While helping a friend, named MARGIE, who recently switched from dialup internet access with a local ISP to AT&T's DSL service, I had conversation directly with one of AT&T's support techs (ST).  She wanted to get her email account set up in Windows Mail (Vista).  During the conversation, I asked the ST for the settings for a POP mail account in Windows Mail.  He told me the settings and I jotted them down.  I then asked him whether this info is on their website.  He said it is not and added, "You can Google for it", meaning use Google to find the info from some other source.  Now, wouldn't you think a large ISP such as AT&T would have that on their website? 

Before I talked to the ST, Margie had talked to him and said she wanted to change the password for her email account from the one originally issued when she first subscribed to AT&T's DSL service. He said her modem would need to be reset for the new password, the one she wanted to use for email, before she would be able to get a connection to the mail server with her email client. He guided her through this procedure, which involved accessing a modem control panel by opening Internet Explorer and typing 192.168.1.254 in the address box, which opened the control panel, and proceeding to change the password for the modem.

I haven't heard of such a procedure being necessary.  It's not something I've ever had to do with my DSL service (different ISP).  If what he said is correct, then she would need to access this modem control panel any time she wanted to changed the password for her email account and change it to the same password she would be using for email account. 

I'm thinking this is sheer incompetence.  Anybody ever heard of this procedure being necessary? I have AT&T DSL(formerly BellSouth). This is the problem with the POP mail settings. AT&T has merged with so many companies that not even AT&T knows where the settings can be found online although they are still there. There are different settings depending on which area you are in for the company they bought out. For instance my mail settings are still mail.bellsouth.net even though my ISP is now AT&T.  A google search for "mail settings bellsouth" would actually be my best option since it is the first result. Try to find it on at&t's SITE. After about 15 pages you may find it. When they started using yahoo for their mail server it really screwed things up to get the mail settings. Before that I could still go to bellsouth.net and they were LISTED there. Now when i go to bellsouth.net I go straight to some screwed up yahoo page. The password for the modem to connect is the same as my email password. Whether or not it has to remain that way, I have no idea. I think pretty much all ISP customer support is pretty much useless. Half the time their final response is "I don't know what's going on, I think you're going to need to call microsoft to get that working" .You need a tech support GUY who actually knows what he's doing.

One that will admit that they would like to send you a actual technician to your house to help you sort out your problem if he can't help you directly via phone.

Changing AT&T account password changes your email password (if you have services merged, like ATT.net mail and Yahoo mail accounts) Quote from: 2x3i5x on January 26, 2010, 11:43:21 PM

Changing AT&T account password changes your email password (if you have services merged, like ATT.net mail and Yahoo mail accounts)

I'm going to have to fax verification to AT&T and wait for a phone call for them to reset my password      When they reset my password, I'll let you know how whether they require changing the modem password...

This is the problem with the POP mail settings. AT&T has merged with so many companies that not even AT&T knows where the settings can be found online although they are still there. There are different settings depending on which area you are in for the company they bought out. For instance my mail settings are still mail.bellsouth.net even though my ISP is now AT&T. 

Changing AT&T account password changes your email password (if you have services merged, like ATT.net mail and Yahoo mail accounts)

soybean     I'm actually in the middle of setting up a Windows Mail account, but it's been so long since I logged into the account assigned to me that I don't remember the password (I even forgot the answer to my security question) and I'm going to have to fax verification to AT&T and wait for a phone call for them to reset my password      When they reset my password, I'll let you know how whether they require changing the modem password...

When I talked to AT&T, they described the procedure for resetting the password.  One option was cancelling my service and starting another one (which means I'd be offline for a few days) or, faxing my ID and proof of address to them and waiting for a call.. I believe when I receive the call, they will simply tell me what the new password is, or give me a new temporary one to use for login, and change after I log in....   From what I gathered, the "fax" option doesn't include being offline, which is why I'm choosing to fax instead..