# email for Droid via bellsouth.net



## Thurman

I am desperate now. I lost my bellsouth.net email account on my Droid 3 April 20, it just quit working. Each time I tried to access email I get the error message: "user name/password error". That's it. I now have called AT&T five (5) times about this and they keep telling me that it is not their problem. AT&T bought out bellsouth some time back is my understanding. I have also taken my phone to the local Verizon store for help four (4) times and they keep telling me that it is not the phone's fault, it is the email settings fault. One of the AT&T agents did tell me that he was not supposed to tell me my user name and password but he did and I wrote it down. We repeated this info to each other twice to assure that I had it correctly. Each time I try the user name and password (which are the same one's I had previously recorded) they will not work. Last Friday evening was my last AT&T call. The lady I talked to actually asked me: "Why are you calling us if you have a Verizon account? We are not Verizon, if you would like to change over to an AT&T wireless phone account then I will help you. If you do not wish to change over then this conversation is over". I informed her that I was not wanting to change phone carriers and at that point she hung up. Now--does anyone know who I can contact about this matter? Thanks, David


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## gregzoll

Are you having issues with the email settings, or username & password? If just a issue with the email settings, you can use the following if the phone does not have a feature to setup a "Yahoo" account, which @att.net & @bellsouth.net accounts use. Most @bellsouth.net accounts have been migrated as of now to @att.net.

These are the settings for @att.net email that will work if you have to manually setup the email on your device:

POP: pop.att.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 995
SMTP: smtp.att.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 465

or

POP: inbound.att.net, Security SSL, Port 995
SMTP: outbound.att.net, Security SSL, Port 465

or

POP: pop.mail.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 995
SMTP: smtp.mail.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 465

or

IMAP: imap.mail.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 993
SMTP: smtp.mail.yahoo.com, Security SSL, Port 465


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## ddawg16

I suspect an ESTO problem.


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## user1007

Ma Bell or whatever it calls itself these days still goes by the age old mantra they perfected, "We are the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to."

I will say that when I was left hanging years ago when they changed names from Ameritech to SBC and just dropped my email account I got my own domains and now do not worry about such nonsense. I owe them that.


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## GBrackins

can you log into the email account from your computer?


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## Thurman

Yes, I can log into my email account via my desktop at home and two (2) others elsewhere. IF I use the same log in information with my phone I keep getting an error: "User name/password failure". I just got off the phone with another ATT tech who was really helpful and we tried all of the server settings that "gregzoll" suggested with the same error each time. The tech seems to believe that this is a "Google/Droid/Verizon" programming fault within my phone due to an automatic update. Back to Verizon tomorrow to ask if they can find out IF there was an auto update on April 20th. Another weird thing I found out: I cannot get email to work on my Kindle Fire which was working on/about April 20th. My lady friend sat beside me last night at my house and her Kindle would connect to my router with the same incoming and outgoing settings I have on my Kindle, but I cannot connect to email. I doubt that it is the router as my desktop uses wireless connection and everything on it works just fine. OH--I can connect to a website via the phone and the Kindle, just not email.


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## gregzoll

Possible blacklist on the yahoo servers. If it is not working with the kindles or smartphones, on and off your network, then there is something else wrong somewhere.


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## user1007

Sounds like it doesn't like something in the device ID if your lady was able to use your IP address?

Someone else had a similar problem with a device specific log in a year or so ago if I could only remember the subject of the thread I could search. I don't remember it being a phone but one desktop or laptop when all others were working fine. 

Yahoo has had some legendary email account mass password attacks this past year. Perhaps they have gone overboard in trying to fix it.


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## Thurman

Guess what? I found someone at the local Verizon store _who cares !_ This lady listened to my problem then started doing something with my phone. I supplied my user name and password, and all the incoming, outgoing, and port settings that I have tried. She practically did all of this again. Then she got on a computer and got in to my account easily, and also successfully got into the account with an Iphone. She called Verizon tech support and put this call on the speaker. Surprise, or not really: The tech guy told us that Bellsouth had been sold again this past February _but_ ATT still had to recognize all of the old bellsouth.net customers and Yahoo had to remain the domain for emailing. He stated that this was NOT an Android operating system problem but the Android system was not working with bellsouth.net lately. That's why the Kindle would not work with bellsouth.net. He also told us that Verizon had been swamped with Verizon customers who used bellsouth.net and could not get into their email using ATT/Yahoo with an error of "user name/password failure" within the last month. He stated that they had been told that bellsouth.net would not be in business within this calendar year. His solution to this is to set up a Gmail account and have all of my bellsouth.net email sent to the Gmail account. We did this with the phone and Kindle and all is working perfectly now. Gee, remember when "Ma Bell" could be trusted? Thanks for the replies and help, David


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## gregzoll

The "tech" comment you got about opening a gmail account, reminds me of a forum regular over at the ATT forums, that always tells people the way to fix their email issues with their ATT sub-brand emails, is to open a gmail account. I personally would have told them thank you and goodbye, that is not the correct way to assist the customer, then politely while the VZ salesperson is standing there, ask her to go ahead and hang up the phone.

