Re: "Trying to connect" problem with RPC-HTTP

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From: Grant (gpsnett_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 02/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 16:49:59 -0000

For anyone else that might read this post in the future - I managed to get
this working by firstly removing sharepoint services (probably shouldnt have
had it running on the same machine in the first place - its a test server so
lesson learnt :) ). I then uninstalled rpc-http, rebooted and re-applied
exchange sp2. Added the registry settings to the front end server (Did not
specify it as a front end proxy server in Exchange - that seems to screw
things up) and configured the client (imported SSL root certificates into
browser so that it automatically trusts the proxy site).

It seems to work now - when I comnnect using 'outlook /rpcdiag' I can see
the connection using HTTPS. Also 'netstat -n' shows which ports are being
used (443 being the one were interested in).

Hope that helps someone with the same problem...

"Grant" <gpsnett@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23QDje0FGFHA.3664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Thats interesting, when I connect using 'outlook /rpcdiag' I get an
> 'Exchange server connection status' box with no servers listed. It appears
> to connect fine but '
> netstat -n' shows that it is connecting directly to the main exchange
> server and doesnt appear to be going over RPC and using the proxy server.
>
> I used a thawte certificate (21 day trial cert) which at first was showing
> as untrusted in IIS. When I used the 'certificate trust wizard' to import
> Thawte's root certificate, IIS is seemed to then like it as there are no
> errors anymore.
>
> Another interesting thing - as I was checking the basic auth in IIS I
> noticed that basic auth was not enabled. Integrated windows authentication
> was only enabled, so I 've no enabled basic auth but still not working.
>
> Were using a SOHO sonicwall firewall.
>
>
> "neo [mvp outlook]" <neo@online.mvps.org> wrote in message
> news:O4F96%23EGFHA.2180@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> 443 is the only port that needs to be opened.
>>
>> what kind of firewall are you using and/or are you only allowing basic
>> auth on the RPC Proxy under IIS?
>>
>> is the site using an internal certificate or one by verisign/thawte/.etc
>> to secure IIS? The reason that I ask is that with an internal
>> certificate, you need to ensure that the client workstation has a copy of
>> the signing Certificate Authority in the Trusted Root certificate store.
>> Outlook 2003 will throw no error or warnings if it can't verify the
>> certificate back to the signing certificate authority. It just fails the
>> connection and falls back to RPC.
>>
>> Also double check that you are getting a RPC/HTTP connection internally.
>> Start Outlook with the /rpcdiag switch to ensure that it isn't falling
>> back to RPC while on the corporate LAN
>>
>>
>> "Grant" <gpsnett@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:OxO653EGFHA.1396@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> Ive setup an exchange proxy front end server but I cannot get clients to
>>> connect through the firewall. I can sucesfully connect using RPC-HTTP
>>> when Im on the LAN, but when I fire up Outlook from home, I get a
>>> username and password prompt but then it just sits there saying "Trying
>>> to connect" and never actually connects.
>>>
>>> I read MS article 833401 and have all the updates I need but theres
>>> something Im missing here. As soon as I connect over a VPN connection,
>>> Outlook connects fine!
>>>
>>> Ive opened up firewall port 443 for SSL traffic to the proxy server, and
>>> port 80 to the proxy server. Is there anything else that needs to be
>>> opened?
>>>
>>> Can anyone offer any help on this?
>>>
>>> Much appreciated,
>>> Grant
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

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