OWA stops working from external network connection

When Outlook Web Access users have trouble accessing OWA from an external network connection, follow this troubleshooting advice from our expert.

Bradley Dinerman, National Information Security Group

Published: 03 Oct 2007

I am running two servers, an Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) 2000 server with Internet Information Services (IIS) and an Exchange 2000 server. Recently, my Outlook Web Access (OWA) stopped working. I have checked all the settings on my Exchange server and reset OWA through the ISA Management Console with no luck. I can access OWA internally, but not externally. If I connect to the ISA server through the VPN, OWA works, but it does not work from an outside network connection. Do I need a Microsoft update on one of my servers?

There are many settings within ISA Server that could be causing this problem. You mentioned that you reset OWA; I'll assume that this means that you ran the wizard to publish Outlook Web Access. This wizard is the quickest and easiest way to restore the settings that you need.

However, if the ISA Server is not the problem, have you verified that your Domain Name System (DNS) host record...

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still points to the correct IP address of your network?

For example, if you use https://mail.yourdomain.com/exchange as your OWA URL, make certain that mail.yourdomain.com resolves to the public IP address of your network (typically the firewall).

Do you have comments on this Ask the Expert Q&A? Let us know.

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

Expert Advice: Enhance OWA logon security using Microsoft ISA Server

Tutorial: A primer on DNS and MX records

Learning Center: Troubleshooting OWA

FAQ: Outlook Web Access

Reference Center: Outlook Web Access tips and resources

Dig Deeper on Outlook management

Restrict access to Outlook Web Access via Exchange System Manager Learn how to configure Exchange System Manager (ESM) to restrict certain users from accessing Outlook Web Access (OWA), without limiting users' LAN access.

How to improve Outlook Web Access (OWA) security Two big Outlook Web Access security issues are email attachments and OWA user authentication. Get tips on how to improve Outlook Web Access security here.

How to configure DNS records for Exchange Server on Windows SBS 2003 Get instructions on how to configure DNS records for an Exchange Server and Windows Small Business Server 2003 implementation.

Outlook Web Access 2003 configuration best practices Before configuring Outlook Web Access for an Exchange Server 2003 environment, consult these OWA configuration best practices to ensure a successful setup.

Enhance OWA logon security using Microsoft ISA Server Learn how to enhance Outlook Web Access logon security using Microsoft ISA Server to prevent users from accessing other users' Exchange 2003 mailboxes..

Setting up OWA in Exchange Server 2003 SearchExchange.com expert Brad Dinerman provides instruction on how to set up and access Outlook Web Access via the Web in Exchange Server 2003.

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