server is very slow to respond ... took about 30 secs. to send a 2 word email, but it did send eventually.

This has happened to me several times in the past, and since I havent been able to send email in the past few days, I have been dealing with this yet again on my Mac running Yosemite with MAIL (not Outlook as my husbands outbound on Mac running Yosemite & using Outlook as been fine all along) .  When you do online Chat, or call, tier 1  at Cox, they haven't  a clue and its very frustrating.  So, you have to figure it out yourself.  It took a while , but all of a sudden I remembered the Port thing and it turned out to be that.  On the Cox website, it shows that the SECURE outgoing port for SMTP in POP mail is 465 when SSL is checked  and 587 when TLS is selected.  It shows port 995 is the SECURE PORT for inbound Pop email.  My port is set to 995, and I changed it to 465 , clicked on save, and then all my outbound emails finally sent.  yet, when I pulled up settings again, the port shows it is back on 995.  So, I dont know what the deal is, all i know is that it worked.  I dont know if you have IMAP or POP, but either way, try changing the port NBR.  Hope this helps!

ok, Im replying to my own post.  Now all of my INBOX & SENT emails have disappeared!!!  I think I have to rebuild the mailbos.  Does it ever end??

Replying to my own post again. I just clicked on INBOX, then rebuild and ALL inbox emails are back.  I did the same thing to SENT emails.  Whew!!!

duopshebop said:
My port is set to 995, and I changed it to 465 , clicked on save, and then all my outbound emails finally sent.  yet, when I pulled up settings again, the port shows it is back on 995.  So, I dont know what the deal is, all i know is that it worked.  I dont know if you have IMAP or POP, but either way, try changing the port NBR.  Hope this helps!

Thanks for the post, duopshebop.  Mine is not a port issue.  I use IMAP in T'bird, incoming is set to 993 and outbound SMTP to 465, both with SSL enabled.  Yesterday AM I couldn't connect or even ping SMTP.cox.net.  Later in the day it started working but very slowly, could take a min or two to send a 2 word email.  This morning things are back to normal, no major delay in sending.  I didn't make any changes on my part so must have been a Cox server issue.