HELP! Outlook Clients unable to get to exchange server

[cobronco69]

I changed ISP's last week. Everything went well, except now my remote clients cannot access the Exchange server w/ Outlook. They can access the OWA, but get a "Your Microsoft Exchange Server is Unavailable" every time they try and use Outlook. I have checked everything from DNS to settings on the mail server and cannot find anything that would stop them from connecting. I have made sure the LMHosts files are correct.. Exchange 5.5 SP3 is running on NT Server4 SP6 and running Microsoft Proxy. The only thing that has changed is the IP address info on this server, but users cannot connect. HELP

When I dial in I can go into the mail properties and change settings, and when I click Check Name it works, it sees the server, but when I hit finish and click on outlook it will not come up...

Thanks
Clint

 

[JamesonJ]

I have discovered that TCP\IP could cause this issue in the past. I don't know what OS you are using on the workstations, but I would suggest reinstalling TCP\IP.

JamesonJ

 

[cobronco69]

I am running either Win2k Pro or XP pro on all the wkstations....I will go ahead and try that..

Clint

 

[cobronco69]

No good. Still not fixed...

 

[cmegha2001]

When you say remote clients are the VPN Clients? Or clients on LAN or WAN?

 

[cobronco69]

Well, they are remote as far as out of the office...Connected to the internet, but not to us directly. Sales guys, etc.

 

[cmegha2001]

Are they using outlook or outlook web access? if they are using outlook are you allowing MAPI thorugh the firewall? Do you have the same problem with your outlook users on the local lan?

 

[cobronco69]

In my original post it says OWA works fine, but I didnt say, which I should of, they are using MAPI. NOthing has changed on the proxy server, which is the same server that Exchange is on, and it worked fine before, so I would not think I have to go change something specific on the proxy server..local users on the network have no problems at all.

 

[cmegha2001]

Try deleteing the cached internet files on the proxy asuming it's MS Proxy 2.0

Steps: Stop the WinSock Proxy Server service:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Services.
Click Microsoft WinSock Proxy Service, click Stop, and then click Yes to confirm.
When the service is stopped successfully, click Close.
Start Windows Explorer, and then locate the following folder, where C: is the drive on which Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 is installed:
C:\Urlcache

Move or delete the contents of the Urlcache folder. By default, this folder contains the following folders:
dir1
dir2
dir3
dir4
dir5

When you finish this operation, the Urlcache folder will be empty.
Quit Windows Explorer, and then restart the WinSock Proxy Service.

Try to connect

 

[cmegha2001]

DO NOT DELETE the DIR1 DIR2 etc etc just the contents of those directories

 

[cobronco69]

ACK! No good...no change. Is there anyway that Netstat can help or is there any way to trace the whole process to determine where it fails?

Clint

 

[cmegha2001]

1)Confirm OWA works on the LAN.

2)Are you using NAT?

3)Does the Exchange Server have two NIC's?

4)Which IP address did you change Public/Private?

5)When you changed ISP's did you change/update the DNS Records with whoever is Hosting your public DNS records?
IE: mx record and the pointer records for your OWA page.

6)Confirm that your external users are getting the current OWA Login page, not a cached copy.


7)Is OWA page host on another machine other than Exchange?

 

[cobronco69]

Will answer these here:

1. Yes

2. Using Proxy

3. Exchange is on same server as proxy, so yes it has two nic cards

4. Changed ISPs-Changed outside NIC IP address

5. Yes they updated them

6. Not a cached copy

7. Yes, but I changed it back to the same server and it worked fine as well. I also have ftp running on the Exchange server and it works as well.

Clint

 

[cobronco69]

I guess the biggest problem/question I have with all this is why did it work before when I didnt have any of this stuff running? I changed ISP's once before and everything worked fine! I am running another exchange server onsite, should I migrate everyone over to it and make it the primary server and see if that fixes it? the server that is the primary is kind of a dog and might be dying a slow death.... I gotta get this fixed though soon, am even tempted to call MS and pay for support, is it worth it?

Clint

 

[cmegha2001]

Apply/Reapply Proxy Service Pack

here's the link

http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/evaluation/previousversions/DLServicePack1.asp

 

[rdroske]

Sounds like it may be an issue with your ISP's firewall.
You say you can see the server in Mail properties when you are dialed in? You don't have any other network connection when that is working do you?

I would share a directory on that server and see if you can browse to it by name over the internet only connection for starters (first make sure you can ping it by name but if mail properties is working I'm sure you can).

 

[mcymatt]

I had a similar incident. Look at the HOSTS file. You may have to alter the file. You will want to save as hosts.old then alter the file. If can only find the hosts.sam file, try adding the server in the hosts.sam file. copy the file and rename the file to hosts (noextention).