Syncing with an Exchange Server

[Ruud Westerhout]

Hi all,

my device (iMate Jasjar 1.13.53 WWE on WM5) syncs without problems through my office-pc with the exchange server standing at the office. This is a wired connection, working through ASync 4.1 (USB).

If I disconnect the USB-Cable, hence force the device to sync through another connection, it will try my GPRS-settings. The GPRS-settings work normal for Internet and eMail. After some time of trying I get the error 0x80072EE2 "The server could not be reached. This can be caused by temperary network conditions"
The server is working normal though.

Does anybody have some advice for a newbie (absolute no network specialist). My exchange server administrator is new to this as well. So if I would be able to read into this somewhere, or get some insider tips it would be very helpful and highly appreciated.

with kind regards,

Ruud Westerhout

[ccisn]

how do you have the server name entered in the activesync settings?

are you using ssl?

has it ever syncronized w/o having it connected to pc?

does the exchange server have a public IP address?

[Ruud Westerhout]

thanks for fast reply,

as we are a little apart (time-wise) I am at home already and not able to answer all :
my server is at : mail.al????.ru
I was told to sync like :
Server address : mail
This server requires en encrypted (SSL) connection : NO
User name : the one I am allowed with to enter our network
Password : my usual password to enter our network
Domain : al????.ru
Save Password : YES
If there is a conflict : Keep items on my device
Event logging : Brief

With these settings like this, I was able to sync with the exchange server while connected through USB. ASync was getting a special allowence and the Microsoft Firewall Client was disable for it.

It has never been syncing wireless in any way, only USB, in the office.

I presume we have a public IP address, but I should counter ask my administrator about this.

If You have any ideas after reading this data, please shoot ;-)

The answer on IP I will add (or edit) tomorrow.

regards,

Ruud

[ccisn]

yeah. it depends. if it is synching through USB, for me it is hard to tell if you are synching directly to the exchange server or to the workstation. if you have a mail profile setup on your machine and you are synching with activesync. on your desktop with activesync does it specifically show that it is synching with your exchange server? actually better yet if you run activesync the screen will tell you the last syncronizations. you will have an "Exchange Server" section and the last time it synched and probably a "Windows PC" section.

If your Exchange Server section has a synchronized time then your settings are correct. (The time should also be the same as your Windows PC time)

If it has something like Never synchronized or something other than a successful synchronization time, then those settings may not be correct or something is not right on the exchange server or network.

So if you do have a successful timestamp for the "Exchange Server" field, then everything on your device is good. The problem may be that either the exchange server does not have a public ip or a dns issue. (you can try to resolve the latter by putting in the IP of the server instead of the dns name in the server field for AS)

If it still doesn't work then it could be a firewall issue in front of where the exchange server sits.

[Ruud Westerhout]

Hi ccisn,

I actually am syncing with 3 different things. My Home-PC, my Office-PC and also the Exchange Server at the office. I get all synced and a correct time stamp with all, this works.
f.e. My contacts are synced with both Home-PC and Exchange Server (not the Office-PC anymore as this is not possible)

So I understand that the settings in my PDA are then correct and I should be searching for the problem in Server, Firewall, IP / DNS Settings.

I will try this idea of putting the IP though (as soon as I will get it tomorrow)

thanks for now,

Ruud

[Ruud Westerhout]

Update :

I inserted the fixed-IP our Exchange Server has into the address field and with this input the server did not even want to sync whilst I have a USB-ASync connection.

Question for my understanding :
Is the following a technical possible setup ?
-At home I connect through USB giving me access to my Home-PC and the internet. The PDA will sync with the home-PC and the exchange server which he will find through the internet.
-At home I connect through WiFi giving me access to the internet. The PDA will sync with the exchange server which he will find through the internet.
-At the office I connect through USB giving me access to my Office-PC and the exchange server. The PDA will sync with the Office-PC and the exchange server which he will find through the office network.
-On the road I connect with a GPRS- (or eventually UMTS-) connection which will give me access to the internet. The PDA will sync only with the exchange server which he will find through the GPRS-connection.

regards,

Ruud

[lutzs]

I am sure the problem is, that you cannot sync over the public Adress with the Exchange Server, because there is only Port 25 for SMTP from the internet to the server, and this port is not for Outlook Connection and these things :P

No company ever had a Exchange all-open on the internet! try to sync within your local network and the internal-name of the server!

[Ruud Westerhout]

Well syncing within the Network works. If I connect with USB to the office-pc I can sync to both office-pc as well as exchange server.

Do I understand correctly that I can forget (not realistic) to sync wirelessly (GPRS, UMTS) while on the road ?

I just hoped that this way I could receive contacts / calender items from my secreatary on the road.

Ruud

[lutzs]

The Exchange Server is open on your local network, thats why you can sync. But from the internet, there ist only mail access (and maybe a few other ports that the admins opened) to the exchange.

Talk to your admins, and ask if it's possible to connect with a VPN to your office. Over these VPN Connection you can sync with your exchange.

[ccisn]

Update :

-At home I connect through USB giving me access to my Home-PC and the internet. The PDA will sync with the home-PC and the exchange server which he will find through the internet.

-At home I connect through WiFi giving me access to the internet. The PDA will sync with the exchange server which he will find through the internet.

-At the office I connect through USB giving me access to my Office-PC and the exchange server. The PDA will sync with the Office-PC and the exchange server which he will find through the office network.

-On the road I connect with a GPRS- (or eventually UMTS-) connection which will give me access to the internet. The PDA will sync only with the exchange server which he will find through the GPRS-connection.

Ruud

Yes to all of the above.

The vpn solution should work too if your environment supports PPTP connections. Most don't and only allow IPSec or L2TP connections which is a whole other mess to get to work on handheld devices.


As to the ports. It a little different for synching with Exchange. It only requires HTTP (80) or HTTPS (443).

If you can use Outlook Web Access then you can sync over the air with your phone. (Assuming that all the Mobile Sync settings are correctly set up on the Exchange server) Which in your case sounds like it is.