POP3 access problem

Javier · 2 Nov 2006, 03:51 AM

Hi all:

I have never used GMail with POP3 access because I was mostly using it as an storage place where to receive one copy of every message I have (redirected from Netaddress).

Some days ago (I have commented the reasons in other post), I decided to use GMail for your domain to manage all the mail associated with one domain I own.

Therefore, all message sent to my own domain is only received by Google Mail and I decided to activate POP3 access (I just tested it when it was launched).

My surprise is that I cannot use it because every time I try to receive my messages the email client (tested with TB, OE and M3) said there are no new messages. But, when I access the webmail I discover that, in fact, there are messages.

Researching I have found that the problem is POP3 access automatically deactivating or modifying by itself. For example, if I access my webmail settings today (Nov. 1) at 16:25 h., it says that POP3 access is active from today at 16:25 h. and, therefore, older messages are not available.

If I select to receive all email messages received, I download all messages but automatically deactivate/modify again. It seems that this problem also affects my other normal GMail accounts.

Does anyone of you have any clue about that? Thanks in advance.

Note: I am accessing my inbox using the correct email configuration with SSL POP3 access. In fact, I correctly log to the server (I have analyzed the communication).

jrafter · 2 Nov 2006, 04:40 AM

Gmail only allows you to download mail to one computer (unless you re-set POP each time). If you are accessing Gmail on two computers, you can easily set one Gmail account to Forward all mail to a second Gmail and keep a copy. Then you can access one account from each computer. I was able to do that quite successfully.

However, I finally decided to open an account with another provider that allows IMAP.

Javier · 2 Nov 2006, 06:34 AM

Thanks, jrafter, for your reply. But I should not fully understand you. I am using just one computer: my notebook, accessing my account using just Thunderbird and the webmail.

Do you refer to just one IP address? I travel a lot and, therefore, the IP address I receive changes (but this also happens while connected from home using my ISP) Maybe, Thunderbird and the webmail are not usable at once?

jrafter · 2 Nov 2006, 07:00 AM

Javier,

Sorry. I misunderstood you. I thought you were accessing gmail from two different computers.

My own experience is that I could always keep my gmail account updated properly from the same computer, whether via webmail or POP. So I think you should be able to do that with Thunderbird and webmail. My guess is that it has something to do with your settings, but obviously i don't really know.

Sorry not to be of much help. And good luck!

John

**CyberSmurf** · 2 Nov 2006, 01:44 PM

The Google Help Centre is off-line at the moment, so I can't research this first.

Just a wild guess.

Do you automatically check your POP mailbox every xx minutes?
Maybe you need to make the interval longer?

**CyberSmurf** · 2 Nov 2006, 02:35 PM

I sent a message to my GMail account at 10 pm. Then waited 10 minutes and logged into webmail at 10:10 pm.
The message was listed with a time of 10:01pm.
I then checked my Settings and "Forwarding and POP" showed ...
    "Status: POP is enabled for all mail that has arrived since 10:01 pm"

I then logged out of webmail and checked my messages through Outlook Express at 10:20pm.
My test message downloaded okay.

When I logged into webmail earlier, and later, it showed the current time in the POP status.
So from this, I am guessing that if there are messages in the POP queue waiting to be downloaded, it will show the timestamp on the oldest message. Otherwise it will show the current time.

Javier, sorry for asking, but are you absolutely sure that you don't have some kind of pop-checker set up? Something to notify you that there is new mail?

btw, my GMail is configured to Forward to an ISP account which I POP in Eudora. I POP the GMail mailbox in Outlook Express.

Javier · 2 Nov 2006, 04:26 PM

Thanks, CyberSmurf.

I do not have any POP3 checker and I am not automatically checking it using my email client. Also, I am not using any Firefox checking extension nor having active Google Talk/Google Desktop. The only automatic "checking" of email active, occassionally, is the "Refresh" feature of the GMail webmail.

Also, trying to reproduce the problem not always is effective. For example, I reactivated yesterday POP3 access (I did it several times before) and today seems to be working (as done in previous testings). My main concern is stopping to work unexpectedly.

Anyway, I will do more tests and, if I discover something new, I will share here.

chris_o · 5 Jan 2007, 02:32 AM

Javier, have you got "Leave a copy of messages on server" selected in your email client? I was experiencing the same problem but, after deselecting that option, POP3 access worked fine. Just a thought.

