Old Road Runner email accounts, now Spectrum.net Accounts not accessing outgoing server.

Question

Old Road Runner email accounts, now Spectrum.net Accounts not accessing outgoing server.

Robert Weiner 20

I am using Windows 11, Microsoft Office 365. My problem is with Outlook, the classic version. Spectrum.net is my Internet provider. I currently use several old Road Runner accounts (cfl.rr.com). A few months ago Spectrum announced to continue using the cfl.rr.com email accounts, the old Road Runner accounts, They had to connect to Spectrum.net. I made the setting changes to set them up as Spectrum.net accounts as Spectrum instructed. All was fine with my Outlook email until May 30. Now none of the old Road Runner accounts can connect with the outgoing server. When I go to the spectrum.net webmail, the accounts work fine.

Currently my outgoing server is 'smtp.server.cfl.rr.com'. Obviously, this is not correct. Can someone please tell me what the correct outgoing server in Outlook is for the cfl.rr.com accounts for Spectrum.net? I talked to Spectrum assistance, but as soon as I say "Outlook" the response is, "That's third party software and we do not support it." They say to contact Best Buy support or others. Best Buy is the last place I would go to for support.

Thank you in advance for all assistance.

Bob

Hornblower409 9,145 Reputation points

2026-06-02T20:57:46.53+00:00

Have you been thru the Spectrum Server Settings Maze?
[External Non-Microsoft Site] https://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/mobile-email-setup
Robert Weiner 20 Reputation points

2026-06-03T07:29:10.91+00:00

Yes I did, and you are correct, it is an unfathomable maze. That is why I called Spectrum support.

2 answers

Your answer

Hornblower409 9,145 Reputation points

2026-06-02T20:57:46.53+00:00

Have you been thru the Spectrum Server Settings Maze?
[External Non-Microsoft Site] https://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/mobile-email-setup
Robert Weiner 20 Reputation points

2026-06-03T07:29:10.91+00:00

Yes I did, and you are correct, it is an unfathomable maze. That is why I called Spectrum support.

Answer 1

Robert Weiner 20

I spent over half an hour on the phone with spectrum.net support yesterday and the below is the results.

Spectrum required setup

Incoming server - mail.brighthouse.com

Outgoing server - mail.brighthouse.com

Incoming Server (POP3) 995

SSL/TLS encryption required

Outgoing server (SMTP) 587

Encryption SSL/TLS

During all the testing below, the incoming server completed successfully.

Setting the email account settings as Spectrum said above, gave the below results:

With SSL/TLS encryption - Send test email message: Your server does not support the connection encryption type you have specified. Try changing the encryption method. Contact your mail server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP) for additional assistance.

I tried the other encryption options with the below results:

With STARTTLS encryption - Send test email message: The server responded: 421 p-impout004.msg.pkvw.

With AUTO encryption - Send test email message: The server responded: 421 p-impout009.msg.pkvw.

With NONE encryption - Send test email message: The server responded: 421 p-impout001.msg.pkvw.

In the end, Spectrum said to contact Microsoft Support.

Bob

Hornblower409 9,145 Reputation points

2026-06-03T08:31:13.8933333+00:00
@Robert Weiner said

During all the testing below, the incoming server completed successfully.
[But SMTP fails]

I don't have a Spectrum/Brighthouse account so I can't test. This is all "If you've tried everything else".

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5526241/cannot-add-spectrum-email-with-outlook-classic-but

This one suggest using an alternate server:

mail.twc.com

Port 587 and SSL/TLS

I also see some other sites suggesting:

mobile.charter.net

Port 587 and SSL/TLS

Authentication: Required

Username: email address

Password: email password

In all cases you want to have your IMAP server match the SMTP server. Good luck.
Hornblower409 9,145 Reputation points

2026-06-03T08:46:37.3733333+00:00

Can you add your account to New Outlook for Windows? Sometimes it does a better job of finding the right settings than Classic.

You should be able to run them side-by-side.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/run-new-outlook-and-classic-outlook-side-by-side-a624c36d-c50f-43bc-9c8b-dd17b5690ffb

If New Outlook works, then you can see what settings it used with: File -> Account info -> Accounts -> Your accounts -> [Manage]. It will show you the server settings that it's using under "Advanced settings".
Robert Weiner 20 Reputation points

2026-06-03T20:37:05.1866667+00:00

My outlook classic is Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2605 Build 16.0.20026.20076) 64-bit

I am using POP3, not IMAP

Today I tried different servers.

'mail.twc.com' for both incoming and outgoing servers.

No change. the incoming server worked correctly.

outgoing server error - Send test email message: Your server does not support the connection encryption type you have specified. Try changing the encryption method. Contact your mail server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP) for additional assistance.
Hornblower409 9,145 Reputation points

2026-06-04T07:21:40.7033333+00:00

@Robert Weiner said

No change. the incoming server worked correctly.

All I can suggest is to try a different email client (e.g. New Outlook for Windows, Thunderbird). If you can get another client to work, then you know what the correct settings are. If Classic fails with those same settings then at least you know where the problem is.
Robert Weiner 20 Reputation points

2026-06-04T19:10:59.6733333+00:00

I tried the New Outlook a while back, and definitely did not like it, and will not use it.

Bob

Answer 2

Outlook requires the exact POP/IMAP and SMTP values provided by the email provider. The correct outgoing (SMTP) server name, port, and encryption type for cfl.rr.com accounts under Spectrum.net are not listed in the available context.

To resolve the issue in classic Outlook for Windows:

Open Control Panel → Mail → Email Accounts.
Select the cfl.rr.com account → Change.
Compare the Outgoing mail server (SMTP), port, and encryption type with the values Spectrum documents for these migrated accounts. If they differ, update them.
Select More Settings → Advanced and ensure the Outgoing server (SMTP) port and encryption type match Spectrum’s requirements.
On the Change Account window, select Test Account Settings and confirm both tests show green check marks.

If Spectrum does not provide the exact SMTP settings for cfl.rr.com on its public help pages, contact Spectrum support again and ask specifically for the “SMTP server name, port, and encryption type for cfl.rr.com / Spectrum.net accounts,” then enter those values in Outlook using the steps above.

References:

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Old Road Runner email accounts, now Spectrum.net Accounts not accessing outgoing server.

2 answers

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