We don't work for Plesk, don't get paid commision by Plesk and often, don't agree or question some Plesk policy / product decisions, but, FWIW:
With regard to your points above:
1. We have no connection issues (never have had) and can submit tickets
2. Not in our case - Ever
3. Not in our case - Ever
4. Not in our case - Ever. It's two-factor authentication (by choice), hence secure and very easy
You're obvioulsy angry, due to your current
lack of access to Plesk, but is there a techical query that you haven't had chance to post yet?
Yes of course I am angry because there is so much more to it.
Take no personal offence but this posts are directly directed towards some people who actually work there, in the hope they will take responsibility for their reckless practices.
Technical query.
Let's start with one "Directly" to do with PLESK< as well.
Every time they "Update" Plesk, without my approval though (I told them already NOT to update because every time they do, I don't know what and how they manage to do that, but they mess everything up. DATABASE access, most of all my databases are now inaccessible, AGAIN. They just decide that the formerly WORKING password shall now become - just like that (must make PLESK feel really very powerful and atop of God) ...Invalid.
Magic, indeed. Better than Harry Potter, that's for sure.
- - -
Now let's move on to something else.
SMTP connection to server to be able to retrieve and send email through the server.
Strangely, on my local computer (I am mainly working on a Macbook Pro) I use Mac's one local mail-client called 'Mail' (same as Microsoft calls it Outlook, etc.) and have connected to several email addresses from several websites - And - I can retrieve mail from those email addresses, e.g.
harry@potter.com, as well as send mail from that email address, via SMTP.
Now.
On one of the websites hosted under PLESK, I use a shopping cart called 'Opencart'. The online shop has a contact form. I can configure two mail senders, [a] Mail (g'ol PHP mail) or SMTP.
Of course I'd like to use SMTP (for reasons you know yourself but main reason not being that easy considered spam because MAIL doesn't go through my server).
I follow exact the same setup like on my local machine.
I try different ports (should be, according to PLESK 587)
I try the prefix 'mail.' And 'smtp'
I even try it with all capital letters
I add ssl:// before: mail, MAIL, smtp, SMTP
I add tsl://befor the same.
I don't know what else I can try, every time I get a server connection error, refused to connect.
Well, Plesk refuses me to use their "Official Support" platform, too.
There's so much more to it, but these few shall be enough. Of course. I am angry, (that's not the first time, mind you). Wouldn't you, too, get angry?
Thanks for your patience with such an angry man like myself