I have been cursed by the need to support a Windows phone

[navychop]

One of our senior people lost their iPhone, and without consulting me, replaced it with a Nokia Windows phone. I’ve set it up with Exchange, but it refuses to work, giving an error to the effect:
“There is a problem with the certificate for x.x.x. Contact a support person or your service provider.” Which I've done.

He does all his mail via the phone, not his laptop.

Funny thing is, he thinks it has no apps and likes it that way.

I try to restrict people to iPhones, and have supported a couple of Androids, but this is getting out of control.

 

[Tampa8]

I am not an anti Windows person, but you are going to have continuous problems if you allow him to use it. If you had all Windows phones that would be fine, but you are going to encounter problem after problem for one person with no past experience of other users on your system to help. Stick with Android or Iphone. Wish I had more constructive help.

 

[navychop]

Oh, BTW, it flat refuses to connect to our secure wireless. Yep, the PW I entered is the correct one.

He now says he understands it has apps, but very few, and he wants it that way. And now he'll just use his laptop for Exchange. So tell me, why does he want a smart phone at all?

 

[navychop]

I am not an anti Windows person, but you are going to have continuous problems if you allow him to use it. If you had all Windows phones that would be fine, but you are going to encounter problem after problem for one person with no past experience of other users on your system to help. Stick with Android or Iphone. Wish I had more constructive help.

Oh, I agree. But he is an owner, and ............

 

[Ilya]

I’ve set it up with Exchange, but it refuses to work, giving an error to the effect:
“There is a problem with the certificate for x.x.x. Contact a support person or your service provider.”

Exchange server uses SSL certificate to secure its communication. It is possible that this certificate was issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is not recognized by that phone. What you need to do is to install the public certificate of that CA on the phone. It's not too difficult to do, according to this:
How to Install Custom SSL Certificates on Windows Phone 7 | Pocketnow

 

[navychop]

Well, I just got off the phone with a callback from an earlier, rather lengthy, support call with AT&T Enhanced Support. She was a script kiddie. If I said anything like "Secure Socket Layer" or "domain" she put me on hold and went running. We did the "Lather, rinse, repeat" thing a few times and she just couldn't understand why it still didn't work.

Now, understand, this phone is a Nokia Lumia running Windows 7 mobile. Our server is SBS. Both, coincidentally, MicroSoft products. Imagine that. You want to know the final determination of the problem as she presented it to me? Wait for it- That phone is NOT compatible with our server.

She was serious. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I kindly pointed out the obvious, to which she replied, ALL the senior techs here agree with me, nothing can be done.


<sigh> Well, the phone's owner will decide tomorrow if he wants to keep it. If so, I will follow the CER approach. Thank you for the help. Clearly, that AT&T help desk is of little use.

 

[navychop]

Whew!

He returned the accursed thing and got an iPhone 4S. He kept referring to the Windows phone as an Android phone........

 

[Tyralak]

Ugh. I'm sorry, but I would never go back to an iFail device. After moving to an Android device, I saw how limited iOS really is.

 

[stogie5150]

Ugh. I'm sorry, but I would never go back to an iFail device. After moving to an Android device, I saw how limited iOS really is.

First thing I thought of when reading this thread was:

"GET BACK IN LINE, SHEEP! How DARE you try to move off the Jobs plantation!"

And you know what? That's exactly what he ended up doing.

 

[digiblur]

First thing I thought of when reading this thread was:

"GET BACK IN LINE, SHEEP! How DARE you try to move off the Jobs plantation!"

And you know what? That's exactly what he ended up doing.

My thoughts exactly!

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad Cartridge

 

[navychop]

It's a matter of support. iPhone, I know. That's what we started with. The few Androids I have had to set up w/wireless & Exchange, were easy. Not identical, but easy. The Windows phone simply would not work at all, or without going thru some trouble to set up another email account, email a CER to it, and then install. And MAYBE that would work. Kinda stupid, no, when everybody else makes it easy? I can't help but wonder in how many other areas there are continuing stupid Windows requirements.

I'm one guy. I can't learn every smartphone out there. And IT is maybe 1/4 of my job, at most.

 

[Poke]

Yeah should work fine never had any issues with our users phones with Exchange..

 

[Neutron]

We use mobile iron on our iPhones to get them to support lotus notes. We have one android phone that our new director insisted on getting. Mobile Iron sucks so we have the notes traveller on his phone.

 

[navychop]

You mean it sucks on Androids, or on everything?

 

[JAG72]

You mean it sucks on Androids, or on everything?

We have had good luck with Mobile Iron on the iPhone.

 

[Neutron]

You mean it sucks on Androids, or on everything?

I'm not a fan of it. It works okay on our iPhones but is horrible on Android.

 

[LER]

We use JunOS pulse here at IBM for our anti-malware. Seems to be crash-happy however. I also use Notes Traveler. Love it. Makes my life MUCH easier. (but then again I work for IBM).

 

[harshness]

Exchange server uses SSL certificate to secure its communication.

As does pretty much every other MTA in use today.

SSL shouldn't demand a pre-shared certificate. The e-mail client should be able to deal with downloading it.

More evidence that Microsoft products should NEVER be used for anything as important as e-mail.

It could have been worse: it could have been a Crackberry.