Connecting to ActiveSync Online. Possible?

[Spud]

Is there a way to connect to my ActiveSync running on my PC from the internet? Is there some sort of server software you can run on your pc so that if your away from home you can still access ActiveSync on your pc via WiFi on a PPC using someone elses internet connection or hotspot?

I'm a bit of a newbie with PPC's so I don't know the correct term or lingo for what I am asking. I've searched on the forum for 'ActiveSync Server' and 'ActiveSync Online' and not got the results I'm after.

Sorry if this has been asked before.

[haesslich]

Not with Windows Mobile 5 and ActiveSync 4, you won't. I do recall that Activesync 3.x let you use WiFi to sync over the network, but I don't recall it allowing one to be away from home to sync that way. But you'd be better off checking with one of the gurus on this matter.

[Janak Parekh]

haesslich has the basic gist of it. ActiveSync versions 3.8 and below support "LAN sync", which is primarily designed to be used over a single network, but can be made to work over the Internet. However, Microsoft has decided there are security issues with this approach, and has disabled it until it can be redesigned. Therefore, ActiveSync 4.1 (which is what you need to use for WM5 devices) does not have LAN sync.

What are you trying to accomplish? The "best practice" for ActiveSync 4.1 (or, actually, for any version) use over the Internet is to use Exchange Server sync -- i.e., not to your PC, but to a server designed for the task. That can be done securely, and is fully supported for Internet sync scenarios, but it requires you to have an Exchange Server account, which can either be done via a corporate install or via third-party hosted Exchange accounts for a subscription fee.

--janak

[Spud]

Well I'm running v3.8 now and have the LAN Sync thing going using the WiFi so I thought hmm can I maybe open a port on my router, use my external IP and point it to my internal IP running ActiveSync and use it to sync my PPC where ever I find a wireless hotspot around the globe?

Is this what an Exchange Server does or is that something different?

Thanks for the quick response guys, really appreciate it.

[Janak Parekh]

Well I'm running v3.8 now and have the LAN Sync thing going using the WiFi so I thought hmm can I maybe open a port on my router, use my external IP and point it to my internal IP running ActiveSync and use it to sync my PPC where ever I find a wireless hotspot around the globe?
You can, but there are known security issues (http://www.airscanner.com/security/activesync371.htm) with doing this. I wish Microsoft fixed this, as there are a lot of end-users who could use the scenario you suggest, but it's not happening at the moment. I hope they will eventually fix it and fully support it. If you still want to risk things, you can open the port indicated in that advisory, or Google around for ActiveSync ports to see if it works.

Just to get a better picture, why do you want to sync remotely when traveling? Is it for backup? If so, you might want to use a backup application (http://www.spritesoftware.com/en/personal/products/windows_mobile/pocket_pc.htm) instead. (Note sure if Sprite, which I linked to, supports Internet backup, but you could check.)

Is this what an Exchange Server does or is that something different?
An Exchange Server setup basically relocates where your Outlook data is stored -- instead of on your PC, it's on a server, with the ability to securely connect and sync to it (to be precise, email, contacts, calendar, and tasks; notes and files can only be done through AS itself). There are also other advantages, including very fast sync and push email to Pocket PC Phones and Smartphones.

Unfortunately, deploying Exchange Server in a household is not practical. An alternative if you want Exchange Server sync functionality is to subscribe to an Exchange mailbox from third-party hosting services (http://www.google.com/search?q=exchange+hosting&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official).

--janak

[Sven Johannsen]

From previous MS KB articles
ActiveSync requires the following Winsock Transmission Control Protocols (TCP) to be available:
· 990
· 999
· 5678
· 5679

The current KB ( Q259369) says

ActiveSync 4.x requires the following Winsock Transmission Control Protocols (TCP) to be available:
• 990 (RAPI)
• 999 (Status)
• 5721 (DTPT)
• 5678 (Legacy Replication)
• 5679 (Handshake & Legacy Replication)
• 26675 (Airsync)

Note the reference to legacy support on 5678 and 5679. You might open those to start with.

Janak is right though, why do you want to 'sync' from Starbucks? Do you have a secretary back at the PC updating your contacts and calendar? If backup is the desire, a local backup on a flash card is much more convinient for both backup and restoral.

[Spud]

Just to get a better picture, why do you want to sync remotely when traveling? Is it for backup?
I just want to be able to access my outlook email on the pc via the PPC wherever I am in the world basically. If I could browse my shared folders on my pc and copy stuff to my PPC as well that would be cool too.
I also add all my contacts with my PDA mostly but appointments are mostly done via the PC. So syncing whenever I get the chance is always going to be more conveniant bacsically.