I would though open a yahoo.com and then go in and put in to pull your @bellsouth.net email into it. As for Bellsouth not being around for much longer, again that is BS, since all Bellsouth did, is get gobbled back up into the new ATT monopoly. Just the @bellsouth.net email domain is going away.

Try using @att.net instead of @bellsouth.net and see if that works with the settings I gave you. For some it has. As for VZ, they are just trying to remove responsibility as usual from the problem that their servers are causing with their customers equipment, due to ATT is a direct competitor with VZ.


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## user1007

Hate to say I am right but remember the scenes from Terminator 2 when the enemy character keeps getting turned into little globs with guns, truck accidents and you name it? But eventually all the pieces ooze back together into something seemingly more evil and more powerful than before?

I always think of the break-up of AT&T in the context of that character. I knew it was going to be a big mistake long term. For some reason!:yes:All the anti-trust break-up of the company really did was allow them to dump all the non-performing Baby Bells, temporarily rename and redevelop the profitable ones, and eventually bring them back to the giant evil Mothership as AT&T divisions and subsidiaries again.

"We are the phone company. We do not care! We do not have to!" is the mantra all over again. Only worse this time around. Just watch. Meanwhile, if they want to just drop your email accounts, there is not a darn thing you can say or do about it. Safest thing to do is get your own domains with email accounts and park them for the sole purpose of email. Well worth it for peace of mind. Set a domain up for the whole family with a secure website if you want.


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## gregzoll

sdsester a little backstory about Monday. Got up, flipped on the television, message stating to check all U-Verse connections, reboot dvr & rg. No Internet. Called tech support to report about the issue, that all lights are green, message on gateway stating no Internet connection with the equipment at the Vrad & Central Office. So tech credits me for a day without service ($15), and then sends a request to send a new gateway.

Get up yesterday, guess what, everything is back to normal, so call tech support to report that I am back online, and they said send the new gateway back, when Fedex shows up. Sat there talking to the Fedex lady about it, and she stated that she had over fifty gateways on her truck, and they had gotten a pallet of them for just our city alone, due to tier one did not know better.

She even stated that the left hand did not know what the right hand is doing over at ATT, and wish that Fedex had gotten something, but it would have been hard, due to most people were probably back online by 8 or 9 am, once the Tech gods on the back end of ATT, got everyones profiles reloaded. All of this was caused due to a pushed updated firmware to the gateways, and in turn, caused backend issues, that knocked hundreds of customers offline.

So yes, even though Ma Bell split apart, you still have two large entities. Verizon & ATT, and of course VZ side which used to be Atlantic Bell has always been the evil step sister of the company, because they want to place blame on everyone but themselves.


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## user1007

And of course in Central Illinois you have few options. When I lived in Chimpanzee-Bannana you were more or less stuck with the cable or phone company internet service---however configured or whatever called at the moment. There was an independent wireless provider that gained a large share of the market but I don't think they were able to survive. Of course the UofI invested heavily in its own fibreoptic T lines so does not help with market forces for the rest of you. 

I have found the customer support for CLEAR to be marginal at best but I am able to work things out with them when needed and if I exercise patience. I must say the service has worked flawlessly save for very temporary blips in the many years I have had it and at $45/month with no data limits or throttle downs it is a good bargain. I've only needed to contact cs with regard to changing a billiing date and inquiring about switching devices. I've never had actual service issues. 

It is not without its problems and unholy alliances too though. Intel was a major investor as was Sprint. CLEAR is now behind the KARMA service where you share your connection in return for added access, bandwidth, etc.

I just switched to Virgin Mobile for phone service and so far notice no difference but that I like my new phone better and I pay less per month. Unlimited everything but talk minutes and 1200 of those (which I will never use) is $45/month with no contract. They use the Sprint network which is no problem for me. Of course, here in the City, coverage can vary almost building by building so you have to pick the carriers that work where you live and work.

I had some problems porting my number but Virgin customer support was magical and worked out everything so I can only say glowing things about them so far. Time will tell.

Anyhow, for around $100/month I have unlimited everything but talk minutes and can use my CLEAR connection as a hotspot if I want 4G service elsewhere but my laptop. 3G on the phone is fine for my needs. No contracts but I had to purchase my own stuff. I don't have to deal with the likes of Verizon or AT&T customer service!


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## ddawg16

I'm sort of going through the same thing with the in-laws and their Fios/Verizon....

You can read their email via their web site...but Outlook keeps giving you the invalid user/password message. One week it works, the next....nadda.....and nothing changes.

So...I created gmail accounts for them and they are switching over....


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## user1007

Yes, but GMail was severely hacked last week too. And some lost total service for a time.

Why not spend $60-100/year for your own domain, your own email addresses and forward if you want to Gmail? At least you still own your mail? And it looks and feels a bit classier to have your own address? 

[email protected][domain name of your choice].[extension of your choice]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

You get the idea. Hosting service these days is competive and dirt cheap. Most offer unlimited bandwith and unlimited email addresses. You don't have to use it but for parking the domain name and email but you could have a secure family website for the price too. All yours.


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