Connect to exchange over VPN

[SQLScholar]

Hey all,

Bit of an issue...

we have a netpilot plus firewall and a exchange box behind it!

The Firewall is accepting Roadwarrior connections. We have set up the windows XP VPN correctly and now have connectivity (if you go to any shares asks for User/Password - but then you see the shares). But it only works through IP - which we can try and sort later.

BUT if we try to connect to the exchange server, via outlook, and the IP - Nothing. It just will not connect.

Any ideas?

Please.....

Dan

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!
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[SQLScholar]

Got one step closer - it can verify the mailbox against the server (type first few letters and it resolves).

Yet i cant still connect!!

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!
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[Zelandakh]

Oh dear.

a) Its usually a WINS or DNS issue.
b) Why oh why? Use Outlook Anywhere. Sort it, deploy it, forget it. Roadwarriors and VPNs is like opening up your LAN and saying "destroy me".

 

[jgiacobbe]

What version of Exchange and Outlook are you using? If both Exchange and Outlook are 2003 then configure the RPC over HTTP features and forget the VPN. Works very good once your get it up and going. Outlook just works everywhere now. Only Outlook 03 and better and Exchange 03 support the rpc over http deployment. I am assuming that this is what the previous poster meant by Outlook Anywhere.

Jeremy Giacobbe
MCSE, CCNA

 

[SQLScholar]

Zelandakh,

A) Yeah seem to be abit closer - by fiddling with DNS managed to get connected, but not now to any of the shares!

b) Becuase the directors of the company dont like it (neither do i actually) (and its there laptop). Its ok for a one off, but 50% of there time is away from the desk. Also they need to be able to write and respond to emails when not on the net. Good enough?

jgiacobbe,

Managed to get it somewhat working now. Unfortuantely we have abit of a combination of outlook 2k and 2003

Dan

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!
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[jgiacobbe]

I don't have any experience with the netpilot firewall and vpn clients. Do your vpn clinets pull a dns/wins server address when they connect?

My cisco VPN clients use our internal DNS servers when they connect to the network. What fiddling with DNS/Wins did you do to get it to connect?

You may still want to look at the RPC over http for those clients that are using Outlook 2k3. You have to figure that over time the client base will shift and eventualy the pre 2003 clients will be a couple one-offs. I don't mess with Outlook 2002 much anymore and shudder when I see Outlook 2000.

I am not sure about Outlook 2000 and offline mode but Outlook 2002 and 2003 both have offline modes that might work for you. I guess the main thing to look at right now is the problems your having with Outlook over the vpn.

1. Check to see what DNS/Wins servers your cleints are using when connected via VPN.(are they using your internal name resolution servers?)

2. Are any of the communications being hindered by your firewall? ( are all the appropriate ports being transpoted through the vpn? Are the connections being cut short? )

3. For performance reasons are your Outlook 2K3 clients using catched mode? (not really related but really helps take load off the network)





Jeremy Giacobbe
MCSE, CCNA

 

[sevensy]

I am a colleague of Plank - so these comments are further information relating to the original post in this thread.

We actually resolved the Outlook issue by adding the local DNS address to the connection.

However, only the Administrator seems to be able to browse the network once the VPN is connected... if any other user logs in, the VPN requires login credentials of the administrator before the network can be browsed, even when the IP address of the resource is entered.

There seems to be an issue with applying the policy of the network to the VPN connection... or perhaps a problem with the network policy itself.

Non - administrative VPN users do have permission to dial in and use a vpn connection, set through Active Directory Users and Computers.

Any further ideas?

 

[stpmtp]

I used to have this problem. Users would dial-in to our vpn sometimes they could get in and sometimes they could not. What I did, in the windows computer trying to vpn open the vpn window (where you have user name and password) click on properties, click on networking, select the TCP/IP Protocol and click on properties click on "Use the following DNS server addresses"
Enter your Internal DNS, click OK and OK.

Hope this helps

 

[Zelandakh]

Outlook Anywhere is the new name for RPC over HTTPs yes.
Outlook 2003 in cached mode allows you to access your Inbox and create emails without being connected. Using the RPC proxy is utterly transparent. It is like a VPN'd connection without the hassle you are having so not sure why the big boss would object?

Local DNS will help. Try local WINS using the LMHOSTS file.

 

[SQLScholar]

ahhh... sorry i thought it was OWA.

How easy/How do i deploy using RPC?

Dan

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!
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[jgiacobbe]

It isn't too bad to get RPC over HTTP (Outlook Anywhere) working but it only works with the Outlook 2003 clients. Since it has been configured on my server there has been no extra administration required by me. It does require some extra configuration on the client but that too isn't bad. I suggest configuring your server and a couple of clients to test. The most noticible change besides not having to use a vpn is that Outlook will prompt for a password before connecting on the clients configured to use rpc over http.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];833401

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/library/ex2k3rpc.mspx

Jeremy Giacobbe
MCSE, CCNA