User profile for user: Dermot O'Riordan
Dermot O'Riordan Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Mail with NHS.net

Dear all

Am in the UK. Work for National Health Service (along with another 1.4 million so not a small entity!)

In its wisdom the mail system that many of us use is changing to MS web Outlook.

Under the old system I could get messages via POP3 or IMAP onto both my MacBook Pro and iPhone. Worked great.

Post migration there's been a major step back. Things will work if logged in via the secure separate NHS N3 network but not via the internet unless using windows and internet explorer. Only possible Apple option is a cut down web version.

I have found that I can however access it using iPhone (with appropriate security) using MS Exchange server. Works fine.

Can't do the same even with same settings using MBP.

Why would one work and not the other?

Any suggestions?

Many thanks

Dermot

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 11:51 AM

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User profile for user: mjtlee
mjtlee
User level: Level 1
39 points

Posted on Mar 1, 2009 7:28 AM

I hope this might help some people. I have an NHSmail account and have just been migrated. I am an Apple user at home, and a Nokia E71 user. This is how I sorted my life out after the migration. It took a long time for me to figure it all out.

Using a full Office for Mac 2008 (not the student teacher edition because this does not support Exchange 2007, but the full one available through the NHS discount) you must update to v 12.1.5.

After you have registered at www.connect.microsoft.com apply for the Entourage Beta here http://www.microsoft.com/mac/itpros/entourage-ews.mspx It takes around 48 hours for them to approve you. I have the dmg file. I am sure you can find it on the internet.

Make sure you check that you are using Entourage with Exchange server SP1 or later on the application form (which you are with NHSmail), and the full version of Office for Mac. I said 'don't know' the first time and had to reregister with a different address to get approved.

48 hours later you will be okayed for the trial and download the new Entourage. It will autodetect all your NHSmail settings with just your email address and password. Now you have a Mac that runs a full mail programme with your NHSmail. You can add as many IMAP mail accoounts as you like. You DO NOT have to synchronise your address book and calendars. I hear that Mail may support Exchange 2007 in its next incarnation and many of our problems will have improved solutions.

For a Nokia S60 phone e.g. E71, you can use RoadSync (DataViz software, a respectable company) which is an Symbian Exchange client. You DO NOT have to synchronise your calendar, tasks and contacts so you can keep your NHS calendar, tasks and addresses separate and have both private and NHS worlds on the same device.

Of course you can just use Exchange for your calendar, contacts and tasks if you want to. Many people who like Apple Macs will not want to do that! We prefer a world with iCal, Addressbook and Mail
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User profile for user: mjtlee
mjtlee
User level: Level 1
39 points

Mar 1, 2009 7:28 AM in response to Dermot O'Riordan

I hope this might help some people. I have an NHSmail account and have just been migrated. I am an Apple user at home, and a Nokia E71 user. This is how I sorted my life out after the migration. It took a long time for me to figure it all out.

Using a full Office for Mac 2008 (not the student teacher edition because this does not support Exchange 2007, but the full one available through the NHS discount) you must update to v 12.1.5.

After you have registered at www.connect.microsoft.com apply for the Entourage Beta here http://www.microsoft.com/mac/itpros/entourage-ews.mspx It takes around 48 hours for them to approve you. I have the dmg file. I am sure you can find it on the internet.

Make sure you check that you are using Entourage with Exchange server SP1 or later on the application form (which you are with NHSmail), and the full version of Office for Mac. I said 'don't know' the first time and had to reregister with a different address to get approved.

48 hours later you will be okayed for the trial and download the new Entourage. It will autodetect all your NHSmail settings with just your email address and password. Now you have a Mac that runs a full mail programme with your NHSmail. You can add as many IMAP mail accoounts as you like. You DO NOT have to synchronise your address book and calendars. I hear that Mail may support Exchange 2007 in its next incarnation and many of our problems will have improved solutions.

For a Nokia S60 phone e.g. E71, you can use RoadSync (DataViz software, a respectable company) which is an Symbian Exchange client. You DO NOT have to synchronise your calendar, tasks and contacts so you can keep your NHS calendar, tasks and addresses separate and have both private and NHS worlds on the same device.

Of course you can just use Exchange for your calendar, contacts and tasks if you want to. Many people who like Apple Macs will not want to do that! We prefer a world with iCal, Addressbook and Mail
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User profile for user: Chris Noble
Chris Noble
User level: Level 4
2,682 points

Jan 26, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Dermot O'Riordan

As the reply above says, it's probably a case that the iPhone comes with ActiveSync, a set of Exchange- connecting technologies that Apple licensed from Microsoft. Leopard doesn't have this yet, however Snow Leopard does.

