# Android Exchange over wifi Issue



## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

So here's a odd issue I'm hoping someone can shed some light on. I have a wifi network in my office to which my phone has always been connected. About two weeks ago, with no changes to my Android phone or the wireless network, my Exchange email stopped working when on that wifi network. All other data works fine, but not Exchange. Also, Exchange works on any other wifi network, just not the work network. 

Oddly, one of the guys that works for me has a Rezound, and he has the same issue, no Exchange email at work, but everywhere else. Even odder, other people have BlackBerry's, but they have no such problems. So it seems that only Android phones have an Exchange issue on my office wifi network.

Thinking it was a problem with the access point, I replaced it. No help. I am completely baffled. 

Anyone have any thoughts?


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

Can you provide a little more information about the network the WLAN is connected to? Do you have access to the Firewall and / or any kind of NAC software that's running on that network? Have you tried pinging the Exchange server from a wired node on the network? Since it's not just happening on your device and the Blackberries are almost certainly hitting a BES server rather than going directly to Exchange I would expect something is blocking access to the Exchange server.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Any errors showing up on your phone or the exchange server? 

Expired Cert on the phone perhaps?


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

bobukcat said:


> Can you provide a little more information about the network the WLAN is connected to? Do you have access to the Firewall and / or any kind of NAC software that's running on that network? Have you tried pinging the Exchange server from a wired node on the network? Since it's not just happening on your device and the Blackberries are almost certainly hitting a BES server rather than going directly to Exchange I would expect something is blocking access to the Exchange server.


The network is fairly simple, a combo modem/router that is owned by the cable company that I have no access to, a switch, and the access point. No issues connecting to the Exchange server from any PC, either wired or wireless, in the office. This issue seems to only affect the Android phones.



klang said:


> Any errors showing up on your phone or the exchange server?
> 
> Expired Cert on the phone perhaps?


I get "Unknown error on Exchange Server".


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Getting to the server via HTTP or Outlook is one thing. Your phones are using Activesync, however; I'd assume any iPhones are having the same issue. BES devices won't exhibit it because it'll get in through BES-to-Exchange links.

Specifically something's blocking ports required by it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/259369


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

RasputinAXP said:


> Getting to the server via HTTP or Outlook is one thing. Your phones are using Activesync, however; I'd assume any iPhones are having the same issue. BES devices won't exhibit it because it'll get in through BES-to-Exchange links.
> 
> Specifically something's blocking ports required by it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/259369


The thing that makes no sense to me is that it worked just fine....then stopped. I am not sure why all of a sudden TWC would block access to the ports required for ActiveSync.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Beats me. S'just my guess. I'd be running wireshark though.


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

hilmar2k said:


> The thing that makes no sense to me is that it worked just fine....then stopped. I am not sure why all of a sudden TWC would block access to the ports required for ActiveSync.


Try installing the free version of Touchdown and connecting that way, it will often provide more information about what's failing - the stock Android e-mail client doesn't provide much.

Speaking of clients, what Android devices are you using, I ask because most devices will have a manufacturer's skinned e-mail client rather than the native one.

I also should have been more specific, you need to see if you can ping the mobile exchange server which is usually different than the one your PC would connect to. It will be in the settings for the e-mail setup and should be something like mobile.mail.xxxxxxxx.com. or wmail.xxxxx.com.

I've never seen NAT cause problems with ActiveSynch Exchange but perhaps it could be a DNS issue???? May want to try a different DNS server in your network settings - but I'm just grasping at straws there as I've never seen DNS cause a problem with e-mail either.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

bobukcat said:


> Try installing the free version of Touchdown and connecting that way, it will often provide more information about what's failing - the stock Android e-mail client doesn't provide much.
> 
> Speaking of clients, what Android devices are you using, I ask because most devices will have a manufacturer's skinned e-mail client rather than the native one.
> 
> ...


I have tried TD in the past, and not really liked it. I guess I could load it up again and see what happens. Both of us are running HTC devices (an Incredible 2 and a Rezound). They are similar, but different, email clients.

I cannot ping the Exchange server, but I don't that tells us anything because I checked with someone offsite (where Exchange over wifi is working) and he can't ping it either.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Ping isn't a good test because any sysadmin worth their salary filters ICMP out at the edge.


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

hilmar2k said:


> I have tried TD in the past, and not really liked it. I guess I could load it up again and see what happens. Both of us are running HTC devices (an Incredible 2 and a Rezound). They are similar, but different, email clients.
> 
> I cannot ping the Exchange server, but I don't that tells us anything because I checked with someone offsite (where Exchange over wifi is working) and he can't ping it either.


I just suggested TD as a temporary troubleshooting tool, it's helped me fix several other people's issues because it provides more information about what's going on with the connection than the other e-mail clients.

Are you saying that other people on non-blackberry devices can connect to the SAME exchange server on the same WLAN network?


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## palloquin (Feb 7, 2012)

Hey bobukcat,

I was wondering if you somehow resolved your issues... 

I suddenly started having the same problems... I have a firewall I have full control over, I see no weird things happening...

Could do with some clues!


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

palloquin said:


> Hey bobukcat,
> 
> I was wondering if you somehow resolved your issues...
> 
> ...


TouchDown solved my issues. I have no idea why TD will connect to the Exchange server when the stock email app won't.


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

"hilmar2k" said:


> TouchDown solved my issues. I have no idea why TD will connect to the Exchange server when the stock email app won't.


This is not the first time I've seen Touchdown work when the stock client won't. It would be a first if its only happening on a specific WLAN though!


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## mutelight (Oct 6, 2008)

It is funny to see this thread here as I am having the exact same problem.

For whatever reason my iPad 2 is totally fine on the WLAN at work but using Touchdown and Enhanced Email, I cannot retrieve my mail on the same network on my Galaxy Nexus.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

(If it hasn't fixed itself yet) Try downloading Kaiten email client (trial) or K-9 email client (free) and see if that works.

It seems the "break" date was Jan 22nd: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24661


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Blazer, that's specific to 4.0.2 on the GSM Galaxy Nexus. I'm not having any issues with 4.0.2 on my CDMA Galaxy Nexus at all.

Edit: It does, however involve hosted Exchange accounts @live.com but regardless, it works everywhere except one WLAN. 

Also, K9 doesn't do Exchange Activesync out of the box, there's an extended amount of hackery required to even get http-based Exchange working.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

RasputinAXP said:


> Blazer, that's specific to 4.0.2 on the GSM Galaxy Nexus. I'm not having any issues with 4.0.2 on my CDMA Galaxy Nexus at all.
> 
> Edit: It does, however involve hosted Exchange accounts @live.com but regardless, it works everywhere except one WLAN.
> 
> Also, K9 doesn't do Exchange Activesync out of the box, there's an extended amount of hackery required to even get http-based Exchange working.


Never mind ... I misread your message.


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