Server Synchronization

[Guest]

We are a small company with our main company and email server based in the
UK, we use a Microsoft exchange server account for our phone system and
internal mail (we are not our own internet domain) and an pop3 account on
each users machine to pull our mail in from the UK mail server. We have a
couple of users with laptops and blackberries. When they are traveling we
set up a computer at the office with there profile and pull there mail down
and forward it to their blackberry with a rule on the spare laptop. If they
can get internet access while traveling they will also pull the mail down
into their laptops. The problem is when they get back and connect the laptop
they were traveling with to the network they get duplicate mails because of
the machine located here that syncs with the server. I know there is
probably a better way to handle this but what I need to know is there a way
that the machine that is located in the home office will not sync to the
server so when they connect to the network when they return they do not get
duplicate mail?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

We are a small company with our main company and email server based
in the UK, we use a Microsoft exchange server account for our phone
system and internal mail (we are not our own internet domain)

Register one! It is not expensive. It will make a lot of things easier and
look more professional to have (e-mail address removed), (e-mail address removed), for your
corporate e-mail.

and an
pop3 account on each users machine to pull our mail in from the UK
mail server.

Decentralized and very inefficient - slow, no centralized point of
entry/exit for mail for antivirus scanning, etc - also more of an admin
nightmare, and not recommended even if you're using the two OL versions that
even support this (OL2002/2003).

We have a couple of users with laptops and
blackberries. When they are traveling we set up a computer at the
office with there profile and pull there mail down

So you have a mail profile with Exchange & an Internet Mail account, and
download Internet Mail into Outlook regularly?

and forward it to
their blackberry with a rule on the spare laptop. If they can get
internet access while traveling they will also pull the mail down
into their laptops.

How? VPN/offline folder sync in Outlook?

The problem is when they get back and connect
the laptop they were traveling with to the network they get duplicate
mails because of the machine located here that syncs with the server.
I know there is probably a better way to handle this but what I need
to know is there a way that the machine that is located in the home
office will not sync to the server so when they connect to the
network when they return they do not get duplicate mail?

I'm still not sure what your complete setup is, but it sounds difficult to
administer and troubleshoot.

Basics: Nobody should be using PST files - only the Exchange mailbox. Remote
users should have offline folders configured in Outlook, and get remote
access via VPN/dialup, or use OWA. You shouldn't use forward rules in OL to
get to their Blackberries - use the BB desktop redirector or better still,
Blackberry Enterprise Server. And seriously, ditch the POP entirely if at
all possible - get thyself a domain name, and host all mail for it directly
on your Exchange server. Your users will love you, and you will have a much
easier time as an admin. You're overly complicating matters with your
current configuration.