Direct connection to Exchange 2000 - via Internet ??? 1

[mortenrasmussen]

The Scenario is this:
I have an Exchange 2000 server that I want the clients to access with MS
Outlook 2000 - a direct connection, but NOT Outlook Web Access (this I know
how to set up through a browser).
But how do I configure the Outlook clients to get direct access to the Exchange
server that is accessible from outside the Internet??

Does anyone know how to setup a Outlook client for that?

Regards,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

Sure, I can help you with that. One word of warning, it can be excruitiatingly slow, especially if users use AOL.

Back in the old days with NT4 and exch 5.5, this was no big deal but with win2k and exch2k it's much slower.

Anyways, in order to do this, you will have to make a few registry entries and open a couple of ports on the firewall but it does work. If your users have dsl or cable, they'll be very happy.

The Q article from microsoft is Q270836. I can help you further if you have problems. You will have to open 4 more ports on the firewall (not including 25 and 110 which is probably already opened).

 

[Xybertron]

Don't try MAPI over the internet. Stick with POP3/SMTP or OWA. Dan
Microsoft Exchange Support @ Microsoft

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hello tom11011 (MIS),
thank you for your reply - the articles describes exactly what I need to do - unfortunately it looks rather complicated not to say Really complex.
I am not an Expert in Exchange 2000 - so what I need to accomplish this is a "WALK-YOU-THROUGH"-guide that describes the the procedure step-by-step.

Does that kind of guide exist on the subject?

So I would be very happy to accept your help on this assignment.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Morten

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi Xybertron,

why can't you recommend / support that kind of solution ?

What if we aren't happy with just OWA from remote offices?
OWA and Outlook 2000 are not the same.


What do other people do then...

Regards,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

Well, what part are you stuck at? It appears fairly straight forward.

You add 3 registry entries and you make up the port numbers (I used 1226, 1227, 1228.

You open these ports on the firewall plus port 135.

You set up the clients similarly to the way you in house but you don't use the internal server name, you use an external one, ie the dns name of your mailserver (mail.mydomain.com) or whatever.

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi again tom11011 (MIS),
thanks again for your helpful link.
I have now made the changes in the Regedt32.exe.

I will have to open for those port on my Cisco router/firewall to see if it works (I will let you know later...!) but first I wanna find out how to locate the dns name of my mailserver - what is that? Is it the name of my external dns hosting provider for a specific domain (or is it something I can read out somewhere in Exchange 2000?

Regards,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

No, its the external name.

If your not sure, try this at a command prompt.

nslookup
>set type=mx
>123.123.123.123

where 123 is your mailserver IP address. I suppose you don't have to put in the dns name into your outlook clients, you could probably just add the ip address instead. Maybe you should just use the ip instead while your testing.

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi again tom11011 (MIS),
I tried the nslookup command and then set type=mx then I have tried both the internal LAN ip and the External IP address, but then I get:

> set type=mx
> 195.215.63.228
Server: tix.ns.tele.dk
Address: 193.162.145.130

*** tix.ns.tele.dk can't find 195.215.63.228: Non-existent domain
> 192.168.0.75
Server: tix.ns.tele.dk
Address: 193.162.145.130

*** tix.ns.tele.dk can't find 192.168.0.75: Non-existent domain

I've tried setting up the MX record in the domains external DNS (hosted by Speednames) for an IP address instead of a mailserver name, but it will not accept it.

I need to define a mailserver name for each domain hosted on the Exchangeserver - but how?

Where do you define it in Exchange? In our other "normal" mailserver you just put a name for a SMTP HELO command - that's the mailserver name we use for domains hosted there and it works fine. This SMTP HELO name we then put as the mailserver name into the DNS for the domain hosted by Speednames.

Regards,
Morten

 

[brontosaurus]

You won't (or shouldn't) be able to locate any MX records by entering an IP address via NSLOOKUP, nor should you be able to set up an MX record pointing directly to an IP address, it's simply "illegal" and won't work with the majority of resolvers. I say majority because I've noticed that on occasion, the newer versions of Sendmail will be able to work around this. In any case, you set up an MX record pointing to the DNS name of your mailserver, then set up an "A" (or host) record for that mailserver that points to an IP address.

 

[tom11011]

Well, I guess it boils down to dns. I had you try the nsloookup with the ip on the off chance there was a reverse entry.

Whoever hosts your dns needs to enter a MX record for you pointing to your host.

Example, you could have them create you a host called mail.mydomain.com and have them point it to 123.123.123.123. this is called a forward lookup, a reverse is not really necessary. Then, they could create a MX record for pointing to mail.mydomain.com

Nothing really needs to be done to the exchange server unless you wish to host other domains there to.

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi again Tom11011,
thanks again for your quick responce - it is very much appreciated...

I have now tried modifying the Regedt.exe and entering the parameters/values in the Exchange section and opened for ports 1226,1227 and 1228. Also I have opened up for all the ports needed in my Cisco Router/Firewall

But I still cannot connect e.g. via modem from a laptop to the Exchange server. I create a new profile in Outlook 2000 or XP and enter the external IP address and the user mailbox, and it seems that the server validates me the IP address is being resolved into the correct name of the exchangeserver and a underline is shown at the servername and username - it also prompts once again for username,domain and password. But then I get the message that the server was not available...Retry and Cancel.

