News and questions about Shaw products and services. Ask tech related questions, learn about new products, and get information. Please do not share any personal information, even if someone claims to work for Shaw. For official Shaw support, please visit https://www.shaw.ca/contact-us/
I like to periodically post about this issue in hopes some day Shaw will actually do something about it.
I've dealt directly with shaw on the issue and it is the usual, "did you clear your cache", "do you have your antivirus set correctly", "is Chrome updated", is it the internet connection. As usual I've tried all above.
For nearly 9 months now Webmail is brutal. If I use Outlook or look at emails on my phone it works fine. Webmail however often just does nothing but more often will say "unable to communicate with login server"..... ummm. why?
Anyway. I'm away on vacation now and wishing to do some work on my laptop but just can't access webmail. I use Gmail as well and as always it just works like a charm. I would convert but I've had my shaw email since basically it began. Shaw makes it tough to be loyal though.
If anyone has a tip that has worked please pass it on.
FYI for problem solvers. This happens on both my laptops I use and my wife's laptop. On Windows 10 and 11. On Chrome and Edge (haven't tried Firefox). I'm on Shaw Internet right now in an AirBnB but this also happens on Telus. Cache and Cookies cleared. antivirus off or open. etc.
It will work eventually sometime today. It usually suddenly comes back to life but really this is kinda ridiculous. I know some will say why not just use Outlook or my Phone but seriously. If you offer Webmail it should work or discontinue it.
Sorry. Christmas rant as I wait for my email to start working again. :-)
Happy Holidays.
Sort by:
Best
Open comment sort options
Best
Top
New
Controversial
Old
Q&A
Former Shaw employee here... For the love of God... Don't use Shaw Webmail. It's the worst. Open a Gmail account and forward your Shaw email to that and ween yourself off of Shaw. Never tie your email address to the service provider. You will lose it if you ever move your services to another provider.
100% this
This. So much this. No use ISP email.
Change ISP. Lose email. Lose access all account use email. Never use ISP email. Ever.
Not a bad idea. Forwarding to gmail. I will need to do something as I can't get email again today.
Why can’t you just add your Shaw account to gmail?
It's not a Shaw issue, it's a browser issue. It's been going on for ages and it's outside Shaws control because we can't change the server the browser is trying to connect to. My Shaw email only works if I use incognito mode with my phone, I've never had the error on my computer. Incognito will connect to a new server when you log in and not a cached one.
Agree. Try incognito mode and it works for me everytime.
Explain to me how you cannot control the caching of the browser? The host has .httaccess or other HTTPD ways to define cache lengths. The DNS records can set TTLs so any sort of resolution issue can be generally controlled from a lifecycle regard.
As someone who literally architects, builds, and maintains these systems, I don't buy that Shaw is powerless here. But I'm all ears! Tell me why perhaps?
Oh, and yes, I do run Zimbra servers.
Comment deleted by user
Thanks. As an update I absolutely obliterated everything in Chrome in terms of cache, settings, history etc and it has come back to life. I just did the standard 4 weeks clear before and it didn't help. Now I wiped myself off the face of the Chrome earth. So it is something to do with Cache in the end I guess. Just not sure why it is an issue with Shaw and no other applications.
Why this is an issue with only some people I don't know. I see the issue coming up on the Shaw Forum all over the place. But I guess not everybody. Weird.
Shaw is killing me. ;-) Don't even start me on the 1 TB limit on emails in ShawMail.
Wait when Shaw start offer 1TB limit?!? They only offer 1GB last time I check.
HA. right. What was I thinking 1GB. That is such a joke. Maybe it made sense 15 years ago. Are all Shaw email users emails sitting on someone's desktop in the Shaw offices. Ha.
It sounds like you know the best solution. Just use a mail client to access your emails on a given device. Set it up for exchange/imap.
Only use webmail for when you use a temporary device.
It truly sounds browser related. Or maybe something with your network connection at the time of usage. Like a vpn or a browser extension. Perhaps you have to factory reset chrome.
There is no reason to use IMAP in the modern sense. It does not properly synchronise contacts or calendar, but EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) does, and there are open source implementations of that for servers too. IMAP offers a reduction in capability for no benefit whatsoever, and any E-Mail host not offering EAS isn't worth anyone's time.
Are you using a VPN?
No VPN, but the error is back!!one week later? can't get email. ugh. I guess it will only last a week or so before it gets messed up again. I will do Incognito from now on again as others suggest. Or clear cookies again. Only issue there is I use a Password manager which is not on incognito so I guess I need to remember my password! ;-) only issue is I keep changing it and I'm old and forgetful.
As for outlook I do use it at home but I'm on vacation and only using Webmail. Or not using it as it were. I guess I could have outlook on every device and just ignore Shaw Webmail. I'm close to giving up so I'll do something.
I've been experience webmail issues on literally every computer at home, or elsewhere, that I ever use. Doesn't matter the browser, operating system, or anything.
This is factually a Shaw configuration issue, and as a SME on this topic (and someone who would literally be tasked with fixing things like this for whomever employs me), I have total confidence making this statement.
Hey Shaw, FIX YOUR STUPID EMAIL!!
People are going to flee this crappy service in droves unless they work out their problems. Are their tech crew undercover Google agents?
Losing my Shaw email was like losing my wallet and phone along with any ability to replace any of it. Back in 2003 I’m pretty sure the vast majority of us didn’t know that our email address would become more legitimate legally to our daily lives f than your actual land address. Honestly i don’t think it would be an issue if you wrote North Pole Canada hoh oho as your address as long as you have a email address even the CRA mandates you have one now. With all that said I can’t believe it’s even legal to terminate email when it’s not even part of the same service system, they should never have offered email without offering continuation as a separate service fee. Our emails are used to change passwords on everything, I seriously can’t change my email to this day with my bank (a big 5 bank), I can’t imagine who has my email now and gets my private personal emails and Shaw can’t even check ti see what account holder is using the email now (I’m not asking for any information other than confirmation that it’s being used by another Shaw customer) or the massive hacking I’ve experienced since losing the 3rd friend account I had to add my address to just to keep it. FYI I never cancelled my Shaw account to go to Telus or any other reason other than where I moved to Shaw did not provide services there remote location nor did they offer me the ability pay to them to keep my email. I have no idea what to do with the backup I tried to get I couldn’t login after my friend switched to Telus I had to call her she had to 3way with Shaw seriously it’s demeaning
Anyways I’m back with Shaw now still devastated over the email thing. Plus they never told me about the $5/month?!?! Seriously they were able to retain my email till at least 2018??
Aren’t they getting rid of shaw email when it transfers to rogers?
This is exactly the same problem that I have had. It drives me batty! One thing I have learned that if you keep pushing the login button over and over, it will eventually kick in. I am going to use incognito mode from now on.
I'm not sure why I am still with Shaw. When I separated from my partner, they were supposed to set me up with my own account, which they did at the same time that they deleted 13 years of emails - permanently! I tried everything to get them back, and they said once they are deleted, they are deleted.
I've been unable to connect on Chrome for about a week. Edge is just fine.