Imap server difficulty

Discussion of general topics about Mozilla Thunderbird
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klptsfb
Posts: 4
Joined: January 1st, 2004, 9:01 pm

Imap server difficulty

Post by klptsfb »

I'm interested in Thunderbird because Phoenix and now Firebird are so swell. I currently use the Netscape 7.1 email client (as it is far better than Outlook and Eudora) but want to switch to TB. My difficulty is that I have a couple of Netscape web mail addresses, that use imap.mail.netcenter.com as the incoming mail server, but TB doesn't seem to like that. No problem with my other addresses or the smtp server, but I can't see my netscape email. Anyone have any suggestions?

Joe
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tanstaafl
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Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Post by tanstaafl »

klptsfb
Posts: 4
Joined: January 1st, 2004, 9:01 pm

Post by klptsfb »

Thanks, but AOL is not involved here.

My Netscape preferences are:
Server Type: IMAP mail Server
Server Name: imap.mail.netcenter.com
User Name: (my name)
Port: 143

My Thunderbird settings are exactly the same, but when I click on the account I get an Alert:

"Failed to connect to server imap.mail.netcenter.com" message.

Is this a problem with Thunderbird, or what should I do?
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tanstaafl
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Post by tanstaafl »

I've found numerous postings which say basicly the same thing:

"> I am so frustrated: using 6.2.1 for Mac use Netscape mail client
> but cannot use settings in my Eudora client for incoming mail
> i.e. mail server name=imap.mail.netcenter.com

Probably this is not the answer you hoped for, but the fact is that when
you access the Netscape Webmail (or aol accounts) using Netscape 6.x,
the program makes it look like the access is seamless and normal, but
the imap servers @netscape.net and @aol.com are behind a company
firewall at aol, they are not directly acessible "from the outside
world".

While the servers inside netscape.net's firewall DO use the IMAP
protocol, the login process is handled thru the "AIM Module" to validate
the @netscape.net "screen name" and password. (the same applies for aol
mail).

Hence, the only way to check your @netscape.net (and @aol.com) email
accounts is to use Netscape 6.21 Mail client.

Yes, I know that these values appear "pre-filled" as IMAP servers, but
these servers cannot be accesed with other programs because the
user/password validation is done thru AIM first."
klptsfb
Posts: 4
Joined: January 1st, 2004, 9:01 pm

Post by klptsfb »

Wow! Wish that weren't true. Looks like I can't use Thunderbird instead of Netscape. Too bad. I'll still uee it though, and will eventually give up the Netscape web mail accounts -- after all we have gone past AOL and will see Netscape go away too. Doubt Microsoft will go away soon.

Joe
klptsfb
Posts: 4
Joined: January 1st, 2004, 9:01 pm

Post by klptsfb »

And I guess that the fact that I can use Firebird or IE or Opera to access http://home.netscape.com and my mail -- screen name, etc., doesn't mean Thunderbird will ever work. Hard to understand.
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