Question

Gmail POP3

Asked by: trican

Hi

I'm trying to setup gmail and pop3 access for use with thunderbird on my linux (RH9) setup. I've followed the instructions given on the gmail page - however thunderbird times out when trying to connect to pop.gmail.com server?

I can access my other email account on my local email server on the network. And I'm behind a fairly restrictive server/firewall - but have no problem coonecting to external websites. I'm guesssing my connection to pop.gmail.com goes through the proxy server (and I've correctly configured my local thunderbird settings -since on my regular email account if there are graphics web links its able to retrieve them). the connection port configured on gmail is 995 as specified on the gmail help page


any thoughts???

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Asked On
2005-02-25 at 05:47:17ID21329017
Tags

gmail

,

pop3

,

proxy

Topic

Miscellaneous

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
12

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Answers

 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 06:15:12ID: 13403047

Try telnetting to the POP3 server at GMail and see what you get.  For example:

telnet pop.gmail.com 995

The above will attempt to connect you to the IP address that pop.gmail.com translates to on port 995 - POP3 is a text-based protocol, if you get in, then simply type the word QUIT and then press your return key to exit.  If this doesn't work, then there is something external to thunderbird which is affecting your access.

 

by: tricanPosted on 2005-02-25 at 06:28:00ID: 13403131

Just tried that - and yes I can log in via telnet,


however I have to telnet to server first and then telnet from there. If I try to telnet directly from my machine it says:

Trying: 64.233.185.109...

and then it times out.

But i think this is ok since th eemail client *should* being going through the server (proxy server)

 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 06:55:20ID: 13403408

In what way is the proxy set up in that case - it could be the proxy is at fault.

 

by: tricanPosted on 2005-02-25 at 07:04:34ID: 13403465

well within thunderbird:  

bypasses setup for: localhost, url_of_local_email_server

http: proxy.URL port:80
ssl: proxy.URL port:80
socks: proxy.URL port:80


I know the http and ssl are ok from general websurfing (both URL and port), though I dont know about the socks connection. Apparently I dont by default have a connection onto the socks machine.

However I suspect it must be something like this, beucase as a test I'm just after trying to connect to another pop3 account that I have and that also times out.


 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 07:19:34ID: 13403594

HTTP and SSL should have nothing to do with the retrieval of your e-mail through the POP3 account, so it's down to you SOCKS.

Certainly if you point at the socks proxy and you don't have a connection to it, then you won't have a connection to anything you are attempting to use through it...  I think you've answered you're own question there. :)

 

by: tricanPosted on 2005-02-25 at 07:31:34ID: 13403704

so i removed the reference to the socks server - but i still cant connect.

 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 07:50:12ID: 13403957

OK.  I think you may be hitting a catch-22.  You don't have access to the SOCKS proxy (which deals with proxying pretty much anything bar the HTTP & SSL connections) and you don't have access when it's not configured.

By the sound of everything you've said, you're connecting to the outside world through another server and that that server is configured to not allow anything going out unless it's coming from one of the proxies in place.  The next best course of action would be to find out who's in charge of the server configuration & who is in charge of the SOCKS proxy - one or the other needs to give you access through port 995 (as that is the port you say GMail POP3 uses - I don't know personally, I'm working on your say-so).  If you get access through the SOCKS proxy, you will also need to add that proxy back into your Thunderbird configuration (if you haven't already).

 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 07:50:54ID: 13403968

No offense, but I'm not about to help you circumvent your own corporate's firewalling rules. :(

 

by: frudPosted on 2005-02-25 at 08:05:09ID: 13404123

Did you enable pop acces on your gmail account?
Go to mail.google.com log in, go to settings and enable it...

 

by: tricanPosted on 2005-02-25 at 08:07:01ID: 13404149


"...No offense, but I'm not about to help you circumvent your own corporate's firewalling rules. :( ..."

yeah I know! :-) i just wanted to track down the issue. There shouldn't be a problem when i let the admin guy know. (its academia anyway!)

So you reckon once i get access to the socks server I should be ok? The 995 port (ssl) is on google's side so i shouldn't need to worry about that i wouldn't have thought.




 

by: tricanPosted on 2005-02-25 at 08:07:36ID: 13404154

Thanks Frud, yes it is enabled

 

by: BarthaxPosted on 2005-02-25 at 08:11:06ID: 13404203

Once you've got the SOCKS proxy access you should be through like a shot. :)

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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