On 18 September 2026, an Erith customer contacted ALVA PC after experiencing two frustrating technology problems at home.

The first involved Mozilla Thunderbird on his Windows laptop. One of his Yahoo email accounts could receive email but could no longer send messages. Thunderbird was reporting an authentication failure when attempting to connect to Yahoo’s outgoing SMTP server.

The customer was also experiencing problems with his Canon PIXMA TS5050 printer following a change to his home broadband. His previous Plusnet connection had moved to EE. Although the new EE internet connection was working, the printer could no longer be used normally from his devices.

Rather than disconnecting his equipment and taking it to a repair shop, the customer wanted someone local who could come to his home in Erith and investigate the problems in the environment where they were occurring.

The customer told us that he found ALVA PC through Google, selected a nearby repair provider and particularly valued the convenience of having a technician come to his home.

The customer first contacted ALVA PC shortly before 10am.

At approximately 9:51am, our support team opened a WhatsApp conversation following the initial telephone enquiry.

At 9:52am, we confirmed that a local technician could attend between 10:30am and 11:00am.

Once the technician had been dispatched, another update was sent at 10:44am, confirming an expected arrival of approximately 11:00am.

Keeping customers informed is an important part of the ALVA PC home callout service. Customers should know whether a technician is coming, when they are expected and what is happening with their repair.

The first problem involved the customer’s Windows laptop and Mozilla Thunderbird.

Two email accounts were configured within Thunderbird. One was functioning correctly, while the other could no longer send email.

When attempting to send from the affected account, Thunderbird displayed an authentication error involving Yahoo’s outgoing mail server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com

The customer had recently changed the password on the affected Yahoo account. This became an important part of the diagnosis.

Rather than assuming Thunderbird itself was faulty, the technician compared the behaviour of the two email accounts already configured on the laptop.

The second account produced the expected Yahoo authentication window. After the customer authenticated, a test email from that account sent successfully.

This gave us a useful known-good comparison. Thunderbird was capable of sending email, the laptop had a working internet connection and Yahoo’s outgoing mail service was reachable. The problem could therefore be isolated much more closely to the authentication associated with the first account.

Before making significant changes to an email account, it is important to understand how the account is configured and where the customer’s email is stored.

We confirmed that the affected Yahoo account was configured using IMAP, and the customer was able to access his Yahoo account using his current credentials.

The affected Yahoo account was then removed from Thunderbird so that the previous account authentication could be cleared.

The account was subsequently added back to Thunderbird and the customer authenticated again using his new Yahoo password.

This allowed Thunderbird to establish fresh authentication rather than continuing to rely on the previous credentials associated with the account before the password change.

A test email was then sent from the affected account.

The message sent successfully.

This confirmed that outgoing Yahoo email had been restored.

This type of comparison is useful during home computer troubleshooting. Instead of immediately reinstalling software or changing numerous settings, we try to establish what works, what does not work and what changed before the problem appeared.

In this case, the customer’s recent Yahoo password change was directly relevant to the authentication problem affecting Thunderbird.

Once the email problem had been resolved, attention turned to the customer’s Canon PIXMA TS5050 printer.

The customer had previously used Plusnet broadband. Following the transition to EE, his home Wi-Fi environment had changed.

Although the Canon printer could see the EE wireless network, attempts to establish the required connection were unsuccessful.

The printer displayed the error:

The photograph below was taken during the Erith home visit and shows the actual wireless connection error displayed by the customer’s Canon printer.

The error helped narrow the investigation towards the relationship between the older printer and the customer’s new wireless environment rather than immediately assuming that the printer itself required hardware repair.

The next stage was to investigate the EE router configuration.

Using the customer’s laptop, the technician logged into the customer’s EE Hub Manager and reviewed the available wireless settings.

The EE router included a Compatible WiFi option. This provides a separate 2.4 GHz wireless network that can help older or compatibility-sensitive devices such as printers connect correctly.

Compatible WiFi was enabled on the customer’s EE router.

The Canon PIXMA TS5050 was then connected to the compatible 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.

Rather than stopping once the printer itself appeared connected, the customer’s relevant devices were also connected to the appropriate network so that they could communicate correctly with the printer. This included the customer’s:

• Windows laptop
• mobile phone
• iPad
• Canon PIXMA TS5050 printer

The printer could then be accessed again from the customer’s devices.

