Outlook will not connect, Exchange server unavilable

Yes, the checkmark was removed and I checked it again before trying to start Outlook.  Same issue.  I have already already changed the setting to download headers only, instead of full items and I incresed the Time Out connecct from 30 seconds to 120 secionds.  Since this is happening to more than one laptop, (all Dell's from D600-D630) I suspect that the nic cards are working correctly, but I don't have a USB to try.  Now also, if they go to the hotel and RPC or use OWA everthing works fine.  They recently moved offices and an outside company moved switches etc. to get them up and running again.  I don't know if that helps or is not related.  The weird thing is that Internet and connection to the servers is fine.

I do have access to one of the laptops that hsn't connected since 10/8!!  Very Weird!!

Does it happens only to the Laptop users or even a normal Desktop user?

Also if these user are connected over VPN check for any "9646" events on the Exchange server.

I am waiting for an answer and that is a good question.  I also failed to mention that I ran a Microsoft office repair yesterday and that didn't help....

Sorry no 9646 events

So as you said that it works fine from Hotel and for Desktop user its just when they are out and connect over some internet connecton of their own ..... is that correct ?

Actuall the desktop users live in Hong Kong and they don't take their desktops home.  Also, the desktop users have their mailboxes on our HK Exchange server.  It is the laptop users who are currently in Hong Kong (mailboxes in the US) who can take their laptops to the hotel and connect to their mailboxes, but loose connection to Exchange in the office.  

I have had this problem with my Exchange with users in UK site not being able to access exchange via VPN. But that was after i made few changes with my VPN. I had explicitly blocked few ports (file sharing and few others). while it is nothing to do with exchange-outlook communication, my firewall had some problems, hence exchange offline for uk site.

try looking into the VPN tunnel settings and see if anything has changed. a quick reset of VPN tunnel may also do the trick. I do not suspect a NIC issue since users are able to go online and even tracert. it must be ports or VPN. weird stuffs do happen and a reset of VPN tunnel will be the first step to do. if in case you've already done it, and the user still has problem, do a netstat on the laptop (which has outlook offline) and see if it is trying to establish connection to exchange server. it should say your exchange server ip or name followed by port  and TIME_WAIT or ESTABLISHED (you wont have the latter). try checking if these particular ports are open.

SC

ok.  I ran a netstat -a on the problem laptop and it doesn't show port 25 or 110 and the exchange server is not shown anywhere in this report...  Does that help?

Another thought.  I was trying to think of anything that may have changed since they ewere overthere in HK last.  We upgraded from ISA 2000, to ISA 2006.  When they installed the ISA 2006, the rules were all created from sctratch.  I would think though that the rule would allow some to connect sometimes and others connect sometin=me.......

hmmm... so few laptop users in hk are able to access the mailbox in US through the ISA and few others arent. not sure that would be the case. But again, if it is just few users, i suspect something that is supposed to work as design but isnt. is the ISA configured correctly? i also found these URL to be interesting. These doesn't give an answer to your problem, but might give you a hint. i am clueless now. i will be following the post though to find the answer.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/exchangesvrsecuremessaging/thread/46351aa4-496f-422b-bfd9-f8823ed04eb2
http://www.petri.co.il/how-can-i-configure-rpc-over-https-on-exchange-2003-single-server-scenario.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943212

Update.  I am in the process of moving the mailbox of one of the problem clients to the hk server, as suggested by Exchange Geek.  When it is complete I will test the connection and report back...

I have results of another test:

From the problem client laptop, I typed in a command prompt... telnet usmail 110 no good
I tried telnet usmail 25 - no good I tried the IP of the US server 110 no good I tried telnet hkmail 110 and connected.  (The problem is US clients on the Hong Kong office server, which also has Exchange, BUT only local HK users, not the US users.)  Make sense?

I also added the IP and netbios name of the US in the problem client Host file

Telnet from one exchange server to another on port 25.  Only use exchange servers here, mind you - not the clients.  

Once connected, send an EHLO and verify you get all the verbs back.