Troubleshooting Outlook cannot connect to email server error

If you are getting any of the following error message on your Outlook:

• Receiving reported error (0x80042108) : 'Outlook cannot connect to your incoming (POP3) email server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
  

• Log onto incoming mail server (POP3): Outlook cannot connect to your incoming (POP3) email server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).
  

• Log onto incoming mail server (IMAP): The connection to the server failed.

Please try the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

Firstly, please check if the email settings in your Outlook are correct. You can refer to the following guides:

• IMAP setting in Outlook
• POP3 setting in Outlook

Check if you are able to log in to your webmail at https://lookafter.com/login/.
If you are able to login, try restarting your Outlook and PC to see if the issue persists.
If you are not able to access webmail or other website, the issue is most likely due to unstable Internet connection, which you can follow through step 2 and 3 below to further troubleshoot.

Try connecting to another alternate Internet or broadband connection to see if the error persists.
If the issue resolves after switching to another network, it means the previous Internet that your device is connecting to is experiencing issue. You can try restarting your router/modem or report the issue to your Internet service provider.

Restarting router helps purging cache and stuck sessions that may be causing the error.

If you have an antivirus program running on your device, try disabling it as it may be interfering with the connection between Ms Outlook and the email server.