You open your EarthLink inbox to fire off a quick reply, and instead you are staring at a login loop, a stalled page, or a folder that refuses to load new messages. EarthLink email problems usually trace back to a handful of fixable causes: a sign-in hiccup, a browser setting, a full mailbox, or a server value that no longer matches what your mail program expects. The good news is that EarthLink still runs its own Web Mail on its own infrastructure, so once you know where to look, most of these issues clear up in a few minutes. Work through the nine fixes below in order, and you should have your mail flowing again.
Start at the Right EarthLink Sign-In Page
EarthLink operates its own email service and has not handed your mailbox off to Yahoo, AOL, Google, or Microsoft. That matters, because the quickest way to lock yourself out is to try signing in through a third-party login instead of EarthLink's own Web Mail.
Go to the official EarthLink Web Mail address and sign in there first. If you hold a legacy address from a domain EarthLink manages, such as @mindspring.com, @ix.netcom.com, or @peoplepc.com, the same EarthLink login still applies. Confirming you are on the correct page rules out the single most common false alarm before you start changing settings.
Fix 1: Restart Your Browser and Sign In Again
When Web Mail acts up, the fastest reset is also the simplest one. Close your browser completely, including any other open windows of that browser, then reopen it.
Once the browser is fresh, return to the Web Mail address and log in again. A clean relaunch clears out a stuck session, a half-loaded script, or a temporary glitch that was keeping the page from behaving.
Fix 2: Allow Cookies and Clear Temporary Files
EarthLink Web Mail needs cookies enabled in your browser in order to log in and check your email. If cookies are blocked, the page may refuse to sign you in or behave unpredictably, so enabling them is step one here.
The exact path depends on your browser, but you will find the control in your browser's privacy or cookie settings. Make sure cookies are allowed for Web Mail, and if your browser offers a strict privacy mode that blocks them, switch to a standard setting instead.
After cookies are enabled, clear your browser's temporary files (its cache) and try Web Mail again. A stale cache can serve you an old, broken version of the page, and clearing it forces a clean reload.
Fix 3: Reset or Change Your Password
If your sign-in is being rejected, the issue may be the password itself rather than the page. To reset a forgotten password, open EarthLink's account portal, choose the sign-in option, and follow the forgot-password prompts to verify your identity and set a new one.
To change a password you already know, sign in to the EarthLink portal and use its account security or password settings to enter and save a new one. When you set a new password, follow the on-screen strength requirements EarthLink shows you, since a password that misses them will be rejected.
Fix 4: Free Up a Full Mailbox
If your mail simply stops arriving, your storage may be full. EarthLink provides a set amount of storage per email address, and once a mailbox reaches that limit, it stops receiving new messages entirely.
EarthLink advises deleting older messages from Web Mail from time to time so there is always room for incoming email. Clearing out large attachments and old threads is the quickest way to get delivery moving again.
Fix 5: Check Your Outgoing (SMTP) Server Settings
When your mail will not send from a desktop or phone program, the outgoing server settings are the first thing to verify. EarthLink's official outgoing values are server smtpauth.earthlink.net on port 587 using STARTTLS.
For authentication, use your full email address and password on the outgoing server, not just the part before the @ sign. If you want to confirm that sending works at all, send a test message from Web Mail directly. If Web Mail sends fine but your mail program does not, the problem is almost certainly a mismatched outgoing setting in that program.
Fix 6: Confirm Your Incoming Server Settings (IMAP or POP)
If new messages will not download into your mail program, the incoming server settings need a look. EarthLink recommends IMAP, which keeps your email in sync between Web Mail and your other email clients.
For IMAP, use incoming server imap.earthlink.net on port 993 with SSL/TLS. For POP, use pop.earthlink.net on port 995 with SSL/TLS; on a legacy domain, the incoming server follows the pattern pop.your-domain, such as pop.mindspring.com or pop.peoplepc.com. In every case, authenticate with your full email address and password.
Fix 7: Use the Same Protocol on Every Device
Mixing protocols on a single address is a quiet source of trouble. EarthLink warns that if you use IMAP, every device and email program that checks that address should also be set to IMAP.
When one device uses POP and another uses IMAP on the same account, messages can fail to save when you view them in IMAP. So pick one protocol and apply it consistently across your phone, tablet, and computer. If you do use POP and you want copies to stay in Web Mail, open your program's advanced account settings and turn on the option to leave a copy of messages on the server.
Fix 8: Review spamBlocker and Approve Real Senders
If specific messages you are expecting never show up, EarthLink's spamBlocker may be filtering them out. spamBlocker sorts suspected junk away from your inbox, and its stricter levels only let through senders you have already approved.
If legitimate mail is getting caught, lower the spamBlocker setting or add the sender to your Address Book or approved senders so their messages come through. Checking the folder where filtered mail lands will also help you spot anything held back by mistake.
Fix 9: Reconfigure EarthLink Email on iPhone or iPad
On an iPhone or iPad, EarthLink email should be added manually so the right servers are used. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > Other > Add Mail Account, then enter your name, full email address, password, and a description, and let iOS verify the account.
For the servers, use incoming imap.earthlink.net and outgoing smtpauth.earthlink.net, with your full email address as the username on both. Keeping these EarthLink server names in place is what lets the account connect correctly, including for legacy domain addresses that EarthLink hosts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did EarthLink move its email to Yahoo, AOL, or another provider?
No. EarthLink runs its own email service on its own infrastructure and has not migrated to Yahoo, AOL, Google, or Microsoft. Sign in through EarthLink's official Web Mail rather than a third-party login.
What are EarthLink's correct email server settings?
For incoming mail, use IMAP at imap.earthlink.net on port 993 with SSL/TLS, or POP at pop.earthlink.net on port 995 with SSL/TLS. For outgoing mail, use smtpauth.earthlink.net on port 587 with STARTTLS. Authenticate with your full email address and password on both incoming and outgoing servers.
Why has my EarthLink email stopped receiving new messages?
A full mailbox is a common cause. EarthLink gives each address a set amount of storage, and once it fills up, it stops receiving mail until you delete some messages from Web Mail. It is also worth checking spamBlocker in case expected messages are being filtered.
Can I use IMAP on one device and POP on another for the same address?
It is not recommended. EarthLink warns that mixing POP and IMAP on the same address can cause messages to not be saved when you view them in IMAP. Set every device and email program checking that address to the same protocol.
How do I reset my EarthLink email password?
Open EarthLink's account portal, choose the sign-in option, and follow the forgot-password prompts to verify your identity and set a new password. Once it is reset, update the saved password in every mail program and device that checks the account.
