Exchange sync working, Mobileme sync working!!!!

[NYCAVS]

After a couple days of frustration (not alone it seems) I was able to get my work exchange account to sync with the iPhone (mail, contacts, calendar). I am supremely impressed with how it works!!!!! Changes (eg deleting an email from either my work account or the iPhone) are reflected so fast it's shocking!!!

I have also been able to get my mobileme account to sync with my iPhone and my wife's so we can edit various personal/family calendar's and have them adjust to the other devices/computers very quickly.

The overall interface and opportunities are just fantastic... Apple rocks... the couple days of growing pains are nothing compared to the final product!!!

My only minor gripe now... unable to set separate signatures... so for now have my more formal work sig but would be nice to have a signature attached to each email account.

 

[philamac]

can you please go into detail what your setup is and how you are able to share calendars with your wife. There have been quite a few threads asking "How to share calendars with family members" and etc...

We will all greatly appreciate your contribution to the community. Thanks.

 

[NYCAVS]

can you please go into detail what your setup is and how you are able to share calendars with your wife. There have been quite a few threads asking "How to share calendars with family members" and etc...

We will all greatly appreciate your contribution to the community. Thanks.

Background... both have original iPhone (2G) updated with new 2.0 software. I had .mac account (individual) and that self converted to mobileme. I wanted to upgrade account to Family pack but couldn't see any icon to do that (until recently).

Then, I synced both iPhones to the same main mobileme account through 1) Settings 2) Mail, COntacts, Calendars... and 3) Add Account.

Then, in iCal I made all the individual calendars that I wanted (mine, hers, family, etc.). Then it all just works.

I ended up upgrading to the family pack but as of now, noone else even plans to really use it. Eventually, would be great to have each of use use our own calendar and be and to sync them all with editing capability but in reality, the current solution works well enough.

As expected, changes made in the iphone are instantly (seconds) sent to the other iphone. Changes made in iCal seem to sync q 15 min or so but can be done easily by just invoking the sync.

Hope it helps...

 

[philamac]

Oh so you've got 1 mobileme account active on 2 phones..
Doesn't that mean you both share contacts and email as well? Or you could if you just flipped the switches to on?

 

[NYCAVS]

Oh so you've got 1 mobileme account active on 2 phones..
Doesn't that mean you both share contacts and email as well? Or you could if you just flipped the switches to on?

As of now, I only flipped on the calendar and contact sharing (which works best for us).

I suppose she could access her own email by also adding her mobileme subaccount and turning on email only but havent;t tried that. She uses gmail now which is separate.

 

[ki4pcm]

How did you get it syncing with your exchange account?

 

[NYCAVS]

How did you get it syncing with your exchange account?

Mainly trial and error. I spoke with IT and they are not yet ready to offer formal iPhone support but got some basic advice.

Then for several fdays kept trying various combinations and finally got it working....

It is amazing... even get meeting request, etc. on it and can accept, decline, etc.

TFC

 

[DJS1234]

In my experience Exchange Activesync has been great and I've tried it with 4 exchange servers so far some 2003, some 2007, both have taken about a minute to setup. Apple and M$ seemed to have worked together really well on the ActiveSync plugin. If they could build it into OS X it'd be great also (Except then no-one would need Entourage so I doubt that would happen)

And to my shock tonight MobileMe has been really good contacts and calendar syncing from Mac to phone and back again is working really well!

I'd just built up a trial Kerio mail server to use Activesync also as I was getting a bit sick of Mobile Me and then to my suprisse I gave MobileMe another go and it was very good, the web interface also seems more responsive. Can't vouch for mail yet though, just contacts and calendar.

Dan

 

[gear71428]

If they could build it into OS X it'd be great also (Except then no-one would need Entourage so I doubt that would happen)
Dan

Its supposed to be part of snow leopard. I guess Apple doesn't care about eliminating users need for Microsoft's Entourage app.

 

[wlh99]

How did you get it syncing with your exchange account?

The one thing I noticed with the iPhone and exchagne is that the iPhone by default wants SSL and our server doesn't support that. So on initail setup it gives an error that it can't login or something. Then you can go back into settings and turn off SSL and it should work fine.

 

[marmiteturkey]

The one thing I noticed with the iPhone and exchagne is that the iPhone by default wants SSL and our server doesn't support that. So on initail setup it gives an error that it can't login or something. Then you can go back into settings and turn off SSL and it should work fine.

so you're using activesync, rather than mobileme?
Question to you and the OP is 'are you using just mobileme, or have you set up activesync? I just can't get mobileme to find stuff on our exchange server, and God knows I've tried. There aren't really any 'combinations' to try - the only info to enter is username and password, and resetting sync settings (done that quite a few times!).

