EarthLink is one of the oldest names in US home internet. Today it sells internet service over partner networks across the country and still runs its own email service, with many people keeping their earthlink.net addresses for decades. That gives an EarthLink problem two very different forms: the connection to your home, or the email account itself.
The check above contacts earthlink.net from a remote server and reports status, timing, redirects and certificate. EarthLink’s site may refuse automated requests, which shows up as automated checks blocked. That result is about the website’s protection and tells you nothing about your connection or mailbox.
Internet or email: which one is down
Start by sorting the problem into one of these two groups.
Internet. No websites load on any device, the router or modem lights show no connection, or the connection keeps dropping. Because EarthLink uses partner networks, a fault on the network serving your area can be the cause, and it is fixed by that network’s crews.
Email. Websites load normally, but your mail app will not send or receive, or webmail will not sign you in. That points to the email service, your password or the settings in your app, not to your internet line.
EarthLink problems and what to try
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No internet on any device | Outage on the network serving you, or a modem fault | Restart the modem, then contact support |
| Internet works, mail app fails | App settings or saved password | Test webmail in a browser |
| Webmail and mail app both fail | Email service problem or account lock | Wait a while, then contact support |
| Can receive but not send mail | Outgoing server settings | Check outgoing server, port and sign-in |
| Connection drops in the evening | Shared network busy or Wi-Fi issue | Test by cable at different times |
Getting the connection back
- Restart the modem and router
Unplug both, wait thirty seconds and power up the modem first.
- Check cables and power
Make sure nothing has come loose behind the equipment.
- Use a wired device
A laptop on Ethernet tells you if the issue is the line or Wi-Fi.
- Contact EarthLink support from your phone
With Wi-Fi turned off, use mobile data to find the support options on earthlink.net and ask whether the network serving your address has a known problem.
Keeping email working
When only email fails, open webmail in a browser before changing any settings. If webmail works, the account is fine and the app is the problem. Remove and add the account again in the mail app, or check that the stored password matches the one that works in webmail. If webmail fails too, give it some time and try again before resetting your password, since a temporary service problem can look like a wrong password.
Mail app settings to compare
Most mail apps that fail with EarthLink have a settings problem rather than a server one. EarthLink’s email server settings list imap.earthlink.net on port 993 with SSL/TLS for incoming mail and smtpauth.earthlink.net on port 587 with STARTTLS for outgoing mail. Both use your full email address as the username, not only the part before the @ sign. POP3 is different: its incoming server depends on the address, so an old mindspring.com or peoplepc.com mailbox uses its own server name. An app that was set up years ago with a short username or the wrong server for an older domain can work for a long time and then fail after a password change, which looks like an outage but is not one.
Webmail is the tie-breaker. It reaches the same mailbox through a browser, so when webmail works and the app does not, the app’s settings are the place to look. Remove the account from the app and add it again with the settings above, rather than editing fields one at a time.
When some sites load and others do not
An EarthLink connection that opens some websites and fails on others usually has a name-lookup problem rather than an outage. The router may be holding stale entries, or the DNS servers it uses may be slow. Restart the router, flush the DNS cache on your computer and try the failing site again.
Webmail and security warnings
If webmail suddenly refuses your password, check whether you changed it recently on another device. Mail apps that still hold the old password keep trying, and repeated failed attempts can cause a temporary lock on the account. Update the password in every app and device that uses the address, then wait a short while before trying webmail again. If the lock does not clear, EarthLink support can unlock or reset the account.
Be careful with emails asking you to confirm your account or password. Phishing messages often copy the look of a provider’s email and mention outages or upgrades to seem urgent.
Official EarthLink help
- EarthLink on X@EarthLink
Questions about EarthLink
Is EarthLink an internet provider or an email service?
Both. EarthLink sells home internet in many parts of the US and also runs its long-standing email service with addresses ending in earthlink.net. The two can fail separately, so it helps to know which one is giving you trouble before you contact support.
Whose network does my EarthLink internet use?
EarthLink sells service over the networks of partner carriers, using fiber, cable, DSL, fixed wireless or satellite depending on the address. An outage on the partner network in your area affects EarthLink customers on it. EarthLink support can tell you which network serves you.
My internet works but EarthLink email does not. What should I check?
Try webmail in a browser. If webmail works, the problem is your email app or its settings, so check the password saved in the app and the incoming and outgoing server details. If webmail also fails, the email service itself may have a problem.
Why does the check on this page say earthlink.net is blocked?
EarthLink's website may refuse requests from automated servers. A blocked result is about that protection, not about whether EarthLink is down. Load earthlink.net in your own browser to see whether it opens for you.
How do I report an EarthLink internet outage?
Contact EarthLink support using the phone number or chat options listed on earthlink.net or in your account. Mention your service type, the equipment lights and when the problem began. Use mobile data if your home connection is down.