Periodic inability to send and/or receive mail with correct login credentials

[news.sbcglobal.net]

This is a problem that has been bugging me for months...and one which I
cannot seem to solve via normal technical support channels. From talking
with friends and colleagues, I have found that I'm not the only one
experiencing this and I'm wondering if anyone has a solution:

Using Microsoft Outlook (the version doesn't seem to matter) or Outlook
Express with log-on credentials that are correct and have been working,
messages will pop up saying that the incoming and/or outgoing mail server
can't be found, or that the server prematurely severed the connection.
Sometimes this will go on for days (last week it happened to me for three
days and then, inexplicably, everything started working again with no
changes made on my end). When I call my hosting company, they insist that
it is an Outlook problem that they cannot support. Outlook, however, says
(in its error messages) to contact the ISP or server administrator. My ISP
says there is nothing they can do.

Basically, what I'm looking for is a way to pinpoint exactly where the
breakdown is occuring that will provide evidence to whichever technical
support person I contact that proves that the problem lies with their
product or service. There are so many possible points of failure that it is
very easy for everyone to deny any responsibility leaving us end-users
unable to use the services we've paid for and with nowhere to turn for
assistance. It's very much like being told by your auto mechanic to take
your broken car home, figure out what's wrong with it yourself, and if you
can do that, then they might fix it.

Anyway, if anyone has a solution (other than uninstalling and reinstalling
Outlook (which usually doesn't do any good in my experience)), I'd love to
hear it. Thanks for letting me rant.

Todd

 

[BD]

insist that it is an Outlook problem that they cannot support.

You won't likely be able to _pinpoint_ the cause of the issue - but,
you can at least narrow it down to "Outlook / not Outlook".

First thing I'd do is find a POP client that they _do_ support. Install
it, configure it to _not_ delete messages when retrieving, and then,
the next time you get an Outlook failure, fire up the other software
right away and check your mail again - if it fails, then you can call
support back and get some traction on the issue, since you're getting a
failure with software that they support; if it succeeds, then the issue
would seem to concern Outlook, but the other app will not have removed
the messages from the server, so Outlook can still get them when it
starts working again.

BD