I know there are lots of little progs out there that will do basically what I'm asking but I just thought if I could do all of it through ActiveSync like I am now with my PPC and local wifi network that would be pretty handy.

If it's a major security issue then I guess I should look at the alternatives . I tried Orb for file sharing online but that seemed to chug the hdd constantly and take up way too much memory on my PC. IIS would be the better alternative for something like this I think.

Thanks again Janak your knowledge on such things is wide. And thanks Sven for the port info. I may actually try it out just for the fun of it lol. If you don't see me online for a while you'll know why. ;)

[Spud]

Ok I think I got ActiveSync working online but only on my wireless network. I've changed the IP settings to my external IP, opened the ports needed and pointed it all to my pc running ActiveSync. It seems to work just as good as when I was using my internal IP but if I get online on someone elses wireless internet it won't ActiveSync.

I think it doesn't work because my PPC doesn't actually know it's online. What I mean is I can get online using Netfront browser with the right proxy settings but I think it needs PIE to have www access in order for ActiveSync to work. Unfortunatley there are no proxy settings and whatnot for PIE to let me change it so I can get online with PIE.

Any Ideas?

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I think it doesn't work because my PPC doesn't actually know it's online. What I mean is I can get online using Netfront browser with the right proxy settings but I think it needs PIE to have www access in order for ActiveSync to work.

No, that's not necessary.


Unfortunatley there are no proxy settings and whatnot for PIE to let me change it so I can get online with PIE.

Any Ideas?

Have you tried putting the proxy information in the connection manager? This makes any proxy information independent of PIE, or any other browser for that matter.

[Sven Johannsen]

but if I get online on someone elses wireless internet it won't ActiveSync. Are we talking someone elses wifi, like a friend or neighbor who also has a NATed router setup and doesn't have those ports open? Have you tried at a local free WiFi coffee shop or something?

[Spud]

Unfortunatley there are no proxy settings and whatnot for PIE to let me change it so I can get online with PIE.

Any Ideas?

Have you tried putting the proxy information in the connection manager? This makes any proxy information independent of PIE, or any other browser for that matter.
Yes I tried that but it was a no-go as well.

but if I get online on someone elses wireless internet it won't ActiveSync.

Are we talking someone elses wifi, like a friend or neighbor who also has a NATed router setup and doesn't have those ports open? Have you tried at a local free WiFi coffee shop or something?
I'm yet to try it at a coffee shop or something like that but yes I'm trying to connect to my ActiveSync PC from someone else's Wifi internet connection.

My first attempt was at the in-laws who are caretakers at a girls school (they live there). Their security is pretty high so I just copied the proxy settings from my mother-in-laws' browser and used them with Netfront to get online with the PPC.

As far as ports go I've opened the ones needed on the ActiveSync PC at home so it shouldn't matter what ports are and are not open on the wifi setup I'm currently connected to while away from home.
ActiveSync on the PPC end is looking for my ActiveSync PC at home through my external IP address at home. From there my router settings will point it towards my internal ip of the PC running ActiveSync.

Clear as mud? :)

With the correct ports opened it should work relatively easy I would think. Anyway I'll try another friends Wifi connection when I get the chance and see if it works through there not-so-secure internet connection.

Cheers agian guys! We'll sort this out one day :)

[Sven Johannsen]

Maybe Janak can help here. If both the PC and PPC are behind normal home user NATed routers (WiFi or not), wouldn't both ends need the appropriate ports forwarded to the respective devices?

[Spud]

I don't think so no. It should work like any other program running on a PC that features external www access. All ActiveSync on the PPC end needs is the IP address. Once it connects my router should guide it the rest of the way through my network.

Well that's the way I see it working anyway. I am very open to being completely wrong lol.

[Janak Parekh]

Maybe Janak can help here.
Not anymore - I haven't done this in a long, long time. :P I vaguely remember WINS/DNS name-to-IP resolution as being the main issue in getting remote LAN sync to work, i.e., the partnership is done with a machine name, not an IP address. There may be a way of programming the machine's name into the WINS field or somesuch to enable the name resolution to be successful. In fact, Marc Zimmerman had released a Pocket Hosts (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?programId=45&productId=54305) tool to enable this, but it breaks WM2003 in strange ways.

--janak