Hotmail iphone connection to the server failed

Question

Still no definitive answer for all circomstances on this issue : "hotmail iphone connection to the server failed"
Situation:
iPhone 5 iOS 6 updated
Mail setup for Hotmail using MS Exchange preset to see Hotmail folders
Setting worked ok for a week
Set to gather all mail, not just last 3 days, weeks, months.
Yesterday the problem started, Mail won't connect.
It's not a firewall problem, I tried on 3G and LTE connection with WFI off.
I also tried a Yahoo preset and it work. Also Safari works fine.
I deleted the account, shutdown iPhone, restarted, created new account
Trial 1:
Click Settings
Click Mail, Contacts, Calendars
Click Add account
Click HOTMAIL preset
Click Add Mail Account
Here you enter your hotmail address + password and click NEXT
Switch off the phone and switch it back on
Try to access your mail as usual from the MAIL icon on your desktop, got the message "connection to the server failed"
Trial 2:
Click Settings
Click Mail, Contacts, Calendars
Click Add account
Click MS EXCHANGE preset
Click Add Mail Account
Here you enter your hotmail address + password and click NEXT
Switch off the phone and switch it back on
Try to access your mail as usual from the MAIL icon on your desktop, got the message "connection to the server failed"
Trial 3:
Click Settings
Click Mail, Contacts, Calendars
Click Add account
Click OTHER
Click Add Mail Account
Here you enter your hotmail address + password and click NEXT
Switch off the phone and switch it back on
Try to access your mail as usual from the MAIL icon on your desktop
     Used m.hotmail.com on server field. It offered the extensive setup like on Mail for mac with SMTP, SSL, etc.. which only knew to use m.hotmail.com on server, but instead the menu offer the typical incoming and outgoing server name. Still failed.
     The setting were set to these setting by default and it worked: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/hotmail/send-receive-email-from-mail-client
But I don't want to set it to a POP account, I want a IMAP type setting.
So bottom line, the preset MS Exchange and Hotmail on iOS 6 won't work anymore. Why not when they worked for a while until yesterday ?
Nothing changes on iPhone setting.
Thanks for your input.

Answer 1

Has anyone called Apple support on this issue or is this strictly a Hotmail issue?
Also, just to make sure I'm understanding that my problem is "normal" for what others are encountering:
I set up my hotmail account and it wont work, I try to do it thru "Other Email" and it doesnt push the emails to my phone, I can get the emails (at times) but I have to fetch them. Otherwise I cannot send or recieve any emails by setting it up thru the Hotmail or Microsoft Exchange accounts.
Is this what everyone seems to be encountering?
New to the "forums" but this problem is really becoming a nuisance!!!