Need VPN to even sync via USB?

L

Lindsey L

New member
So I bought my wife the T|X for her to use as a basic PIM, with the WiFi being a nice added bonus for when in hotspots, etc.

The IT guys at her office just tried to install it and apparently told her that they could not get it to sync, and that she needs to buy a Palm VPN "or better yet a windows mobile device to speak to the exchange server."

WHAT?!?

My gut is that the dude was trying so hard to get it to sync OTA (which we do NOT care about) that he ignored the USB route. My wife knows absolutely nothing about this stuff, so it is left to me to figure out if we just bought a $300 brick.

I have never, ever heard of a VPN being required to sync via USB, for any handheld, ever.

Would greatly appreciate any thoughts you may have.

Thanks in advance,
Lewis
 
Local USB sync should work just fine - did they install the software to her client desktop? or is some dummy not sure how a Palm works?

A USB connection will work just fine unless for some unknown reason she doesn't have a client copy of the Outlook Exchange file on her desktop - which would mean that she's only capable of accessing her email via a VPN.

It may be possible that someone has the security set so high that their AntiVirus software may be blocking the HotSync driver from connecting but the IT people should be able to get around that....if they are worth anything.
 
Hi Lewis,

Having gone down this road recently, I think I can add a bit of clarification.

When speaking of "sync" with Outlook, there are two different kinds of sync and two different basic Outlook configurations.

Your wife's IT people should be able to sync Outlook's calander, contacts, notebook, etc. easily using the USB. It is simply a matter of specifying that you want to use the Outlook conduits.

Syncing mail, however, is a very different thing. I got this to work with my Palm IIIc using Chapura's conduits, but that is not an option for the TX. Chapura's conduits don't do Outlook email.

I think what your wife's IT people want to do is sync the Palm with the Outlook server. I suspect that the set up is that her desktop syncs with the server and all mail, contacts, etc., is kept on the server, with copies on her computer. If that is the case, they may be right. From what I've been able to delve, to sync Outlook email in that case, the Palm must sync directly with the Outlook server. In our case, at least, the only way to sync to the server is either through a secure hard-wired net or via VPN.

I sync my laptop via VPN when away from my office and it works well. However, I cannot vouch for how well it would work on the Palm. Right now, I sync everything except email to my Palm TX> I just don't have Outlook email on the Palm.

There may be other solutions, but at this time I haven't found any.

Your wife might want to check out a couple of options, though. One is accessing Outlook server via the web. I did that a lot with my laptop before I got DSL at home. I don't think it would work with the Palm, but if she can get to the Internet, she can check her mail (if she has VPN). Another possibility is that she is running Outlook stand-alone on her desktop. If that is the case, she might be able to sync email via USB. I don't know for sure, but I do know it is a different configuration.

Hope this helps,

John Mullen
 
Hi Lewis,

Since my last post, I tried Beyond Contacts. This will sync Outlook mail and presents an Outlook-like view on the Palm. It allows more categories, too. You can sync with multiple computers, it is not a good idea to do so if they are connected to the same Outlook server.

The thing to think about is the trade-off. If your wife gets VPN and her tech people are cool with the idea, she can sync her Outlook mailbox and calendar wirelessly. She would need to sync the rest of Outlook via cable. Vpn is also a good idea if you access the Internet via unencrypted wireless links. If you go with Beyond Contacts, you get a nicer interface, but need to sync directly with a computer.

What I do is sync with my laptop. That way, if I want to, I can leave the laptop at work and review my email using the Palm. If I do have my laptop with me, though, I find it easier to work with it instead of the Palm. I can use my desktop to access the Outlook server and then sync my laptop to the server at the end of the day. By syncing to the laptop, I have a couple of options.

Either way, you will need to spend some bucks, but shoud end up with some improvement. You can get a free trial of Beyond Contacts and, if your wife is a student or faculty, there is an educational discount via Sprysoft, too.

Bye

John Mullen
 
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