IMAP is not working correctly on Outlook Office365. Error: "User is authenticated but not connected"

Anonymous
2019-04-01T17:16:04+00:00

Hello

Since a couple of weeks I get the problem that IMAP services are not working correctly.

Problem:

I have a GMail client on an Android phone, and a Thunderbird client. Both using IMAP to reach my emails.

From time to time the IMAP service responds with the error "User is authenticated but not connected" and denies the synchronization of the emails, for around 15-30 minutes. In this time I can not access nor answer my emails from the clients.

I have tried from mobilenet and from fix wifi, but I get the same results. So it is independent from the connection.

I have found some hints that this is due to the "chatty client policy" of the cloud.

However this is not an excuse. I need my two clients for work, and I have a business package.

How can I overcome this problem?

Thank you in advance.

r

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-09-19T19:19:37+00:00

    Today there is no problem with my account. As I said I switched off the gmail synchronisation. Roberts test is successful without any warning. I will give it another 24 hours.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-09-21T06:35:08+00:00

    Sorry, that was not completely right. I had set "ignore Trust for SSL". When it is not selected, it says "The Microsoft Connectivity Analyzer can only validate the certificate chain using the Root Certificate Update functionality from Windows Update. Your certificate may not be trusted on Windows if the "Update Root Certificates" feature isn't enabled. "

    Nevertheless having thunderbird on and gmail off I did not have any connectionproblems anymore. Now I switched on gmail. Gmail cannot synchronise, but thunderbird is still working fine (tested by sending an email from my own address to my own address). The connectivity test says:

    Secured: CN=outlook.com, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US <br><br>S: * OK The Microsoft Exchange IMAP4 service is ready. [RABCADYAUABSADAANQAwADEAQwBBADAAMAAzADkALgBlAHUAcgBwAHIAZAAwADUALgBwAHIAbwBkAC4AbwB1AHQAbABvAG8AawAuAGMAbwBtAA==] <br><br>C: 1 CAPABILITY <br><br>S: * CAPABILITY IMAP4 IMAP4rev1 AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=XOAUTH2 SASL-IR UIDPLUS MOVE ID UNSELECT CHILDREN IDLE NAMESPACE LITERAL+ <br><br>1 OK CAPABILITY completed. <br><br>C: 2 LOGIN *** Email address is removed for privacy *** <password> <br><br>S: 2 OK LOGIN completed. <br><br>C: 3 LIST "" * <br><br>S: 3 BAD User is authenticated but not connected. <br><br> <br><br>Microsoft.Exchange.Tools.ExRca.Tests.ImapPop.MailProtocolException: 3 BAD User is authenticated but not connected. <br><br>at Microsoft.Exchange.Tools.ExRca.Tests.ImapPop.ImapProtocolTester.SendCommand(String command, String logString) <br><br>at Microsoft.Exchange.Tools.ExRca.Tests.ImapPop.ImapProtocolTester.CheckMailboxHealth() <br><br>at Microsoft.Exchange.Tools.ExRca.Tests.ImapPop.BaseProtocolTest.PerformTestReally()<br><br><br>Elapsed Time: 2004 ms. <br> --- <br> --- <br> --- <br> ---

    I may repeat it again, thunderbird connection works fine but connectivity test and gmail do not work. Sounds like "only one login per time" or so, because now it is exactly vice versa as before. First come first serve?

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-09-26T08:34:40+00:00

    Hi Karl,

    Sorry for the slow answer. No it is not "one login per time" it is a little bit more complicated.

    I did a test with Thunderbird, where I cut the internet line several time, to produce the broken connections. I get the same error message.

    I would say the conclusion is that Gmail produces more broken TCP connections, and so you reach earlier the given limit and get the error message. The root cause for that is party because it uses 4 connections (instead of the Thunderbird which we have already set to 1), and this Android sleep thing might causes also some extra broken connections (but that is not confirmed, just a guess).

    Regards the "first comes first severs". You have a limit of 15 connections. If you reach this limit new connects get this "BAD User is authenticated but not connected" error, however if there are before opened working TCP connections, those are still working.

    So if you connect with Thunderbird, and it works, then Gmail creates enough broken connections and you reach the limit, and run the test site, you will see there "BAD User is authenticated but not connected", however your Thunderbird is still working.

    I hope I can finally do some measurements with the IMAP proxy and then see how the Gmail app opens new connects, and how much broken TCP connections it produces.

    Regards,

    Robert

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