Application Passwords (IMAP/SMTP from off campus)

Tags: Faq

If you’re using an IMAP/SMTP mail client from home and want to be able to use it without bringing up the VPN, you will probably encounter problems. Most IMAP clients can’t handle two factor authentication, which Office365 requires for off campus access (I don’t even know whether Office365’s IMAP implements 2fa, in any case!).

The solution is to use an “App Password”. This is a randomised password, different from your Aber password, which is created by Microsoft. You can use the App Password in your e-mail application, instead of your normal Aber password, and this will bypass the two factor authentication step. App Passwords are also exempt from the normal Aber password expiry process.

Unfortunately, Microsoft don’t make it easy to find the page to set up App passwords, so here’s the procedure as tested on 2020-01-04:

Go to this Microsoft page.
It will probably ask you to enter your Aber credentials and confirm access using a two factor authentication code.
Click on “App Passwords”
Click on “create”, enter a name for it and click “next”.
You can create multiple App Passwords; the name is just for your own reference when you re-visit the page.
The page will then show you the created password.
Enter this password into your mail settings wherever you’d normally use your Aber password.
The App Password should then work both from outside Aber and from on the VPN.

N.B. One of my tame testers experienced a delay between creating and being able to use an App Password. They advise you should have a coffee break and try again!