 

[mopac01]

In my experience Exchange Activesync has been great and I've tried it with 4 exchange servers so far some 2003, some 2007, both have taken about a minute to setup. Apple and M$ seemed to have worked together really well on the ActiveSync plugin. If they could build it into OS X it'd be great also (Except then no-one would need Entourage so I doubt that would happen)

And to my shock tonight MobileMe has been really good contacts and calendar syncing from Mac to phone and back again is working really well!

I'd just built up a trial Kerio mail server to use Activesync also as I was getting a bit sick of Mobile Me and then to my suprisse I gave MobileMe another go and it was very good, the web interface also seems more responsive. Can't vouch for mail yet though, just contacts and calendar.

Dan

My experience has been different. I basically have used just Address Book and iCal in the past with a .Mac account My company uses Exchange Server 2007 and Outlook 2003 on XP but I've basically kept my Calendar and Contacts apart from Exchange "manually" using my Apple apps since there wasn't a way to sync them. My .Mac account migrated fine to MobileMe and all of my contacts and calendar entries show up on my iPhone 2.0 via MobileMe. I then made sure to completely wipe out any default contacts or stray calendar entries in Exchange via my Outlook client and then set up my XP Outlook 2003 to sync with MobileMe. I choose to let MobileMe overwrite my PC - which should have been blank anyway. The calendar entries seem to have migrated fine. The groups on Address Book became different Contact Folders on Outlook - which made sense. Contacts that weren't part of a specific group on Address Book went into the default "Contacts" folder on Outlook - again that made sense. However, all contacts which were part of a group have 2 entries in their corresponding contact folder in Exchange/Outlook. Yet, this duplication never pushes back to the MobileMe cloud. Those entries in the default "Contacts" folder are not duplicated. Also, if I modify a contact on Outlook/Exchange it gets modified on MobileMe. But adding a brand new contact on Outlook/Exchange doesn't get added to MobileMe. Adding things on the iPhone or Mac Address Book do get added via the MobileMe sync to Exchange. And in that case I find I don't get a duplicate even in a contact folder other than the default. The duplicates only seem to come from the initial overwriting sync from MobileMe to Outlook/Exchange.

This is really close to being great. It's just a bit buggy at present.

 

[tj6106]

Partially Working, need help

I think I am trying to do the same as yourself, but cannot get it to work.

From my work PC I am trying to sync my calander with mobile me but the actual exchange calander won't sync. I have my own personal calander syncing and can see it in outlook but not the other way round. How did you manage to set this up, as my IT department has not got support for it as yet?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mrtune]

I got both working as well. Works fantastic and they coincide on my phone nicely.

I have both mobileme and exchange activesync to push email, contacts and calendars. The phone allows both sets at the same time on the phone. This allows me to keep my personal and work contacts/calendars separate which I like a lot.

While in the contacts app, if I hit the groups button at the top left, I can have it show only mobileme, only exchange activesync, or both at the same time mixed together in one big list. In the groups view, I even have the option to search the exchange directory for email address of coworkers. Flawless!

While in the calendar app I can hit the calendars button on the top left and basically have the same options. One or the other, or both at the same time. If I select both (which is how I have it set now), appointments are marked with a colored dot to let me know which calendar that appointment belongs too. Flawless!

Only two grips from me. Push is a battery hog, especially because I use both accounts at the same time. Also, as the OP mentioned, not having account specific signatures is a pain in the butt, but hardly a deal breaker.

MobileMe was a cinch to setup. Activesync was a bit more tricky. After getting the correct info from the IT department and continued errors with verification failures I had finally found the problem. SSL is turned on by default and is not an changeable option until you simply say yes after it fails and then go into the account settings and change it manually. I guess my company doesn't use it.

Now the only time I need to use itunes is simply for music and app syncing, which was never often to begin with. I used to sync daily just to keep my contacts and calendars in check. No more of that nonsense!

 

[NoOtherOne]

I think I am trying to do the same as yourself, but cannot get it to work.

From my work PC I am trying to sync my calander with mobile me but the actual exchange calander won't sync. I have my own personal calander syncing and can see it in outlook but not the other way round. How did you manage to set this up, as my IT department has not got support for it as yet?

Thanks in advance.

So you're trying to do it straight to MobileMe without Active Sync? That's what I'm trying to do as well. I JUST want the exchange calendar, not the contacts or e-mail for the moment, and I can't get it to work.

 

[Slip Jigs]

So you're trying to do it straight to MobileMe without Active Sync? That's what I'm trying to do as well. I JUST want the exchange calendar, not the contacts or e-mail for the moment, and I can't get it to work.

That seems to be the theme - syncing Exchange data - either Caledars or Contacts to MM doesn't seem to be supported. Only standalone Outlook clients seem to work.

 

[ny3ranger]

How did you get it syncing with your exchange account?

The trick is the mailserver that you have to use is not the actual mail server but your outlook webmail mailserver. So if you can access outlook via the web then that is the mailserver that you have to put.

