Resolving Recent Email Troubles
Also see Books on Email for Seniors from Amazon
Resolving Recent Email Troubles – for Bright House (Roadrunner) Customers
Most residents in our area using Bright House internet access are using a Roadrunner email address such as YOURNAME@CFL.RR.COM
Recently a significant number of customers here have been experiencing problems getting access to their Roadrunner email.
To some extent this is related to changes in how the new Spectrum regime is handling customer email accounts.
Generally the problems people are experiencing are signaled by errors messages along the lines "unable to locate server" or "email account does not exist".
Following below are some tips and instructions I've drawn up recently from helping roadrunner email users with Bright House phone interactions and email setups.
Server error messages:
If you get a message indicating that the incoming or outgoing email process has encountered a server problem, the main step to take may be to update the email server settings in your email program.
If you're using a program like Outlook or Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird, this is relevant.
Instructions with currently accurate server settings can be found at the following web address:
http://support.brighthouse.com/Article/Verify-Email-Settings-Account/
This page may refer to settings for iPad or iPhone, but the POP and SMTP information applies to other device and desktop requirements as well.
The necessary settings information is located via the blue links in Items 4 and 5 on that page. Most people require some help in this process but if you've been through this before the POP3/SMTP and IMAP distinctions will look familiar.
(If you run into server error problems while using using the new Windows 10 "Mail" app, I suggest setting up your mail with one of the other programs mentioned above, or using your usual browser to get your email through a web mail interface.)
Email address "not found"
"does not exist" or "suspended"
If you get a message indicating your email address is "not found" or the like, this may be due circumstances such as:
- Letting an email account go for a period of time without signing in regularly, causing Bright House system to detect the email as "inactive"
- Trying to carry over an email account from an old Bright House account to a new one, or relocating and trying to transfer your email account from a previous residence, especially if out-of-state
In the case of transferring an email address from a previous account, your primary email may transfer over successfully but not your secondary email addresses. Typically this problem becomes evident when one spouse (using the primary email address for the account) is able to get their email just fine but the other spouse (with a secondary email address) gets closed out.
In these cases, contact Bright House directly, identify the subject of your call as "Email". Then the technician at their end should be able to identify if the inaccessible email can be transferred to, or reactivated in, your current Bright House account.
In most cases Bright House can do this if not too much time has passed. Expect to be on hold for a few minutes for the technician to confirm info and order the transfer or reactivation. If a transfer of the old email address to a new account is required, this can take a few business days. If it's just a matter of reactivating, this might be possible during the course of your phone call.
Added tips for mitigating email problems
Besides the above situations, the following practices can help people out when email applications or providers behave badly.
If you're using an email program to download messages, have your email address and password also saved in a web browser to give you an alternate route to get in.
Keep your password written down in a secure but convenient location, and keep that notation up to date.
In your account settings, provide your phone number (or an alternate email address) as contact point for doing a "password reset" in case you ever lose or forget your password.
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