[Sembee]

You can't see the NDR. As I said above the forward is not completely reliable, because it makes the server look like it is spoofing. If you are seeing the NDR and some email going, then the contact is working. The problem is outside of your control.

I don't recommend forward to external accounts - I usually recommend that the user logs in to OWA or uses Outlook. Forwarding in the Exchange method is becoming less reliable because of the ongoing war on spam and spoofing.

Simon.

[ollyno1uk]

Hi Simon

Thanks for the response. The issue is that I cannot access the server remotely to log into the exchange due to the firewall we use.

I have been advised to use this method as then I get a copy my mails forwarded to another domain that I can collect from the webserver by pop mail.

I have received two external emails since it has been set up. I cannot send an email from my gmail account or from another domain on my server.

Is there really nothing further that I can do to receive my emails?

Thanks a lot

[Sembee]

The excuse you have been given is complete tosh.
I am not aware of any firewall that stops remote access to Exchange data, if it has been configured correctly.

The bottom line is that forwarding email to an external account is not going to be 100% reliable because of the way that Exchange does the forwarding. If you have a business requirement to have remote access email then you will need to find another way to get something reliable.

Simon.

[ollyno1uk]

Hi

It isn't really an excuse. It was advised that we would open ourselves up to exploits by doing this. As mentioned before, I am no expert and all I was hoping to do was to access mail remotely in whatever way.

The only method of doing this when I search online is by this forwarding approach too another mailbox that is accessed by pop3.

Can you offer any advice on how I should proceed or how you would proceed in my situation?

Thanks

[Sembee]

That is very different to the problem being with the firewall that you use.
It is far riskier to open a PDF file than to expose an Exchange server to the Internet. As long as the server has been configured correctly, is fully patched and the limited ports are open (you only need two - SMTP (25) and HTTPS (443)) then the risk is minimal. If you are receiving email by SMTP then your server is under constant attack anyway, it is a fact of life when operating an SMTP server on the Internet.

Exchange 2003 is effectively a ten year old product. The method of forwarding that it uses appears to many sites as a spoof.
Therefore the only effective way to have access to Exchange email when remote is to use a method that accesses email directly from Exchange - I don't know how many more times I have to say that.

That gives you a number of options
- OWA
- OMA
- RPC over HTTPS
- Exchange ActiveSync
- Blackberry with a BES or BES Express server.

The native solutions all run over HTTPS traffic.
The only solution that does not require a port being opened inbound from the Internet is a Blackberry based solution.

If you don't have the experience, get a consultant in to set it up for you.

Simon.

[ollyno1uk]

Thanks - I will investigate these options - you do not and did not need to repeat the facts. Obviously if I were looking for a consultant I would have gone down this route rather than looking for assistance on forums.

Having said that, I do apprecaite the time you have taken to respond.

I will not ask further questions in this forum

Thanks

[anupam]

Dear ollyno1uk,

You should be thankful to Simon for helping you! You are always welcome to post your questions in this blog just like any other member. Blog is there to help you out in troubleshooting something or making you familiar with something new provided you've studied the subject! No blog can teach you a technology they can only guide you.

Simon is the best and we all are avid reader of his every post.

As per your first post, I understand that you are totally new to Server related technologies. So it would be a good idea if you learn the subject, implement it in you Lab and then to your Production. You read some good books and Simon's blog and Petri's blog; I'm sure you'll learn the subject in no time :O)

Cheers,
Anupam

[Sembee]

Originally Posted by ollyno1uk

Thanks - I will investigate these options - you do not and did not need to repeat the facts.

Really?
Did you read my posts then?

The kind of forwarding that is done by Exchange using this method actually means your server can appear to be spoofing. Therefore it is not 100% reliable. It all depends on how the originating domain is setup (which of course is out of your control).

I don't recommend forward to external accounts - I usually recommend that the user logs in to OWA or uses Outlook. Forwarding in the Exchange method is becoming less reliable because of the ongoing war on spam and spoofing.

The bottom line is that forwarding email to an external account is not going to be 100% reliable because of the way that Exchange does the forwarding. If you have a business requirement to have remote access email then you will need to find another way to get something reliable.

I make that three times in this thread alone where I recommended that you did not use this kind of forwarding.

Simon.

[ollyno1uk]

Did you read my posts then?

Really I find this patronising and quite frankly rather rude. It is nice that you try and help people but really...

Many people offer advice, it does not mean they are 100% correct or even that they fully understand the situation of the open post of fully understand the question.

I have been advised by someone who does know what they are talking about to use this method, secondly not to open up the firewall. They know our server setup from being on site before. An answer like "The excuse you have been given is complete tosh." is far from helpful. However your explanation of how to achieve access to the exchange sever in later posts was indeed helpful and gives me an idea of where to continue my investigation. It is just a shame that it was combined with rudeness.

Regards

[danielp]

ollyno1uk,

You asked a question. You were given an answer. You were told, 3 times at least, that the way you're going is not reliable (actually, this is the 4th time). You seem to insist on going that way nevertheless. Now, you're saying Simon's patronizing you? You've got your setup wrong, that is NOT the proper way of reading your e-mail, you've been offered a much better and more reliable and secure way, yet you think that Simon's patronizing you.

I would strongly suggest that you ask your "friend", the one that knows it all, to help you.

So long.