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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

46 replies

Feb 21, 2009 1:56 AM in response to Bengarnz

many thanks for the reply - I tried to set this up, but it seems that i have the home-student edition of mac-office 2008 which doesn't seem to allow using the beta

Bengarnz

Level 1

9 points

Feb 21, 2009 2:32 AM in response to stevenjrowan

As you have an NHS.net e-mail address then you qualify for the massive discount at nhsdiscounts.com for the full version of Office 2008 for Mac, we can get it for about £17 including delivery if I remember correctly.

Cheers 🙂

Feb 27, 2009 1:47 PM in response to Bengarnz

I have applied to join the Connect beta program, When I signed up, it said they would get back to me in 24-48 hours.

Been a week now and not heard anything.

Any thing I can do other than wait patiently?

Dermot

Feb 28, 2009 11:10 PM in response to Dermot O'Riordan

My NHS net account is migrating this weekend.

I have all my mail (trust and personal) directed to NHSmail and have successfully been using my iphone iMail and MSOutlook at work to receive it.
My battle has been to have calenders synchronised work/iphone/home.

I had considered using MAC mobileme but my trust seem very resistant to allowing me to download itunes to synchronise between my trust outlook diary and mobile me.
My alternative will be to use NHSmail calender - can I synchronise this to my iphone, iMac and Trust MSOutlook diary so that the calender remains uptodate across the board?

Mar 1, 2009 12:49 AM in response to Nick Wood

Lucky you. Isn't the NHS good at taking something that works, and breaking it or removing functionality, in the name of progress?!

The new NHS.net system should be able to be able to sync the calendar with your Trust's Outlook. From there, via Exchange, you should be able to get it onto your iPhone.

Not sure if will allow you to get it onto your Apple desktop at home. Won't be able to do it via NHS.net but might work via the iPhone. 4 hop synchronisation!

I actually use a similarly complete sync pattern, using Google mail. My PA puts appointments onto Google Calendar and I use Spanning Sync to sync with my Apple computer at home and then Mobile Me onto the iPhone. Works perfectly.

I could have used Mobile Me directly, but at that time the Trust computers only had IE6 which doesn't work with Mobile Me. They do now have access to firefox so my PA could use that. Also they now have Outlook 2003 which can sync with Google Calendar, so your trust colleagues could use Outlook that way.

Please note on your iPhone there is no, way that I have found, of making the emails you send come from your @trust.nhs.uk address rather than @nhs.net one.

HTH

Dermot

PS Be careful where all your calendar, contact and email data is before you start as there is a risk of losing them in the transition process. I'd make sure a copy of everything was in NHS.net cos it seems to have a tendency to wipe things elsewhere!

Bengarnz

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.

Mar 1, 2009 2:10 AM in response to Bengarnz

Yes but there seems to be a block on signing up for the Entourage beta. As I have said above, I have applied but my status has been stuck on "pending" for more than a week.

mjtlee

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

Mar 1, 2009 2:23 PM in response to Terie1514

I decided to go down the bootcamp-windows-outlook route to access NHSmail but have had 2 weeks of frustration: outlook (both 2003 and 2007 versions) repeatedly crashes on opening 9 times of out 10, despite following the NHSnet configuration guides to the letter. Apart from reminding me why I went over to OSX in the first place, I have been unable to take anything from this process, despite googling the error messages and trying various workarounds. Has anyone else had this issue with NHSmail via windows on a mac?

lrk0

Level 1

0 points

Mar 11, 2009 2:46 PM in response to Terie1514

If you are getting repeated password errors (although you know it's right) make sure to use your full nhs.net email address (including @nhs.net) as the login name in the iPhone settings and it should work!

Message was edited by: lrk0

TomTomS

Level 1

0 points

Mar 14, 2009 10:44 AM in response to mjtlee

Thanks to all who have posted - I'm glad I'm not the only one with problems!

I have now downloaded and installed Entourage Beta, but I still can't seem to get Entourage to work. It doesn't seem to configure itself automatically.

Could someone who has got a post-migration nhs.net account working in Entourage Beta for the Mac post the settings that they are using? I would be very grateful.

Tom

Mar 14, 2009 11:53 AM in response to TomTomS

I now have been accepted for the beta program that I have downloaded.

It won't however update my version of MS Office/Entourage 2008. It is the NHS HUP version.

Any suggestions?

The 2008 version was an upgrade of a 2004 Student/Teacher version. Could this be a reason. Would removing and reinstalling Office make a difference?

Thanks again.

Maybe I'll get there eventually.

Dermot

lrk0

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!

lrk0

Level 1

0 points

Mar 14, 2009 12:37 PM in response to Dermot O'Riordan

That happened to me too with my Student 04 ed upgraded to Std 08...I removed Office completely and reinstalled the Std 08 edition then the EWS upgrade took...didn't risk it on my primary machine yet though 😉

mjtlee

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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