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VPN Access to Exchange

lowero
Grafter
Posts: 26
Registered: ‎03-08-2007

VPN Access to Exchange

Following a takeover I now have to use Nortel Contivity VPN client to access corporate data.  The VPN client connects fine and I can ping the corporate Exchange server, but CANNOT connect via Outlook - 99 times out of 100 it simply fails to connect ("The connection to the Microsoft Exchange Server is unavailable....").
My PN firewall is OFF.
I can connect to Exchange without ANY problem from other wired and wireless networks including hotels, Starbucks, client offices etc, but almost NEVER from home via PN!
I have Premier Option 1 with home phone and a wireless BT Voyager 2100 router (this worked fine for previous VPN connections).
Anyone any ideas please?
19 REPLIES 19
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Have you got the Plusnet firewall turned on?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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LiamM
Grafter
Posts: 5,636
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Hmmm...
Quote from: lowero
My PN firewall is OFF.

Quote from: jelv
Have you got the Plusnet firewall turned on?
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Don't know how I missed that! Embarrassed I plead overwork.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Several things to try:
Disable your local software firewall and anti-virus scanner temporarily to see if that is the cause.
Beg/borrow a different router in case the current one has problems with the Nortel VPN software.
What port forwarding have you set on the router and any changes related to VPN traffic?
samuria
Grafter
Posts: 1,581
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

You need the ip address of exchange or it wont know were to find it as its not on your local network. Simply putting the ip instead of the name myexchange solves the problem.
You could add it to the host file as well as this would solve it
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

I don't understand what you are suggesting given:
Quote from: lowero

I can connect to Exchange without ANY problem from other wired and wireless networks including hotels, Starbucks, client offices etc, but almost NEVER from home via PN!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
lowero
Grafter
Posts: 26
Registered: ‎03-08-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Thanks for all the contributions...
Don't think the IP address for the Exchange server is needed - I can connect the VPN client successfully and ping the Exchange server with name or IP - it's just that Outlook won't connect!
My laptop, without any changes, works perfectly in all other locations.  The VPN client connects AND Outlook connects via VPN to the Exchange server.  The only place it won't work is in my home, via my PN broadband connection  Huh
Therefore, it must be something to do with either my BT Voyager router or the PN connection (or both).  Very occasionally Outlook does connect so that makes me think it's not the router.
In the router there is a section under Virtual Server that is called VPN ALG(Application Layer Gateway) which allows two or more simultaneous VPN connections through the Voyager.  It is disabled by default, but suggests enabling if you are experiencing problems with your VPN connection - I will try this.
There is no port forwarding enabled on the router.
pcoventry76
Grafter
Posts: 950
Registered: ‎27-08-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Maybe a silly suggestion but would NAT play a part in this?
i had the same thing with PlusNet's BB phone, would work anywhere but my home line - it was the NAT firewall on my router - changed the router to a Speedtouch 510
Also i use a VPN and this refused to connect atall on my old router - i coudln't turn NAT off as this stopped everything, and port forwarding seemed to fair and routing proved fruitless
In may case it was a dodgy router as both work find now - but in yours..
Just a thought.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Can you access other resources on the corporate network? I'm wondering if the Ellacoya's are miss-identifying the packets for exchange (though why only these when they are encapsulated inside the VPN packets that would happen is beyond me). One way PN could rule that out would be to temporarily put you on a special profile that made all your traffic titanium. If that is the problem you are probably going need to do a packet capture to see what priority is being allocated.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

I do use VPN and outlook web access to my SBS 2003 server at work on my PN connection without problems - I'm on the legacy premier account and use a vigor 2600 router.
BBYW option 1 is not really designed for VPN due to heavy traffic management on the account. Perhaps it may be worth trying BBYW option 2 for a month to see if that is any better. upgrading/downgrading is free so it will just cost you £5 to find out.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Peter, He's on Premier option 1 not BBYW.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

Opps  :-[. Ignore what I said then Wink
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

OK - are you pleading overwork as well (see the 4th post in this topic!)?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Ianwild
Grafter
Posts: 3,835
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: VPN Access to Exchange

The question is whether the VPN works OK for other things - if it does, I can't see how it could be us. That's the nature of a tunnel!
If it comes to it, we could look at offering you a test RIN connection, which uses BT Retails network and as such would rule out anything specific to us. I would want to check for other more obvious possibilities first though.
I'm watching this one with interest.
Ian