Have you talked to the IT bods at the PCT? I suppose it is possible that they might be able to give you some VPN access so you can log in to the N3 network over the internet. Or they may simply be willing to enable IMAP on the Excahnge server. However without knowing the security architecture it is hard to be sure.
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User profile for user: lrk0
lrk0
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 14, 2009 12:34 PM in response to TomTomS

I was migrated last week and installed the Entourage EWS beta this morning. After launch I clicked on Entourage > Account Settings > click and hold 'New' > Exchange

I put in my nhs.net email address and it set everything up except the LDAP server...settings higher up this thread if you need them...

Here are the settings:

Acount ID: my.name@nhs.net (don't forget the '@nhs.net' bit!)
Domain: blank
Exchange Server: https://outlook.nhs.net/EWS/exchange.asmx
(SSL on, default port)

Hope that helps!
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User profile for user: stevenjrowan
stevenjrowan
User level: Level 1
0 points

Feb 4, 2009 5:14 AM in response to Gordon Hay

thanks for the reply Gordon
I should have been clearer - I can get into the web portal from home, but have lost the ability to collect mail via mac mail. It used to be handy to integrate mails received with bento/ical/address book etc at home, but this integration is lost when using the web-based service

dont think there is likely to be an answer to this at the present. I have had the following email reply from NHSnet today on this issue:



Good morning Steven.

Thank you for your email regarding apple mac support.

Unfortunately we do not support the apple mac at present, however this may change in the future.

Kind Regards
Brian Burdis
NHSmail Helpdesk
08453 0 08453
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User profile for user: Bengarnz
Bengarnz
User level: Level 1
9 points

Feb 20, 2009 6:16 AM in response to stevenjrowan

The new NHS.net exchange based system works perfectly with the new Entourage Beta, all settings are "auto discovered" when you enter your e-mail address, the only thing that isn't is the LDAP settings for the global address book, you just need to enter ldap.nhs.net as the server name and change the default port to 636.

You need to be using Entourage 2008 and go register here to join the beta http://www.microsoft.com/mac/itpros/entourage-ews.mspx

Cheers 🙂
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User profile for user: Bengarnz
Bengarnz
User level: Level 1
9 points

Mar 1, 2009 1:11 AM in response to Nick Wood

As long as you are using the new Entourage 2008 beta at home then you can sync everything without the need for Mobile Me or the need to install iTunes on your trust machine using the NHS.net calendar. Entourage, Outlook and the iPhone will all sync with NHS.net just fine.

The Exchange functionality is aparantly coming to iMail with the release of OSX Snow Leopard so if you don't want to use Entourage you will need to wait until this is released to acheive what you want.
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User profile for user: mjtlee
mjtlee
User level: Level 1
39 points

Mar 14, 2009 12:40 PM in response to Dermot O'Riordan

I had no problems with my NHS MS Office 2008 and then installing the Entourage Beta. However, a colleague who had the student teacher edition could not get the Entourage Beta to work because his Office version did not support an Exchange account. He uninstalled the Student/teacher edition and installed the full edition, then installed the Entourage Beta, and it auto connected with no problem at his first attempt. If the version is correct, it will autodetect everything. However, you may like to know that the NHS Outlook server name is esa.nhs.net or eas.nhs.net (sorry can't remember which!).

I am sure I knew a Dermot O'Riordan in the past?! John

PS:
For a Nokia S60 phone e.g. E71, you can use RoadSync (DataViz software, a respectable company) which is an Symbian Exchange client. You DO NOT have to synchronise your calendar, tasks and contacts so you can keep your NHS calendar, tasks and addresses separate and have both private and NHS worlds on the same device.
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User profile for user: vegasbaby
vegasbaby
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 26, 2009 11:49 PM in response to Tony Wright

Completed my migration to Entourage without any problems. NHS.net now hosts my email, calendars and contacts. I migrated the calendars across from iCal using Entourage sync services. I did the same with my contacts in Address Book. Over the air syncing with my iphone works very quickly and smoothly (changes made to calendar items in Entourage appear on my iphone almost immediately!)

If anyone wants detailed instructions on the above, let me know.

It seems likely to me that Apple Mail, iCal and Address Book will gain Exchange 2007 functionality at some point, and when that happens, I'll switch straight back again...
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