outgoing email no longer working

Just got off phone with 4 cox reps. no one can help. outgoing stopped working yesterday on all my devices. customer service worst I've ever had, they insist the problem now is with my phone, pc, and tablet. they told me to call them. here is the error "Send test email message: Your email server rejected your login. Verify your user name and password for this account in Account Settings."  yes. my email server is rejecting my login. COX failed customer service 101!!!

I just figured out how to solve my own similar problem of outgoing email rejection, this was with Outlook desktop with a non-Cox domain email.

I'm not sure if it's exactly the same combination you're dealing with as I'm not familiar with Thunderbird, but may be useful to others as well.

First, the entry level Cox tech support will have no idea how to deal with this unless you are using precisely a cox.net email.  I got the "call Microsoft" nonsense and asked for a supervisor who transferred me to "Tier 2" support, which got me much closer but not all the way.

My situation is I own a domain for a website and email, and need to point to their incoming POP3 server to receive mail, but outgoing needs to route through Cox SMTP at my house.  The recent Cox changes now require extra outgoing authentication protocols.  So . . .

#1) Mail Servers (I'm using POP3)

Incoming is what my domain hosting gives me

Outgoing is smtp.cox.net    (no more "west" / "east" in the name)

My login info is unaffected which is my email@domain.com sort of thing

#2) More Settings - "Outgoing Server" Tab (in outlook)

Check box for: "My outgoing server requires authentication"

I can NOT "use the same settings as incoming", and instead use the "log on using" button, then fill in my Cox.net username and password - I went ahead and created a cox.net email account I didn't previously have associated with my account (not sure if this was necessary but it worked; It defaults to the same username@cox.net and same password.  Don't use the "@cox.net" however in this field)

#3) "Advanced" tab

This was the part I figured out myself:

I need to keep the incoming port as 110 or mine won't work anymore; and I do NOT check the box for "this server requires an encrypted connection" which breaks my incoming protocol, (as well as changes outgoing settings).

However, you can still set outgoing authentication that Cox now requires by manually changing the SMTP port to 465, and in the case of Outlook, use the dropdown box to change that part only to SSL.

Jim in AZ

I stumbled on an answer.  I have 2 cox email addresses.  As long as I do not specify the primary cox email address as the default email address in Outlook 2007, I can send outbound emails.

I tried switching it back after sending test emails and the error returned.

Have you guys figured this out yet? Get this fixed!! I have done everything Cox has asked me to do. Nothing works! Fix YOUR problem!

Mine still doesn’t work. I’m so frustrated with Cox and this whole situation!

Omegaman66,

 For Thunderbird "SMTP Server" window should be configured like this:

Outgoing server should be smpt.cox.net (NOT smtp.east.cox.net)

Port 465

Connection Security:  SSL/TLS

Authentication Method:  Normal password

Username: put your Cox email id name.  Such as omegaman66.  DO NOT add @cox.net or anything except your email id. in the box.

Yes. That's not the point. I cannot respond to an email without going all the way into my Cox account. FIX THE PROBLEM!!!!!