Networking via T-Mobile Data card

[Lazgoat]

Evening all,

We have a server at work that that I need to conenct to remotely with my laptop and possibly from my home PC.

We have ADSL Broadband via BT with a static IP. The Server is a Dell Poweredge running Win Server 2003. It is connected directly to a DLink ADSL Router for internet activity and its second NIC is connected to a Dell Switch into which all our other machines connect.

Is it possible to have a situation where-by I can connect to the server and check my email as I would do if I was right in my office? Also, any ideas what settings I need to adjust in the Router's menu to let me in to the server?

Many thanks.

[Áedán]

Be aware that mobile networks will not provide you with a static IP address. If you open the server up, you are opening it up to any user on the internet. Depending on the security of your server, this may or may not be an issue.

What mail software do you use, and how does it connect with the server?

[Lazgoat]

The Server has MS Exchange and all the office machines (as well as the laptop) are on XP Pro with MS Office 2003. Does that help?

[Gizmo]

What mailer do you use? Are you using Outlook Express or Outlook? If you are using Outlook, is it configured for Corporate mail or Internet Mail?

[Áedán]

My understanding is that if it's configured for corporate mail (IE, using the Exchange protocol), then you would have to expose SMB to the Internet. That would mean exposing things like file and print sharing too, which is a no-no. If this is the case, then you might be better investigating a VPN solution that can both control access and encrypt data as it's sent over the Internet.