Inbox through POP3 and RAS

[Birdman]

I am able to connect to my corporate RAS and perform a remote AS provided my profile is logged on to my desktop computer. Allows me to retrieve and send mail no problem.
I have now been trying to get my mail through POP3 which if it works, will allow me to get my mail without having to be logged on to my computer. (I cannot do an ActiveSync with the server because we do not have Server AS, or whatever it is called.)

At any rate, I have confirmed with our IS department that the exchange server does support POP3 and IMAP4 and the protocols are enabled. However, the exchange server does not support SMTP which I understand should only impact sending and not receiving. When I set up a POP3 service under Inbox, it connects to the firm no problem but I receive an error that "cannot send or receive mail at this time, please try again later".

We have an old mail server at the firm which does support SMTP and when I input that mail server's IP address into the POP3 settings, I am able to receive mail (it goes through the motions, but I have no mail sitting on that server to grab) and I can send mail through it as well. This leads me to believe that the problem with the currently used exchange server is that because it does not support SMTP, I cannot retrieve mail either. Make any sense? (Sorry for any imprecise use of tech. terms.)

[Ravenswing]

First, if your Exchange server supports IMAP, use that instead. It's a far better protocol to use in the circumstances.

Unless they've changed the system, not being able to get through to the SMTP server should cause you this problem. I used to get it a lot when travelling and I could still read mail even if I couldn't dispatch it. You can test it by setting the incoming server to the exchange machine and the outgoing server to the machine with SMTP on. (They don't have to be the same.) If you can then read mail okay I'm a dumb person who hasn't caught up with the latest software. :?

If you still can't read mail off the Exchange server it could be an authentication issue. Maybe you need to use SPA or something. You'll need to talk nicely to your sys admin.

[Birdman]

Thanx for the reply but no luck. I tried using both IMAP4 and POP3. When I insert the "new" exchange mail server IP address into the incoming mail server section, I keep getting the same error message that the incoming mail server cannot send or receive at this time, regardless of what I put in the outgoing mail server box. When I use the old SMTP mail server IP address in the incoming mail server box, then it works, also irrespective of what I put in the outgoing mail server section but of course, I have no mail sitting on that server.

It must be an authentication issue but my IS people tell me that all should be working properly and I should be authenticated when I dial into the RAS.

This is extremely frustrating.

[Ravenswing]

Yes, I can imagine it is frustrating.

I'm just about to try to get something similar working in my office. I'll let you know if anything comes to light.