2 Nov 2006, 03:51 AM	#1
Javier Master of the @ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 1,344	POP3 access problem Hi all: I have never used GMail with POP3 access because I was mostly using it as an storage place where to receive one copy of every message I have (redirected from Netaddress). Some days ago (I have commented the reasons in other post), I decided to use GMail for your domain to manage all the mail associated with one domain I own. Therefore, all message sent to my own domain is only received by Google Mail and I decided to activate POP3 access (I just tested it when it was launched). My surprise is that I cannot use it because every time I try to receive my messages the email client (tested with TB, OE and M3) said there are no new messages. But, when I access the webmail I discover that, in fact, there are messages. Researching I have found that the problem is POP3 access automatically deactivating or modifying by itself. For example, if I access my webmail settings today (Nov. 1) at 16:25 h., it says that POP3 access is active from today at 16:25 h. and, therefore, older messages are not available. If I select to receive all email messages received, I download all messages but automatically deactivate/modify again. It seems that this problem also affects my other normal GMail accounts. Does anyone of you have any clue about that? Thanks in advance. Note: I am accessing my inbox using the correct email configuration with SSL POP3 access. In fact, I correctly log to the server (I have analyzed the communication).

2 Nov 2006, 04:40 AM	#2
jrafter Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: USA Posts: 363	Gmail only allows you to download mail to one computer (unless you re-set POP each time). If you are accessing Gmail on two computers, you can easily set one Gmail account to Forward all mail to a second Gmail and keep a copy. Then you can access one account from each computer. I was able to do that quite successfully. However, I finally decided to open an account with another provider that allows IMAP.

2 Nov 2006, 06:34 AM	#3
Javier Master of the @ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 1,344	Thanks, jrafter, for your reply. But I should not fully understand you. I am using just one computer: my notebook, accessing my account using just Thunderbird and the webmail. Do you refer to just one IP address? I travel a lot and, therefore, the IP address I receive changes (but this also happens while connected from home using my ISP) Maybe, Thunderbird and the webmail are not usable at once?

2 Nov 2006, 07:00 AM	#4
jrafter Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: USA Posts: 363	Javier, Sorry. I misunderstood you. I thought you were accessing gmail from two different computers. My own experience is that I could always keep my gmail account updated properly from the same computer, whether via webmail or POP. So I think you *should* be able to do that with Thunderbird and webmail. My guess is that it has something to do with your settings, but obviously i don't really know. Sorry not to be of much help. And good luck! John

2 Nov 2006, 01:44 PM	#5
CyberSmurf Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: British Columbia Posts: 4,085	The Google Help Centre is off-line at the moment, so I can't research this first. Just a wild guess. Do you automatically check your POP mailbox every xx minutes? Maybe you need to make the interval longer?

2 Nov 2006, 02:35 PM	#6
CyberSmurf Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: British Columbia Posts: 4,085	I sent a message to my GMail account at 10 pm. Then waited 10 minutes and logged into webmail at 10:10 pm. The message was listed with a time of 10:01pm. I then checked my Settings and "Forwarding and POP" showed ...     "Status: POP is enabled for all mail that has arrived since 10:01 pm" I then logged out of webmail and checked my messages through Outlook Express at 10:20pm. My test message downloaded okay. When I logged into webmail earlier, and later, it showed the current time in the POP status. So from this, I am guessing that if there are messages in the POP queue waiting to be downloaded, it will show the timestamp on the oldest message. Otherwise it will show the current time. Javier, sorry for asking, but are you absolutely sure that you don't have some kind of pop-checker set up? Something to notify you that there is new mail? btw, my GMail is configured to Forward to an ISP account which I POP in Eudora. I POP the GMail mailbox in Outlook Express.

2 Nov 2006, 04:26 PM	#7
Javier Master of the @ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 1,344	Thanks, CyberSmurf. I do not have any POP3 checker and I am not automatically checking it using my email client. Also, I am not using any Firefox checking extension nor having active Google Talk/Google Desktop. The only automatic "checking" of email active, occassionally, is the "Refresh" feature of the GMail webmail. Also, trying to reproduce the problem not always is effective. For example, I reactivated yesterday POP3 access (I did it several times before) and today seems to be working (as done in previous testings). My main concern is stopping to work unexpectedly. Anyway, I will do more tests and, if I discover something new, I will share here.

5 Jan 2007, 02:32 AM	#8
chris_o Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 30	Javier, have you got "Leave a copy of messages on server" selected in your email client? I was experiencing the same problem but, after deselecting that option, POP3 access worked fine. Just a thought.