I'm not on a LAN on the LAPtop it is a stand-alone workstation and I'm therefore not logged in to any domains.
I don't want to log on to a domain on the workstation - except for when connecting to Exchange via Outlook.

What have I done wrong? It works fine with the same userprofile in Outlook when connected on same LAN as the Exchange server and when logged on to the same domain as the server.

Your help will - once again - be sincerely appreciated.

Regards,
Morten, Denmark

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Re: DNS/MX Setting for mailserver

Hi again Tom11011,
I've studied your and Brontosaurus' reply on my problem with finding the name of the mailserver.
I understand the anwers in the direction that I just put whatever I want to name the mailserver for a domain in the DNS settings which I can change online for the domain at Speednames - and then point it to the IP address of my Exchangeserver.

Here's what I can change on a domain:
Mailsettings:
a) Use Speednames Mail forwarding
b) Use mailserver: XXXX.dk Here i can choose one myself!
c) Use default Mail Forwarding. All mails xx@xx.com to domain will be sent to xx@xx.com.

Websettings:
a) <subdomain> xx.mydomain.dk <function> <URL>
e.g. post.mydomain.dk A-record 123.123.123.123

I can chosse functions: A-record,Webalias,Web forward,C-Name

Now is there anything here I can setup to receive mails from internet on the Exchange server.
I tried this:
post.holidayhouse.dk A-record 195.215.63.228

but mail keeps landing on the old normal mailserver on another Ip address...? Hmm.... Strange ? or.....?

Hope to hear from you again soon,

Thanks,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

Is the other mailserver also exchange? If so, you need to move the mailbox to the new server.

Regarding the other issue, if you like, you can email me your registry as well as the ip address in question. I might be able to troubleshoot it better.

Also, on this laptop that is not connected to the network, what are you using for internet access? Dialup? Which isp? Can you ping the mailserver(s)?

propsync@yahoo.com

 

[tom11011]

One other thing I thought of, it's a longshot, but I'm looking at my Q article and noticed that I printed it out in landscape. The first time I tried this, the printout cutoff a portion of the ending of the key. Make sure you have the right key in there.

Also, there is one little sentence about opening port 135 at the end, make sure that's open also.

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi again Tom,
thank you very much for taking part in my technical problems.
Regarding the first issue about DNS/MX mailserver settings:
No the other mailserver is not Exchange - it's a much simpler POP3/SMTP server called Internet AnywhereMailserver from tnsoft.com
What I want to do is having the same domain on two servers. From Internet I want to point all mail traffic to the Exchangeserver and if the user mail account is not located here, Exchange should pass the mail on to the Internetanywhere Mailserver. The &quot;pass-on&quot;-part I have working now, but I don't know how to get mail from Internet on the Exchange server - all mail are received by the IAMailserver. Therefore I guess I have to modify the DNS settings for the domain (external at Speednames). But how should these settings be....? And can I chosse any name I want for the setting of my domains mailserver??

---------------------------
Regarding the other issue about clients accessing Exchange:
Yes, I can ping the Exchangeserver's IP. I connect with the client to the Internet using a dial up 56k modem (but will later when it works use it with DSL). I use Tele Danmark TDC as ISP.

Sure I could mail you the registry setting - which part?
I've checked that I can view all the info in the Q article - I printed it out in landscape.
Also port 135 is open like it should be.
I found another article XCLN How Mapi Clients Access Active Directory (Q256976) but its more like a description of the technology behind - I haven't done any modification on the clients registry settings.... Should I - and what should be done?

I've mailed you a little more to go on.

Regards,
Morten

 

[mortenrasmussen]

Hi again Tom,
and thank you very much for your great help on connecting directly to exchange.

After you tried out logging in as EXCHANGEUSER I tried the same from home - on a 56k dial-up connection. It worked fine. Not even slow at all.
Now, a couple of days after, I have setup some more domains for hosting on the Exchangeserver. Everything works just fine when you are on the LAN-side. I can send and receive mail fine.
And with a dial-up I can setup Outlook Express and send and receive mail fine.

But now I cannot connect directly to Exchange from my dial-up connection at home.
I am being validated correct with my logon-info. but then I wait about 5-7 minutes while Outlook tries to startup. Then I get a network connection error or time out.


But what I have done to get in from the outside was an entry in regsrv for a GENERAL opening from outside - is there something in Exchange that could influence my connection from outside with dial-up???

Thanks,

Regards,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

Well, one thing I know for sure is for OWA, use IE 6.0. It will make a HUGE difference in speed.

Another thing you could do in system manager is to uncheck the box so it doesn't require you to type a domain name in the authentication, just username and password.

Try these first and see.

 

[mortenrasmussen]

I don't use OWA and have NO intention to do so. I'd rather focus on getting a direct connection to the Exchange from the outside.

I will check my settings in system manager (where?) and try and see if I can skip validating on domain.

I'll get back to you later this day.

Regards,
Morten

 

[tom11011]

Whoops, sorry I mis-read your last post. Don't know how I got OWA confused there. There may not be a way to eliminate the domain portion of the login for this, I'm not sure. I don't use this config anymore.