Anyone accessing work VPN via Axim?

diesel · 02-23-03, 07:39 PM

Hi All,

I have an Axim 400 and I have a socket wireless cf card and a linkysys wireless router at home and i can surf the net and sync wireless with my laptop. What i'm trying to do however is access my work VPN from my axim. On my laptop, I have a cisco VPN client that i launch and log into in order to access my work VPN, and after I've logged into my work VPN then I can log into my work exchange server to pull up email from my outlook. After that, I can then sync my work email into my Axim.

What i'm trying to do, is connect to my work VPN from my axim, and then log into my exchange server from my axim and pull down my email directly onto my axim instead of having to go through my laptop. Would anyone be able to help me with this?

Thanks in advance

cybermage · 02-24-03, 01:16 PM

I've used the PPTP client that comes with, but I understand there is an IPSEC VPN client available (I forget the name but it starts with an "M")

Also, if you want to bypass sync'ing with the laptop, you will probably need Microsoft's Mobile Information Server. It will allow you to sync directly with Exchange. Pretty heavy duty on the system requirements for the server though, and I don't think you can install it on the same machine that runs Exchange.

Next server upgrade I do, I plan to install it here just for testing.

TSB8C · 02-24-03, 01:30 PM

I VPN in to my corp network from home using my Axim's built-in VPN client. Once connected, I can sync with my desktop PC in my office or take remote control of it via the Terminal Services client on the Axim.

No need for me to sync with the Exchange server directly since my desktop PC is on all the time and I have configured Outlook on the desktop to use a local PST file. I just sync remotely via VPN the same way I do locally via WiFi when I am in the office.

diesel · 02-24-03, 01:31 PM

Mage,

Thanks for the info. I don't believe i'll be able to convince the "suits upstairs" here in the mgmt suite to purchase ms mobile information server (i doubt it's free) but even if it was free, to convince them to install and maintain it on a server even if it meant greater productivity from me (hahahah like the 120% i give already ain't good enough). If you do try it out, please let me know how it goes. Thanks.

Eric

diesel · 02-24-03, 01:56 PM

TSB8C,

Hmmm so you got it working. I've been playing around with the pocket pc VPN settings and can't seem to get it to work. I have a cisco vpn at work and a linksys wireless router. My knowledge of pocket pc is somewhat limited so i don't really want to start changing settings on my axim less i screw up my wireless connection. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

Eric

maarten · 02-24-03, 04:29 PM

I'm going to figure it out tomorrow, we have a wireless network at my work with VPN.

ccmcc14b · 02-24-03, 07:27 PM

I would welcome all the advice I can get on VPN access as well. I have a corporate system that uses a Fiberlink VPN product with an RSA Smartcard Secure ID to access the VPN. I think I am stuck until Fiberlink comes up with a PDA ported product for their VPN and my company buys in to it, but if there are any ideas about how to get in to the system without all the firey hoops I would be thrilled to hear about them.

All I want is to be able to leave my shoulder breaker Micron notebook at home when I go on the road and use the Axim instead. Not much to ask, but my IT Dept is turning a deaf ear.

cyberketo · 02-24-03, 11:17 PM

I have a real problem using the VPN client that comes with Pocket pc. I am unable to get it to work with my company network. I can get authenticated but am unable to use terminal server or internet. I have tried anything and everything. I even made a call to Mircosoft. Microsoft said that by design the Pocket PC VPN client does not all qualified names to go through VPN packets. Does any one have any suggestions or experience with this that may be able to help me out. I have tried all of the other clients using ipsec but i am unable to convince the network people to add those connection types to the vpn server.

cybermage · 02-24-03, 11:29 PM

I found that the built-in client refuses to take DNS information from the VPN server, so the only way I could talk to a PC on the remote network was direct by IP address.

cpuhog · 02-25-03, 04:34 AM

At work we have Cisco waps all over the place (since I work at Cisco) ... all our authentication is based on LEAP...so, I can link easily at home with my Linksys but it is a no-go at work ...

-cpuhog

TSB8C · 02-25-03, 11:15 AM

I also found that I must manually enter WINS server addresses in because the VPN client in PocketPC won't accept the DHCP supplied info. It does use the DHCP assigned IP address though. Go figure...

So I have all three choices in the Connections area set to "work settings". I then simply entered the URL of the VPN server cluster at work and entered the WINS server addresses and left the IP address set to "Use Server Assigned".

I get challenged for my credentials when I start the connection and have to enter my ID prefaced with the domain name and then my password. That's it.

cybermage · 03-14-03, 09:00 PM

Well we implemented a Microsoft Mobile Information Server today.

It was a booger to get working.

First we had to run the setup several times. Each time it would tell us we hadn't completed a step and to run setup with this switch or that switch to do it, then run setup again.

Next, you MUST use SSL. This means you need a certificate for the server. If you generate the certificate yourself (rather than pay to use one of the main root cert servers that PIE already recognizes) you need to install a package on your Axim that comes with MMIS that allows it to ignore "invalid" certs.

Then we had to tweak some security settings to allow the MMIS server to talk to our Exchange 2000 server (note: they can't be running on the same machine.)

Finally we had to put every user's account (who needed access to MMIS) into the MIS Mobile Users group.

Finally, we had to punch a hole for SSL through our firewall to forward to the MMIS server.

Net result? I can sync my contacts, e-mail and calendar while standing in CompUSA, across town from the office. Or from home, or from any number of hotspots around town. And it sync's FAST!

Pretty darned cool!

For a case study let me explain:

We provide computer support services on contract basis to companies all over town. When we service an account we do up a service ticket on our custom app that shows symptom, resolution, parts used (and prices for them) and time to deduct from their contract.

The customer signs on the PDA. When we transmit this data over the web to our .NET server, it will generate an HTML e-mail that looks just like a typical printed service ticket, complete with our company logo and the customer's signature.

The data is added to our SQL server for later reference on our Intranet. It also notifies our accounting department of what to charge the customer.

So, we now have a truly wireless and paperless office! It's the holy grail of computing...

Okay, it's not THAT perfect, but it still has a high coolness factor.

rpeete · 03-20-03, 11:04 PM

Use the Movian VPN client! It worked great for me... we have a Cisco PIX firewall and this client worked fine. I just downloaded a 30-day free trail to make sure cuz the actual product ain't free.

-Rick

stickdogg · 03-26-03, 01:17 PM

You probably need a VPN client that supports IPSec (especially when companies use Cisco products.

The VPN client with your pocket PC doesn't support IPSec.

However Movian does as there are a couple of others.

however I am still looking around for a free VPN client that supports IPSec.

If anybody finds one let me know

Jer · 08-04-03, 05:26 PM

cybermage,
Are you establishing a pptp vpn connection thru wifi. I'm attempting to establish a pptp vpn connection thru my Verizon Express Network connection and everytime it disconnects VEN to establish my pptp vpn connection, when I need the VEN connection to remain...