Constant error messages

[bilindabain]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: imap

Error message 3253 constantly coming up on the screen saying Connection to server failed or was dropped. Still receiving e-mails okay. I am a new user to mac and Entourage so don't understand why this is happening. I didn't receive these messages before when I first started using Entourage.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Error message 3253 constantly coming up on the screen saying Connection
to server failed or was dropped. Still receiving e-mails okay. I am a
new user to mac and Entourage so don't understand why this is happening.
I didn't receive these messages before when I first started using
Entourage.

You server failed to respond:
http://entourage.mvps.org/error/number.html#error-3253

Corentin

 

[bilindabain]

No, still receiving error messages whatever I do. Server says it is not their problem. I can still use Entourage but these error messages keep popping up and beeping ever 5 secs.

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

Error message 3253 constantly coming up on the screen saying
Connection to server failed or was dropped. Still receiving e-mails
okay. I am a new user to mac and Entourage so don't understand why
this is happening. I didn't receive these messages before when I
first started using Entourage.

Go to Tools --> Accounts... and double-click your IMAP account. Under
the Options tab do you have the option "Send commands to server
simultaneously" selected? If so, de-select that and see if things improve.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bill. I felt myself it was something simple, so was encouraged by your suggestion. Unfortunately, it has made no difference. Error messages still being received constantly. Would be grateful for any other ideas?

Bilinda

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

wrote:

Thanks Bill. I felt myself it was something simple, so was encouraged

by your suggestion. Unfortunately, it has made no difference. Error
messages still being received constantly. Would be grateful for any
other ideas?

Hi Bilinda!

Try disabling everything under Options and see if the problem persists.
If it goes away then re-enable items one or two at a time until you
local the one causing the problem.

You can also try deleting your IMAP account and then creating it again.
This will clear Entourage of your account's messages but they will sync
from the server to Entourage again.

Finally, try using Entourage menu --> Switch Identity... and create your
IMAP account in a new identity. If the problem persists then you most
likely have a server problem or you're trying to use account settings
that aren't compatible with the server.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[bilindabain]

Thanks again Bill.

Followed all your suggestions and more besides, to see whether I could get rid of these error notices but alas, to no avail.

I phoned Virgin Media, my service provider, who stated that pop3.blueyonder was my incoming mail server as opposed to imap4.blueyonder which I was quoted the last time, and which I have been using successfully to send and receive my mail since buying this new mac!! She also pointed out most helpfully(!) that as long as I was receiving mail, it was not their problem and that maybe I had a virus!! She suggested taking the computer back to the shop??

I have also tried to set up Mac's own e-mail and it won't recognise my service provider so I am totally at a loss and just about throwing in the towel and accepting these error messages (now with beep turned off!) but it's really frustrating. Do you know whether the messages are all stored on the computer taking up space or are they automatically deleted each day?

A couple of the error messages have mentioned the server does not recognise the port I am using for the ethernet connection but there is only one port for this connection and it has been accessing the internet for the last 3 months?

I would be grateful if you or anyone else has any further thoughts or advice to offer.

Bilinda

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

Hi Bilinda!

My comments are inline with yours.

I phoned Virgin Media, my service provider, who stated that
pop3.blueyonder was my incoming mail server as opposed to
imap4.blueyonder which I was quoted the last time, and which I have
been using successfully to send and receive my mail since buying this
new mac!! She also pointed out most helpfully(!) that as long as I
was receiving mail, it was not their problem and that maybe I had a
virus!! She suggested taking the computer back to the shop??

Not surprising for a company that refers to Microsoft Outlook as
"Microsoft Exchange" on their website.

And next time you speak with them then be sure to tell them that, yes,
sending is also their responsibility. That's just a shoddy customer
service answer.

By the way, no viruses for Mac OS X exist in the wild to date.

I have also tried to set up Mac's own e-mail and it won't recognise
my service provider so I am totally at a loss and just about throwing
in the towel and accepting these error messages (now with beep turned
off!) but it's really frustrating. Do you know whether the messages
are all stored on the computer taking up space or are they
automatically deleted each day?

According to the Virgin Media website you should be using
"smtp.blueyonder.co.uk" for your SMTP Server (Tools --> Accounts... -->
your account --> Sending Mail). Is that what you have?

Also, you have the option to use SMTP Authentication. This allows you to
use your Virgin Media account from home or while traveling. More and
more ISPs are actually requiring this now.

Below the SMTP server field you'll see the button "Click here for
advanced sending options". Click that and select the third option "SMTP
server requires authentication". Then select "Use same settings as
receiving mail server".

If this doesn't work then see what happens if you set up your account
using Apple's Mail application. If you are having this problem with
Entourage then I suspect you will have it with Mail too. Testing whether
or not you do would be the next step.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[bilindabain]

Hi again,

It's reassuring that there are no known Mac OS X viruses, although I wasn't really worried. The woman was unbelievable and just wanted shot of me!!

The Outgoing Mail server, smtp.blueyonder.co.uk does not seem to be the problem. It's the incoming server that is in question and if Virgin Media cannot agree, what chance do I have?

As you say, Apple Mail has the same problem.

Can you say whether this is something that should be fixed or should I just learn to live with it, annoying as it might be?

Bilinda

 

[Diane Ross]

The Outgoing Mail server, smtp.blueyonder.co.uk does not seem to be the
problem. It's the incoming server that is in question and if Virgin Media
cannot agree, what chance do I have?

1. If you can receive but not send then you have a bad SMTP configuration
2. If you can send but not receive you have a bad POP or IMAP configuration

I suggest you get a new ISP.

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

The Outgoing Mail server, smtp.blueyonder.co.uk does not seem to be
the problem. It's the incoming server that is in question and if
Virgin Media cannot agree, what chance do I have?

I'm confused. In your original message you said you're still receiving
mails OK. That would mean your problem is sending or, likely, with the
SMTP server.

As you say, Apple Mail has the same problem.

I suspected as much.

Can you say whether this is something that should be fixed or should
I just learn to live with it, annoying as it might be?

No, you shouldn't live with it. If you're comfortable not using your ISP
for E-mail but instead using Apple's MobileMe or Google's Gmail then you
will probably have more reliable support.

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[bilindabain]

Hi again folks,

Thanks for all your input. My problem was not sending or receiving e-mails with Entourage. I could do both. It was the constant error messages popping up on the screen. However, I feel now I have tried everything possible to eradicate the problem, without success, so I have decided enough is enough and have changed my ISP to Google. This seems to work well with Mac Mail and I don't have pop-up error messages every 5 secs!

Thanks again,
Bilinda.

 

[greenjack77]

Hi again folks,

Thanks for all your input. My problem was not sending or receiving e-mails with Entourage. I could do both. It was the constant error messages popping up on the screen. However, I feel now I have tried everything possible to eradicate the problem, without success, so I have decided enough is enough and have changed my ISP to Google. This seems to work well with Mac Mail and I don't have pop-up error messages every 5 secs!

Thanks again,
Bilinda.

Bilinda,

I too am with Virgin/blueyonder. I too get the same annoying pop up! I
have learned to live with it but i guess I shouldn't. Do you really
get error messages every 5 secs or is it every 10 minutes? It seems to
happen to me about every 10 minutes which is the interval for the
automatic "Send & Receive All" schedule. I think the error comes when
there is no blueyonder mail to transmit - either send or receive. I
suppose you (we!) could remove Blueyonder from the schedule and rely
on manually enacting. Unless someone out there has a brighter idea.
Hope that helps.