Forum Discussion

drichmond's avatar
drichmond
New Contributor II
3 years ago

Access to SMTP outgoing server while traveling WITHIN the US

I have my home PC with me on an extended stay at my son's home in Texas while I undergo cancer treatment.  I depend on Outlook for email access and DO NOT want to use the cox webmail site.

I can send and receive emails via webmail, that's not the issue.

My outlook can not connect to smtp.cox.net and is being blocked because I'm connected to my son's home ISP (Frontier) rather than my home network.

This is very consistent with the problems well reported on this forum when traveling OUTSIDE the US but at last check, Texas was still part of the US.

I've spent over 8 hours on the phone with TIer 1 and Tier 2 support, had 3 service tickets submitted (and then marked Resolved without action of any kind).

As far as I can determine, Cox is the only ISP that blocks access to their outbound SMTP server when not on your home network.  What's the point of having a laptop if you can't leave the house?

  • drichmond's avatar
    drichmond
    New Contributor II
    3 years ago

    So it seems my home IP address fails a reverse DNS lookup which I assume means there's not a PTR record.  I've contacted Frontier to see if they can do anything.

    • Bruce's avatar
      Bruce
      Honored Contributor III
      3 years ago

      It'd be nice if a moderator could confirm if Cox doesn't allow SMTP connections from IP addresses outside their domain, such as Frontier.

      In the meantime, you may need to get creative.  In webmail, forward to a third-party service, configure Outlook for third-party account and third-party to Outlook.

      • Becky's avatar
        Becky
        Moderator
        3 years ago
        Hi Bruce, our requirement is that the Cox SMTP server be used for outgoing mail. Have I interpreted your question correctly? -Becky, Cox Support Forums Moderator
  • pbsawin's avatar
    pbsawin
    Contributor
    3 years ago

    Simple solution. Get a Gmail email address and forward your Cox email address to it. Then send/receive from the Gmail email address. Cox is weaseling its way out of the email business as evidenced by no email for new Cox customers and subbing out Cox email service to a 3rd party. Cox would rather you take your email elsewhere and it shows by the way they handle it.

    • Bruce's avatar
      Bruce
      Honored Contributor III
      3 years ago

      You have a good solution but I think OP has enough going on right now.

    • drichmond's avatar
      drichmond
      New Contributor II
      3 years ago

      Not really a solution nor simple.  I need Outlook to work and I pay Cox for email.  The fact that they block access to their SMTP server and are the only ISP on the planet to do so is simply ridiculous.

  • drichmond's avatar
    drichmond
    New Contributor II
    3 years ago

    FWIW my router can ping smtp.cox.net.  Changing cox PW didn't help.