Using Exchange on your iPhone

With the release of the iPhone 3g and version 2.0 software, the iPhone has the capability to access your mail, contacts and calendar stored on your organization’s Exchange server. This article outlines the steps required to get access to your mailbox from your iPhone.

Checklist

Exchange Server version is 2003 with service pack 2 or Exchange 2007
A valid digital certificate is installed on the Exchange environment
iPhone is running version 2.0 or later firmware

Preparing the Exchange Server Environment

The ActiveSync protocol used for communications between the iPhone and the Exchange server must be enabled and configured on your server. A digital certificate is required on the server to secure the communications with the iPhone. If an ISA server is in use it must be configured to permit ActiveSync traffic to the Exchange environment. The quickest way to verify that your server is configured correctly is to use an ActiveSync test tool which will identify any configuration issues.

Configuring your Firewall

Your Exchange server and network is protected from the Internet by a firewall which must be setup to allow the iPhone to connect over the Internet to Exchange . To do this you must permit Internet on port 443 (the port used for SSL) on the firewall and configure the firewall to forward any traffic from the Internet on port 443 to the Exchange environment.

Configuring your iPhone

On your iPhone, select Microsoft Exchange from the list of mail services. The next screen on the iPhone will ask for your mail address and a username and password. This username and password is the same as you use to logon to your office PC. The iPhone will attempt to auto-discover your server and will most likely fail and prompt you for your server name. For the server name, enter the Internet name of your firewall (e.g. firewall.example.com) not the name of your Exchange server. The next screen allows you to select what to synchronize (mail, calendar & contacts) and how many days mail to hold on the iPhone. When you have completed this setup, tap the sync button to start retrieving your mailbox.

If you run into problems

A wide variety of technical issues may prevent the iPhone from connecting successfully. To avoid the technical complexities you should consider using a hosted service for iPhone integration. Using a hosted service removes the issues with certificates and opening a firewall and makes it much easier for non-technical people to integrate their iPhone with Exchange.

Simplify your iPhone Integration with AccessMyLan. Save on certificates, ISA servers and opening ports on the firewall.