Blackberry mail issue

[Insint]

Hi All

To begin with I am a total noob with mail servers. My company have a mail server which works great with devices for example: Windows OS, Android phones, nokia phones. All these devices allow me to put in the pop3 settings and smtp settings and the mail is received no problem.

The problem comes in with Blackberries. When inserting the correct mail settings for the BB device it keeps displaying an error message. The error is always the same: "Cannot connect to email server or invalid server name". I know the settings is correct.

I am thinking our server cannot communicate with the Blackberry server? Is there any specific firewall rules that needs to be setup for this?

 

[MeNeZ]

Do your laptops use Outlook anywhere? You sometimes have to put that address in as your mail server or your RDP address/owa

 

[Insint]

Thanks for the reply. On outlook our email works perfectly. I am using the same address that we are using in outlook, but on the blackberry I have zero luck.

 

[bubbatentoe]

Blackberries use BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server or Blackberry Enterprise Server Express) to sync mail with Exchange Server.
BES = expensive (runs on windows server)
BES E = free (runs on XP)


If you don't have a BES or BESE server located at your company then you will need to use BES/BESE that Vodacom or CellC provides (this will negatively affect your company's bandwidth usage as mail is sent thrice ((once form the client to Exchange, then from Exchange to the BES server and then from the BES server to theBB)

So, contact the cell network and ask them to enable BES services for the cell number.
It's not a free service in SA. They'll charge you a couple of R per month.


To enable BES on the BB:

a) Once BES services are enabled setup the mail client on the BB, it'll generate a PIN number.
b) Use that PIN number to setup the email account on the BES server (it too will generate a PIN)
c) use the BES server generated PIN number to finalize the email setup on the BB - it'll start sync'ing email only then.

Conclusion:
BB talks to BES Server
Bes Server talks to Exchange Server


Best solution IMHO - (if you have less then 100 BB users) get a BES Express server and connect it directly to your Exchange box.

TIP: To NOT affect Exchange performance (by having 50 x BB accounts sync mail all the time via the BES server) install a 2nd NIC in your Exchange box and connect it to the BES-E server via x-over cable).


U can download BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express server here: http://us.blackberry.com/apps-software/business/server/express/


have fun.

 

[Insint]

Thanks bubbatentoe! This helps a lot.
Time to have some fun