This restored the required printer connectivity without replacing the Canon printer or changing the customer’s broadband provider.

By the end of the home callout, two separate problems had been resolved.

Both issues were tested before the technician left the customer’s home.

This case demonstrates one of the advantages of an onsite computer and technology support service. Some problems are easier to diagnose in the environment where they actually occur.

A printer problem may involve the customer’s router. A Wi-Fi problem may involve the particular configuration of a home network. An email problem may require access to the customer’s existing computer and email application.

In situations like these, bringing the technician to the equipment can be more convenient than asking the customer to disconnect and transport several devices to a repair shop.

Following the visit, the customer independently left ALVA PC a 5-star Google review describing the experience.

The feedback highlighted the fast response, arrival within the promised timeframe, successful resolution of the email-sending problem and getting the printer connected to the new router.

The customer also highlighted the technician’s persistence in continuing to work on the laptop and printer until both were operating correctly, and stated that he would use ALVA PC again.

This visit is a good example of a technology problem that did not require replacing computer hardware.

ALVA PC provides home technology and computer callouts in Erith and surrounding areas for problems including:

A slow computer does not automatically mean that a component needs replacing. Performance problems can have several causes, including storage performance, insufficient resources, excessive startup software, Windows problems, malware or physical hardware faults.

During this particular Erith visit, the customer also mentioned that his Acer Aspire E15 laptop had become slow. The laptop was not fully diagnosed for this issue during the original email and printer callout, so no unnecessary component replacement was recommended.

ALVA PC can investigate slow Windows computers, unusual pop-ups, malware, viruses, excessive startup programs and other performance problems during a home visit. Where the diagnosis indicates that hardware work or an upgrade is required, we can explain the available options before any further work takes place.

Learn more about our slow computer and virus removal service

Our home technology callout service forms part of ALVA PC’s wider device repair service. Depending on the problem, repairs can be completed onsite or the device can be collected for appropriate workshop work.

iPhone Screen Repair Callouts

Customers with a damaged iPhone screen can also use our dedicated mobile screen repair callout service. Where the required part and technician are available, the repair can be arranged without the customer having to visit a repair shop.

View our iPhone screen repair callout service

MacBook Battery Replacement

ALVA PC also provides MacBook battery replacement services, including same-day collection and return options where available. If a MacBook has poor battery life, unexpected shutdowns or a battery service warning, the battery can be diagnosed before replacement is recommended.

View our same-day MacBook battery replacement service

PC, Laptop, Phone and Console Repairs

Our wider repair service covers Windows laptops, desktop PCs, MacBooks, phones and games consoles. Customers do not need to know whether a problem is caused by software or hardware before contacting us. The first step is to diagnose the fault and determine the appropriate repair route.

Not every computer or technology problem can, or should, be repaired inside a customer’s home.

ALVA PC offers free diagnosis as part of our repair process. If an onsite assessment indicates that a laptop, PC, MacBook, phone or games console requires physical hardware work, the device can be taken to the workshop rather than attempting unsuitable repair work in the home.

Where applicable, ALVA PC can arrange free collection and return. This allows customers to start with the convenience of a home visit while still having access to workshop repair when more involved work is required.

Our approach is to identify the actual fault first, explain the available solution and only proceed with repair work that is genuinely required.

See how the ALVA PC technology repair callout service works

This case study documents a genuine home technology callout completed in Erith, Kent.

ALVA PC also provides repair and callout services across a wider selection of towns and areas in South East London and Kent. Availability can vary depending on technician location, the type of repair and the time of day.

View all areas currently covered by ALVA PC

The problems in this Erith case demonstrate why a home technology callout can sometimes be more useful than simply taking a laptop to a repair shop.

The customer’s Thunderbird problem involved his existing Yahoo account and email configuration. The printer problem involved not only the Canon PIXMA TS5050 but also the customer’s new EE router, Wi-Fi configuration, laptop, phone and iPad.

Removing only the printer or laptop from the home would have removed part of the environment involved in the fault.

By diagnosing the problem onsite, the technician was able to test the actual router, actual devices and actual network being used by the customer.

Home visits can therefore be particularly useful for email problems, Wi-Fi and internet issues, printer connectivity, Windows and MacBook troubleshooting, slow computers, viruses, software problems and other faults involving several devices or the customer’s home network.