PIX and Outlook MAPI client

[mmelbourne]

We are considering using high-end PIXes to secure our Data Centres. However, this would require users to connect to Exchange servers, using the full Outlook (MAPI) client, through the firewall.

Can Outlook/Exchange be made to work through the PIX, given that the application creates a number of connections on high ports using the RPC port mapper?

[Solace]

Short answer YES.

ISA server will do better with RPC though (they do some protocol checks that non of the other guys do) - I know of people running both because of this.

and

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=exchange+through+a+firewall

Returned a bang load of DOCs about connecting through a firewall to an Exchange server.

I would also recomend you take a look at RPC over HTTP(s) as a preferred access methods than MAPI over the Internet.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Steven

[mostiguy]

You want them to use a VPN. You can do this, but you really do not want to open those ports.

[bconrad]

Hi,

If you look at MS article 155831 it tells you how to do it. On the pix, you would open up tcp/135 and the 2 ports mentioned in the article to allow inbound access to the public address.

A more secure solution would be to setup a IPSec connection from client to pix (if possible).

Ben