Palm Pre Not Fully Supporting Exchange for Some
Microsoft Exchange support is a big plus for the Palm Pre and was much ballyhooed in the pre-launch buzz of the phone. But while Exchange support is working for most Pre owners, according to reports, a number of new Pre owners are not able to get their phone working with corporate Exchange configurations.
Palm is aware of this and the hope is the company will offer an update soon that will address the inability of some to connect to Exchange servers. The problem reportedly lies in the lack of support on the Pre for Device PIN and Remote Wipe. These are basic security protocols that are used by many Exchange server installations to provide access security. If an installation requires the Device PIN to be used then the Pre cannot access the server at all. The Remote Wipe causes a phone to get wiped if it unsuccessfully tries to access the server 10 times in a row.
Palm has apparently licensed the ability to use these security protocols, but given the consumer focus of the Pre, has chosen to not implement them. New Pre owners who require access to Exchange are returning the phones due to the inability to use them in spite of Exchange support.
any restocking fee for the pre?
I just read an article saying that you can unlock the dev mode on the Palm Pre by pressing upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart, which is a famous Konami code for bunch of games. I wonder if this is true..?
Obviously not since there is no up, down, left, or right buttons.
Yes it is true. You simply type the letter sequence.
There is also a problem with non-SSL Exchange servers. Many small businesses do not use sll for their exchange servers, and therefore have an http address rather than a https address. All modern phones that I am aware (including all previous Palm models, Palm OS and Windows) allow a user to check a box disabling ssl. The Palm Pre lacks this and therefore cannot connect with non-ssl exchange servers. It is a major, if not greater issue than the wipe and PIN issue.
You can. Just scroll the cursor back and delete the “s” after http
The phone will give you a waning and tell you it’s not recommended, but it will work.
DDK is correct. I am having this very problem with the Pre and the lack of an SSL cert prevents me from using EAS to get my corporate email on the Pre. As for the earlier reply, deleting the “s” does not work. The Pre will not allow that workaround. This problem has led me to look for a temporary solution and the new Google Apps Sync for Outlook might just be that solution if i can use it like the desktop redirector programs offered by some carriers (most created by Seven). I recently posted my thoughts on this possible solution in the comments to Kevin’s article about the new Google Sync program. I am downloading it now to see how it turns out.
Whereas the PRE does seem to require SSL, you do NOT need to purchase a commercial SSL cert. You can create your own cert with the Microsoft Certificate Authority and upload the root certificate to the PRE. If you update the PRE ROM to the latest version, it accepts custom root certs. We have several PRE’s running on small business exchange servers using this method.
Bradray,
Our exchange network does not use SSL. We may have have to buy one, but all of our users would have to do the same thing. Every remote access and phone would have to be reset.
DDK, it is not a switch, you can add SSL but not make it required, allowing all of your existing devices to continue to work as they always have, just have the SSL as an option (on use it on the PRE’s)
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention again, that it is free you don’t need to purchase the SSL, just use the Microsoft Certificate Authority to create your own and then issue an SSL certificate to yourself (just remember that you need to install to Root certificate for the CA server into the PRE, not the SSL cert that you issued to your exchange server).
Ugh…my heart just sank. My company’s Exchange server requires both PIN and remote wipe so the Pre just became a no-go for me until Palm can fix it. Good info, thanks for getting it out there.
I believe Palm is aware of both of these issues and working on them, but who knows for sure. Still, I really do expect in the next two weeks (maybe even before the iPhone 3GS is released) that we’ll have a new update to fix as many of the bugs as they can get to in that amount of time. According to a Precentral article, the 21st is when they’ll start advertising a lot more, and I doubt they’d want the device to be in the same state then as it is now. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Pre, but it’s definitely got a bunch of minor issues / bugs.
Just got my Pre and tried to setup the EAS, and it appeared to work…all the folder structure of my mailbox showed up. However, nothing IN the folders, no calendar, and no Contacts… I’m assuming that since I got the mailbox structure I must at least be connecting, or is that a false assumption?
Steve,
Unfortuanatley, seeing nothing in the boxes is also part of the security policy issue. In your case, you have webOS 1.01 (old one), upgrade to webOS 1.02 by using the “Updates” icon in launcher. After you do that, you will receive the message, “ERROR: The mail server requires security policies that are not supported.”
You can follow this issue on Palm’s forum here:
http://forums.palm.com/palm/board/message?board.id=Synergy&thread.id=554&view=by_date_ascending&page=2
Actually, the security policy is if you see only the Outbox. Also, I have 1.0.2 installed, and still see no error messages. I can send emails from the phone, but get no contacts, calendar or emails IN the folders, but full folder structure of the mailbox. There is actually an entire thread on this aspect of non-functionality of the EAS as well:
http://forums.palm.com/palm/board/message?board.id=wireless_email&thread.id=8310
UPDATE: After several calls to Palm, and getting past the lower level of tech support, I received a call from Palm tech support that the issues with EAS not pulling down the data will be fixed in the next update. He stated it would be 1.0.3 and available within a week or so…keep your fingers crossed…
My firm has Exchange 2007. Initially I was not able to sync my Pre with our server. We were able to determine that there is a “policy setting” on the server in which you check a box to allow non-provisionable devices. As soon as that box was checked, there was no problem.
Off topic I know, but JK should report on Rubenstein’s move to be Palm CEO as well as (continue to be) chairman. No doubt Rubenstein is a capable guy but good corporate governance advises against this practice. Frankly, it is suggestive of some systemic issues at Palm that a moderately successful launch of a great device did not overcome. Colligan’s supposed move to Elevation after some time off is a strange twist which tends to corroborate my point.
Here is a good Palm Pre Exchange Activesync setup guide:
http://activesync.us/palm-pre-exchange-activesync-guide/
Problem I’m running into is that I can send emails and access contacts from EAS, but am not able to receive emails or sync calendar. I am able to send/receive from gmail. Had Palm support on phone for an hour and a half with no luck. Anyone have any ideas? Using a ssl server and outlook express.
I had a similar issue with the Pre. I am not sure what fixed it, but I did turn on the “Secure Unlock” in the “Screen and Lock” application. I set a security code that matched that of my Exchange server, even though my logon was an allowed exception (not needing lock) in Exchange. Then, I removed my Exchange email account on the Pre and setup the affiliation to Exchange through either Contacts or Calendar on the Pre (I do not remember which one) and everything worked. I then removed the “lock” on the Pre and all is working. Oh yeah, when in email, calendar, or contacts, set Exchange as your default account if that is an option under preferences. And, in the Calendar, use the upper right-hand drop down to select Exchange as your view of data since the All selection seems to not show anything.
The latest relase for WebOS now supports non-SSL exchange accounts. WOOHOO!
http://kb.palm.com/wps/portal/kb/common/article/50607_en.html