New smartphone owner seeks help on activesync

[Guest StevenT]

I'm an existing blackberry user who is trying to migrate over to MS smartphones. I thought this would be a smart move as the blackberry is primarily a mobile email device, while I rely on my phone more for PIM data than email (I mainly monitor/read work email as opposed to sending a lot of email while on the road). As such, I just purchased a new Audiovox 5600 on Cingular.

Unfortunately, I have been having no luck in setting up activesync to work with my MS Exchange server 2003. I've been reading everything I could find on the Internet concerning activesync, as well as consulting Cingular, but have gotten no where (except for maybe creating more questions). As such, I'm praying that someone here who is knowledgeable on Exchange and activesync may point me in the right direction.

Some particulars:

(1) I did not originally setup our Exchange server, but do have administrative access to it.

(2) I'm a smart guy (electrical engineer) who is very comfortable working with computers (build my own, run Windows and linux), but I admittedly am not an expert with Exchange, although I am a quick learner.

(3) I have lost all faith in Cingular tech support. I've talked to about 5 people so far, and have gotten so far as talking to someone in their data/pda department, who proceeded to tell me that wirelessly synchronizing the 5600 with an Exchange server is not possible (and he sounded like the most knowledgeable of everyone I've talked to at Cingular).

(4) My original salesperson signed me up for a $20 data plan, promising that it would allow for web browsing and activesync to work. The previously mentioned data/pda tech says I need a $40 pda data plan. Who is right?

(5) On the Exchange server, all Exchange activesync services have been enabled both globally and for my user account. Same with OMA.

(6) I can access my Exchange account via the Internet using OWA.

(7) On my 5600, I can get to the login screen for OMA, but no farther. I input my user ID and password, and it simply dumps me back to the login screen.

(8) I do appear to have Internet access via my 5600 as I can get to sites such as Google.

(9) I have tried activesync with SSL both on and off, no difference in outcome.

(10) I downoaded the MS tool and disabled certificate checking on my 5600.

(11) On the server, under IIS manager, under directory security, there is no IP address or domain name restriction to the default website or OWA website (mail.servername.com).

(12) I have encountered a variety of different errors while trying to sync, although the most current is INTERNET_55. My understanding is this indicates a certificate problem, but that disabling certificate checking should have resolved this problem.

(13) The biggest unknown is the hardware firewall that our server sits behind. I currently do not have access to this, so I don't know if it might be configured in such a way that it is causing me problems. I am presuming it is not the problem since I can access OWA, but that presumption may be wrong.

(14) Client computer is running WinXP Pro with SP2, firewall turned off.

(15) Running Activesync 3.8.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

Edited August 21, 2005 by StevenT

[Guest DeonS]

Steve,

First off, forget about tech support at Cingular. They have absolutely no clue what they're talking about in regards to their service let alone their devices. :roll:

The mediaNET package that you have signed up for from Cingular has exactly what you need. (I have been using it with the SMT5600 for about 6 months now.) The $40 one is for not wireless subscribers so disregard the information that you received about the $40 pda data plan.

The steps for setting up the Exchange sync are quite simple.

Once you have setup the relationship (partnership) between your PC and the SmartPhone (not a guest partership), you should be able to setup the rest. Follow the instuction under the ActiveSync help --> Syncronizing Information --> Synchronizing with a server. Although the help is quite usefull, it will get you 99% of the way to where you want to be.

The missing piece of information that most of us have encountered in the acceptance of the server's SSL certificate.

Do you have a public certificate setup for OWA? If so, then this should not be a problem. If this is a certificate that was generated internally within your organization, then you will ned to add that certificate to you phone's certs.

This is not always that easy since the providers tend to lock down the phones. There is however a "Disable Certificate Verification Tool" available that will turn off the certification verification. Although your device will continue to use SSL, it will not validate untrusted certificate authorities. You can get this tool on the MSFT website @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=en

Hope this helps! :)

Thanks,

Deon

Edited August 22, 2005 by DeonS

[Guest StevenT]

Deon,

Thanks for the response.

I know we have a certificate on our exchange server, but I do not know if it is public or private. Specifically, under IIS Manager, there is a certificate present for the "default web site" entry, and it states that it was issued to and issued by mail.servername.com. As such, I presume this is a private certificate that we generated. There is no certificate present for the "mail.servername.com" web site entry.

I have already disabled certificate checking on my phone. I think I'll wipe my phone and try again by exporting the exchange certificate to the phone's root directory.

[Guest StevenT]

Ok, I've tried adding a certificate to the phone. No change.

Then tried disabling certificate checking again on the phone.

At this point activesync repeatedly prompts me for my username and password, eventually giving a HTTP_401 error and stating access was denied, check your server username and password.

Thus, it appears I'm a little closer to actually getting sync to work, but not there yet.

Note: My username is my initials. My exchange email address is my name ([email protected]). I've read conflicting reports that this difference may cause problems, but I haven't found anything definitive on the topic.

I've tried various username configurations in activesync, including basic initials, domain\initials, and [email protected]. None have been successful.

Same with OMA. I can get to the login page, but I keep being asked for my username and password even though I am providing the correct username and password.

After several days of trying to get activesync to work, my blackberry is beginning to look like a viable solution once again.

Again, any and all help appreciated.

[Guest Confucious]

I know nothing about Exchange so can't give specific help but one thing to check is your password. The C500 (and so I assume the 5600 as well) has a habit of putting a numeric character in the first place on password fields so what I tend to do is enter 1 character then backspace to delete it then re enter my password.

It might have nothing to do with your problem but it's something that can catch you out.

Good luck

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

There is aso a guide here to try for getting exchange server to work.

http://www.modaco.com/How_I_got_my_MPx200_...ver-t94951.html