Receiving reported error (0x80042108)

The Outlook error 0x80042108 means "Outlook is unable to connect to the incoming (POP3 or IMAP) mail server." This is a connection timeout, indicating Outlook cannot reach the server on the configured port. The cause is usually an incorrect server hostname, wrong port, or a firewall block on your IP.

01. Verify Server and Port Settings

Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > double-click your email account > More Settings > Advanced tab. Check these values:

Incoming server (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.com, Port 993, Encryption SSL/TLS

Incoming server (POP3): mail.yourdomain.com, Port 995, Encryption SSL/TLS

Outgoing server (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com, Port 465, Encryption SSL/TLS

Common mistakes that cause this error:

Wrong hostname - Using yourdomain.com or smtp.yourdomain.com instead of mail.yourdomain.com. Always use the mail. prefix.

Wrong port - Port 143 (IMAP without encryption) or 110 (POP3 without encryption) may be blocked. Use the SSL ports (993/995) instead.

Mismatched encryption - Using STARTTLS on port 993 or SSL/TLS on port 143. These must match. See our TLS connections guide.

02. Test Webmail First

Before troubleshooting Outlook, verify the email account works on the server:

1. Go to https://yourdomain.com/webmail
2. Log in with your full email address and password
3. If webmail works - the account is fine, the problem is in Outlook's settings or your network
4. If webmail fails - the issue is the password, the account, or the server, not Outlook

03. Check for Firewall Blocks

If your settings are correct and webmail works but Outlook can't connect, your IP may be blocked by the server firewall. This happens after multiple failed login attempts (often from a cached wrong password).

Check using our firewall unblock tool. Also try connecting from a different network (like your phone's mobile data) to confirm. If it works from another network, your IP is blocked.

After unblocking, update the password in Outlook before reconnecting to avoid re-triggering the block.

04. Encryption and Port Combinations

05. Related Outlook Errors

Error 0x80042108 overlaps with several related connection errors. If you're seeing a different error code, it may have the same root cause:

0x800CCC0D - Cannot find the email server (DNS issue or wrong hostname)

0x800CCC0E - Cannot connect to the server (same as 0x80042108 but for SMTP)

0x800CCC0F - Connection dropped by server (server-side timeout)

For the full list of Outlook errors and fixes, see Common Outlook Email Errors. For a complete email setup walkthrough, see How to Set Up Email in Microsoft Outlook.

Quick Recap: Outlook Error 0x80042108

1. 0x80042108 = connection timeout to the incoming mail server
2. Verify server: mail.yourdomain.com with correct port
3. Use SSL/TLS encryption on ports 993/995/465
4. Test webmail first to isolate the problem
5. Check for IP blocks with the firewall unblock tool

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Email articles