said by blueoyster :

VPN Connection - Using my ATT VPN client, I seem to authenticate to the VPN server, the client shows "connected", but no significant data will pass through the connection. Email won't synchronize, etc.

said by blueoyster :

MS Outlook TCP/IP connection (without VPN) - I occasionally get an error that reads something like "Error connecting to server, Account = Earthlink, POP3 server = pop.earthlink.net, Error = 0x800ccc15).

quote:

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SYMPTOMS
Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.
When you try to send and receive e-mail, you may receive an error message that is similar to one of the following:
No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.
The server could not be found. (Account:account name, POPserver:'mail', Error Number: 0x800ccc0d)
Task 'server name - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x800ccc0f): 'The connection to the server was interrupted. If this problem continues, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP). The server responded: ? K'
Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account. account name, Server: 'server name', Protocol: POP3, Server Response: '+OK', Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800ccc0f
Task 'SMTP server name - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x80042109): 'Outlook is unable to connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server 0x8004210a
A time-out occurred while communicating with the server 0x800ccc19
You may also receive an error message that includes one or more of the following error codes:

• 0x800ccc15
• 0x80042108
• 0x800ccc0e
• 0x8004210b
• 0x800CCC0B
• 0x800CCC79
• 0x800ccc67
• 0x80040900
Back to the top

CAUSE
These error messages may occur if Microsoft Outlook or if Microsoft Outlook Express cannot establish a connection with your e-mail server. These error messages are frequently caused by one of the following:

• Incorrect account settings
• Misconfiguration of personal firewall software
• Antivirus software
• A bad modem
• Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) size
• Outlook Express has been removed from the computer or the installation is damaged
• Your user profile in Outlook is damaged
• An e-mail item on your POP3 server is damaged
Back to the top

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods, depending on your situation. Back to the top

Method 1: Confirm that your e-mail server settings are correct
For information about the correct settings for your e-mail server, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) or system administrator.

Note Some ISPs do not permit message routing through another SMTP server while you are connected to their network. To resolve this problem, replace the SMTP server for the other ISP or the other e-mail account by using the SMTP server that is associated with the ISP that you use to connect to the Internet.

If you notice that your account settings have been changed to "Localhost" in the Post Office Protocol (POP) server settings and "account name/pop server name" in the Account Name box on the Server tab and you are using Trend Micro PC-cillin antivirus software, disable the POP3 Scan feature (Pop3trap.exe) of the Trend PC-cillin software. Back to the top

Method 2: Examine the configuration of your firewall software
Warning This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to, or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you choose to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.Configure your firewall software to grant access to the Internet for the following files:

• For Outlook Express: Msimn.exe
• For Outlook: Outlook.exe

By default, most e-mail clients have to have outgoing access on port 25 and incoming access on port 110. For more information about the ports that communicate with your e-mail server, contact your ISP or system administrator.

Firewall software that has been known to cause this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• McAfee
• Symantec
• ZoneLabs
• Cisco
• Sygate
• Sonicwall
• Freedom Security Zero Knowledge

McAfee Personal Firewall
Check your configuration settings in the McAfee Personal Firewall program and make sure that Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express has full access.

For more information about how to configure McAfee Personal Firewall, visit the following McAfee Web site:
»www.mcafee.com
Alternatively, you can remove and reinstall the McAfee Personal Firewall program. The reinstallation process recreates the program signature file that is used by the firewall. Additionally, this process makes sure that both Outlook and Outlook Express are included in the list of programs where Internet access is permitted.
Norton Personal Firewall (Symantec)
If you are running Norton Personal Firewall 2002, Norton Internet Security, or Norton SystemWorks software by Symantec, contact Symantec product support for upgrade or reconfiguration instruction to resolve your problem.

For more information about how to contact Symantec, view the Symantec contact information described later in this article. Back to the top

Method 3: Check your antivirus vendor's Web site for additional suggestions
If your antivirus solution includes an e-mail scanning feature, you may have to do additional configuration to use Outlook or Outlook Express with the antivirus e-mail scanning feature.

Antivirus software that has been known to cause this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• Symantec (Norton)
• McAfee
• Trend Micro (PC-cillin)
• Panda

For more information, visit the following Web sites:

Symantec:
»www.symantec.com/techsupp/
McAfee:
»us.mcafee.com/root/support.asp?cid=9045
Trend Micro:
»kb.trendmicro.com/solutions/defa···sionID=0
Panda:
»www.pandasoftware.com/support/default.aspx

Note An antivirus program is designed to help protect your computer from viruses. You must not download or open files from sources that you do not trust, visit Web sites that you do not trust, or open e-mail attachments when your antivirus program is disabled.

For more information about computer viruses, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
129972 Computer viruses: description, prevention, and recovery
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products. Back to the top

Method 4: Determine whether your modem is functioning correctly
Contact the vendor of your modem to determine whether there are any known issues or updates for the type of modem you are using.

TimeWarner RoadRunner cable service has confirmed that there is a known problem with the older Toshiba models of their cable modems. Back to the top

Method 5: Verify the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) size that is set on your router
The MTU size set on your router may not let packets larger than a certain size to pass through. These types of errors generally occur if you are connecting to the Internet through a Linksys BEFSR41 router, a Linksys BEFSR81 router, or a Linksys BEFW11S4 router. These routers have Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) problems that may cause timeout errors when you send e-mail messages.

To resolve this problem, change the MTU setting for your router. For information about how to do this, view the documentation that is included with your router, or visit the following Linksys Web site:
»linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/lin···opview=1
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Note This problem may also occur if there is a misconfigured router or device between the user and their mail provider. These types of devices are known as 'black hole' routers.

For more information about troubleshooting "black hole" router issues, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314825 How to troubleshoot black hole router issues
159211 Diagnoses and treatment of black hole routers
156438 Internet mail or news reader software hangs or times out Back to the top

Method 6: Remove and then reinstall Outlook Express
If Outlook Express has been removed from your computer or the installation of Outlook Express is damaged, Outlook will not function correctly and may generate one of the error messages that are mentioned in the "Symptoms" section. To resolve this problem, reinstall Outlook Express.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
318378 How to reinstall or repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP
263837 How to manually remove and reinstall Outlook Express
For more information explaining why Outlook Express is required to use Outlook, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
230076 Outlook 2000 requires Outlook Express Back to the top

Method 7: Create a new e-mail profile
You may be able to resolve these problems by creating a new e-mail profile.

For more information about how to create profiles in Outlook, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
829918 How to create a new e-mail profile in Outlook 2003
287072 How to create a new e-mail profile for Outlook 2002
195718 How to create a new e-mail profile in Outlook 2000 Back to the top

Method 8: Delete suspicious messages from your mailbox
If there is a damaged message in your mailbox, you can resolve this by doing one of the following: • Contact your ISP and ask them to delete any suspicious e-mail.

• Delete any suspicious e-mail by accessing your mailbox by using your ISP's Web-based e-mail program.
Back to the top

Method 9: Verify that all SMTP e-mail addresses in a distribution list are valid
If one SMTP address in a distribution list is corrupted or incorrectly formed, error 0x8004210b can occur. Examine all addresses in the distribution list to verify that they look correct. Additionally, you can send individual test messages to each distribution list member to determine the bad address. Back to the top

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