PIX/Exchange 5.5/Remote MS Outlook Synchronization

[5084]

We have implemented a Cisco PIX on our corporate WAN and we now have a problem where our remote Internet dialup users can not synchronize their mail.

Background:
- We are running private addresses on the WAN.
- Our Exchange 5.5, PDC/WINS, and internal DNS server are all behind PIX.
- Our internal servers and workstations are using an internal DNS domain name.
- Remote users are using Win98 laptops with MS Outlook 2000.
- The Exchange server has a public DNS hostname.
- The PIX has a static IP address mapping to our Exchange server’s internal private IP address.
- The PIX also has a static IP address mapping to our WINS server’s internal private IP address.

What is happening:
- Remote users are using the public IP address for WINS.
- They can see and browse the PDC via the Network Neighborhood.
- They can only see (not browse) the Exchange server via the Network Neighborhood.
- They can not synchronize offline folders or connect directly to the Exchange server.
- By using the “local hosts” file on the remote user’s laptop, Exchange synchronization is successful, but the laptop can only then be used outside of the corporate WAN. The problem is that these remote/travel users take their laptops back to the corporate WAN (i.e. the “local hosts” file will point the server name to a public IP address, but the server actually has a private IP address).

 

[5084]

I also forgot to mention that before the PIX was installed our Internet router was performing NAT and everything worked.

Once we installed the PIX, we ran into this problem with remote users.

 

[Vos]

Hey 5084, I think we've got the same problem.
We recently implemented a Cisco PIX as well. Our user's seems to be having this problem intermittently. What is the error your user's get in their synchronization log?
Our users get the following error:

Error synchronizing folder
[80004005-501-0-550]
The client operation failed.
Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store

Let me know if your user's receive this error and I'll get you the possible fix for it.