Forwarder not working on Exch 2003 (SBS) 1

[itmt]

Hi All,

I have a client with SBS2003. A couple of users have BlackBerry's with TMobile. The way it is set up is this, emails are received on Exchange and set to be delivered to the mailbox AND forwarded to an external contact. The external contact is a TMobile email address - upon delivery, TMobile the redirect it to the BlackBerry. The external contact is set up correctly and this set up works successfully for some AD Object accounts but not all.

I am tearing my hair out over this as the users want the emails reliably directed to the BlackBerry devices.

I know that it is Exchange at fault, as if I email the TMobile address directly (thereby missing out the stage where the email passes through the Exchange server) it is delivered very quickly to the Device.

Any ideas greatfully received.

Torro

 

[markdmac]

Qhy are you not using the direct email address of the Blackberry instead of a T-mobile address that gets forwarded a second time?

My advice, tell your users to dump the blackberry and get themselves a PocketPC Phone. Built in Server ActiveSync will keep them up to date with their email and it is all native.

Their other option is to pony up and do what Blackberry suggests and purchase a whole second server to run Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES).

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[58sniper]

Whay aren't you using the desktop redirector software that came with the units? It's free, and gives the users more control over what goes to their devices. And it works.

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[milesy]

I'll go with Markdmac on this one. One of our parent companys has massive problems with Blackberry. Our small company with 15 users all use pocket pc with active sync and it worked from day 1 with no problems.

Craig Miles, CCNA

 

[markdmac]

One of the clients I supported were a small shop like yours milesy. We told them to go with PPC and they decided on the Blackberry because they did not want to pay as much for the devices.

Needless to say as they added users using Blackberry they had to spend about $8K on the BES and then several thousand more on the labor for setting it up and the countless hours of troubleshooting and maintenance. They had several blackberries die and setting up the new ones was always an unpredictable activity. Overall I estimate they spent 3 times as much than they would have if they had taken the advice given from the start!

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[itmt]

Apologies for delay in replying.
Markdmac - what do you mean by "are you not using the direct email address of the Blackberry instead of a T-mobile address"

The Blackberry was purchased through TMobile and it's associated address is the TMobile address. The only forwarder is on the AD user object - forget all ther problems with BES, BlackBerry, RIM etc - I need help with why Exchange is not forwarding messages to an external account when it should!! Other users in same Domain successfully have every email forwarded.

An SMTP mail hits Exchnage and should both be delivered to the mailbox AND forwarded to this external a/c. Forget the BlackBerry, the external account could be a Hotmail account for example.

PLease guys, any help appreciated as are all posts so far.

Torro

PS: Believe me, I am a pocketPC fan!

 

[markdmac]

what do you mean by "are you not using the direct email address of the Blackberry instead of a T-mobile address"

Perhaps I was mislead by your earlier post which I interpretted as you send to a T-Mobile address and then that forwards to an address like 5555551234@blackberry.com.

Are you forwarding to the same email address you can send email to directly? Have you checked the Exchange Server envent logs for any indications if there are DNS problems sending to that domain? Have you verified that YOUR DOMAIN has an RDNS entry?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[itmt]

Hi,

Yes - it is strange.
Inbound SMTP mail is to user@domain1.com
this is successfully delivered to Exchange and the client's mailbox. It is forwarding from there that is the problem. It should forward to a user@Tmobile.mobileemail.com address.
I know that it is possible to email this account directly from within our domain for two reasons. 1 - this set up works for another user - 2 - I can simply email the mobile address directly and it arrived in the BB device shortly afterwards.

I can prove, therefore, that it is the exchange forwarder that is failing - I just can't see why and there is nothing in the logs to help.

HELP!

 

[markdmac]

Do you have anything stuck in your SMTP Queues?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[itmt]

No - the queues are empty, both in and outbound.

 

[markdmac]

Must confess I am out of ideas. Only thing I could suggest would be to delete the contact and recreate it.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[itmt]

Thanks for all your suggestions. You last one, I had already tried. I was convinced that would work as, as mentioned above, I had created a new contact as myself and got his a/c to point to that - and that worked 100% of the time.

I think I may have to quit!

 

[markdmac]

Just thought of one other idea. Join your contact to a group and forward to the group.

As members of the group have yourself (or a special account) and the crackberry account. If the one gets it then you know the forward is working and the mail is getting blocked or lost by crackberry.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[itmt]

nice idea! First thing on my list of things to do tomorrow when back in the office.

Thanks dude - have a good day.