My companies is

https://webmail.company.com


while our exchange servers are something else.

 

[musicus]

The trick is the mailserver that you have to use is not the actual mail server but your outlook webmail mailserver. So if you can access outlook via the web then that is the mailserver that you have to put.

Yes, that is correct - it works well, to and from the iPhone.

(Now, if only I could get my Exchange contacts to sync with iCal on my Mac. I know there are third-party utilities, and I have tried a couple, but native OS support would be better.)

 

[pairof9s]

Entourage

My problem is the vacuum that is now Entourage 2004 on my office Mac. Where it synced w/ .Mac and all my calendars/contacts (though not always smoothly), it is not interoperable w/ MobileMe. Regardless of MobileMe and/or Entourage preference settings to allow synchonization, nothing happens.

Now if I use Outlook (via Parallels), it both sees and syncs w/ MobileMe through Exchange. The only downside is the duplication of all entries on the iPhone due to two mutual accounts, MobileMe and Exchange; that is alleviated by simply turning off the Exchange Contacts and Calendar sync setting in the iPhone's Mail, Calendars & Contacts settings area. Once Outlook syncs w/ MobileMe, any changes, additions or deletions made show up in Entourage 2004 and likewise, any 2004 changes sync w/ Exchange and then MobileMe via Outlook.

But there lies the problem. I need to have Outlook syncing as a intermediary to get MobileMe and Entourage 2004 to sync with each other. I'd just as soon make changes manually to 2004 as I add them to iCal/Address Book.

Has anyone else had this issue and/or know of a solution? Does Entourage 2008 exhibit the same problem?

 

[pairof9s]

Entourage

My problem is the vacuum that is now Entourage 2004 on my office Mac. Where it synced w/ .Mac and all my calendars/contacts (though not always smoothly), it is not interoperable w/ MobileMe. Regardless of MobileMe and/or Entourage preference settings to allow synchonization, nothing happens.

Now if I use Outlook (via Parallels), it both sees and syncs w/ MobileMe through Exchange. The only downside is the duplication of all entries on the iPhone due to two mutual accounts, MobileMe and Exchange; that is alleviated by simply turning off the Exchange Contacts and Calendar sync setting in the iPhone's Mail, Calendars & Contacts settings area. Once Outlook syncs w/ MobileMe, any changes, additions or deletions made show up in Entourage 2004 and likewise, any 2004 changes sync w/ Exchange and then MobileMe via Outlook.

But there lies the problem. I need to have Outlook syncing as a intermediary to get MobileMe and Entourage 2004 to sync with each other. I'd just as soon make changes manually to 2004 as I add them to iCal/Address Book.

Has anyone else had this issue and/or know of a solution? Does Entourage 2008 exhibit the same problem?

 

[JoeBIII]

The trick is the mailserver that you have to use is not the actual mail server but your outlook webmail mailserver. So if you can access outlook via the web then that is the mailserver that you have to put.

My companies is

https://webmail.company.com


while our exchange servers are something else.

I (like most of the rest of the world) am having issues sync'ing MM with my work exchange server. I do have webmail server access available to access my mail account via browser, but can't find a way to get MM or Mac Mail 3.4 to accept a webmail address. Could you pls provide a little more detail on how are you sync'ing MM via Webmail? Thx

 

[JoeBIII]

Exchange Update

Looks like the directions for setting up MM on a PC have been updated to reflect lack of support for contacts and calendars located on Exchange servers. It does hint though that the local varieties of contacts and calendars should sync - although i haven't had success with that yet either.

Here's a link to the MM PC setup instructions, including the reference to Exchange servers... PC setup

 

[benmrii]

Kind of sad when a post is so exciting nearly a month after release and the subject is that one of the elements of the product has just begun working as advertised.

In any case, glad to hear it.

 

[spicoli]

Kind of sad when a post is so exciting nearly a month after release and the subject is that one of the elements of the product has just begun working as advertised.

In any case, glad to hear it.

I'm still pretty sad. I still don't have outlook calendar syncing on my PC at work. Contacts are fine. Macbook at home is usually OK, except for the sporadic sync errors (like tonight, MM wants to replace my calendars on my Macbook).

 

[JoeBIII]

I'm still pretty sad. I still don't have outlook calendar syncing on my PC at work. Contacts are fine. Macbook at home is usually OK, except for the sporadic sync errors (like tonight, MM wants to replace my calendars on my Macbook).

you're sitting a lot better than me. still no luck on contacts or calendar - and i've spent a lot of time on this - working countless scenarios and configurations. the only thing working for me at this point (from a sync perspective) is bookmarks. other than that, i'm disappointedly finding MM to be a big waste of $. man, did they really miss the boat with all of the early Exchange hype. i'm thinking it hit the market about 6 months too early. they apparently rushed to roll it out with the 3G phone, and it just wasn't ready.