556267 - [Advocacy] ISPs whose mail servers only work in their network

Status: NEW

(Webtools :: ISPDB Database Entries, defect)

Description

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Some ISPs only allow their mail servers - particularly the SMTP server - to be used only from within their network, i.e. only when you are connected (via DSL, cable, modem, ...) to them. Once you are on the road, at a friend's place or at a wifi cafe (e.g. McDonald's or Starbucks) with your notebook, or simply want to check mail and reply at the office, you are locked out and the server will simply reject you (or worse, not respond and drop TCP packets, making Thunderbird hang while waiting several minutes for a reply).

Often, they allow webmail access, but that's an annoyance for users who took their notebook (or configured Thunderbird at their office machine) specifically so that they can work with the full comfort of their computer. Webmail is a band-aid.

Worse, often users don't understand why it doesn't work - they think it's just Internet and must work and think the network connection is bad (the first time, I was debugging for an hour, because I couldn't imagine this as the reason).

In the end, it *must* be possible to check and reply to your mail with a proper email client (like Thunderbird) at the office or other places. If the ISP doesn't allow that, it marginalizes itself, because users won't accept that and realize the lock-in, and just get one of the tons of freemail addresses (which, ironically, typically provide much better mail service than ISPs - a shame). That's not in the interest of the ISP, because the change of email address would be a strong reason against switching operators.

Comment 1

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Note: This is a meta bug. It will block bugs for specific ISPs which have that problem. This bug serves as tracker, allowing advocacy to know where there are problems.

Comment 2

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Compare bug 556737 to work around this in the client.