Recently Time Warner started to implement new email security measures. So far this is effecting Williamsville, Depew, and Lancaster areas. These changes are expected to hit all of WNY over the upcoming months.

Problem

You cant send email all of a sudden.

Previously

Many customers were able to send and receive non-Time Warner email from their Time Warner networks. Many 3rd party email clients used Time Warner SMTP servers since Time Warner blocked other email servers. So your incoming mail server was your business server or something other than Time Warner. Then your SMTP server was often smtp-server.rochester.rr.com.

For users using Time Warner email your servers were confused using Road Runner servers. 

Changes

There are two changes - SMTP server name and "From" address.

If you are using Time Warner's SMTP server, your "From" address in the email setup must be your Time Warner email address. Most people do not want this. They want their 3rd party email address or business address to be their "From" address. This is adding a layer of security for Time Warner but causing a headache for end users, that are now just getting an error message stating they cant authenticate.  This is forcing 3rd party email providers to use another port to send email that Time Warner allows.

The second change that is finally starting to take place is the renaming of the servers. Server names are changing from Road Runner to TWC. Time Warner's servers are all changing to twc.com for both incoming and outgoing servers.

What to change

If you are using Outlook on a Time Warner network, to manage your Time Warrner email,  you will need to update your settings. Open outlook and go to File - accounts. Edit/manage your accounts. Locate your Time Warner account and click Change. Your incoming and outgoing servers should be mail.twc.com. Click on more settings and go to the Outgoing tab. Make sure you have checked "My server requires authentication" and click "same as incoming". Make sure your "From" address is your Time Warner email address. 

Time Warner's official settings

If you are using a 3rd party email system using IMAP or POP you will need to update your SMTP server. If you are using a 3rd party system that utilizes Exchange you do not have to make any changes. If you are using IMAP or POP you will need to contact your email provider for the new settings. Most have to change to sending email on port 587 instead of 25.

Time Warner is not notifying users before this change is implemented. You will just find one day you can not send email.