Send emails from btinternet.com account when using third party broadband

[MartinEllis]

I switched broadband provider to Voneus in April 2025. I still have an account with EE (and am under contract until late 2026). I aim to use my btinternet.com email account until my contract with EE expires.

If I try to send emails from my btinternet.com account whilst connected to Voneus broadband, I get various error messages:

Unable to verify account name or password.

Can't connect to the account : "my btinternet email address". Enter the password for user "my btinternet email address".

My outgoing SMTP settings are:

Outgoing Mail Server: mail.btinternet.com

Port: 465

SSL encryption: Enabled

Authentication: Password

When I connect using my existing EE router, I can send emails from btinternet.com without any problems.

I can still access my email via webmail (on a browser).

Can anybody offer me any advice? Many thanks.

[MartinEllis]

It was a typo. Port 993 gives the same error message as 995. Port 993 is used for the Incoming Mail Server (IMAP).

[MartinEllis]

It may be worth mentioning that I have the same problem on my Mac, iPad and iPhone. My wife (who has a different email address and password) has the same problems on her Mac, iPad and iPhone. It's not unique to a particular device or email address.

[XRaySpeX]

@Mustrum : Why are you keeping on about Port 993? It's never used for sending! Your typo?

It has introduced a red herring 😞 .

[XRaySpeX]

Then the common factor is the Voneus BB.

[Mustrum]

@MartinEllis   well in my efforts to help I have:

!. sharded settings that work for me on 365 mail.

2. shared the settings and link from BT Internet.

3  setup my BT Internet email on my iPad -  alas get the same results so far, incoming emails are fine, but no outgoing on a non BT/EE internet connection - although it does work fine on my 365 client.

What I have not done is criticize or question anyone trying to help or made impractical suggestions such as duel mail settings.

Need to go out now, will explore iPad settings when I have some more time.

Something for @James_B  to have a read of  when he returns from his hols.

[MartinEllis]

You may be right! When we were first connected to Voneus, everything worked fine for 4 weeks. Then we started having a persistent problem with sending emails using our btinternet.com email accounts.

I contacted Voneus' technical department and they eventually concluded that since nobody has reported such an issue before, the problem must lie with BT/EE. The broadband and incoming email work fine.

And when I contacted EE, they said that since I could connect and send emails using webmail, it can't be their problem.

Luckily I have a workaround at the moment, but it would be good to get it resolved.

[MartinEllis]

@Mustrum Thank you for your efforts. They're much appreciated.

I'm not aware that I've criticised you (or anybody else) and I apologise if that's the impression you've gained and any misunderstanding. Sorry!

[XRaySpeX]

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@Mustrum wrote:

made impractical suggestions such as duel mail settings.

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What dual mail settings? You obviously do not know the diff between IMAP & SMTP. You need to use both for a proper working email system that can handle both incoming & outgoing mail.

• IMAP only handles incoming mail which arrive at the mail server & only accesses the mailboxes on the mail server & keep those in your email client on your device in line with those on the server
• SMTP handles outgoing mail which are initiated from your email client or app on your device.

The OP's issue is entirely with the SMTP Server. Any discussion of IMAP (Port 993 in this case) is derailing this thread & wasting time. In all likelihood the OP is using POP3 for his incoming mail anyway.

I know, I worked on email systems for a major computer systems manufacturer for many years.

[Mustrum]

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@MartinEllis wrote:

@Mustrum Thank you for your efforts. They're much appreciated.

I'm not aware that I've criticised you (or anybody else) and I apologise if that's the impression you've gained and any misunderstanding. Sorry!

@MartinEllis   no clearly not you. It is a strange problem, and not one reported on here before as far as I know.

As you share the limited settings on Apple mail as I did on MS 365 , the other poster who has not bothered to see how things look at what settings are available on todays apps is not adding any help to the thread, and I have no idea why they do so.

As above, I will have another look in the morning.

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[MartinEllis]

The issue still remains unresolved despite some really useful replies from a couple of EE Community Stars. Many thanks to them. 👍