Applies to: Exchange Server 2013

Topic Last Modified: 2012-10-13

The Microsoft Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer (ExRCA) can help you confirm that connectivity for your Exchange servers is configured correctly and diagnose any connectivity issues. The Remote Connectivity Analyzer website offers tests for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Exchange Web Services, Microsoft Outlook, and Internet email.

Remote Connectivity Analyzer tests

You can perform several tests with the ExRCA. These tests work on Exchange 2007 and later versions.

The Remote Connectivity Analyzer performs tests for the following:

  • Exchange ActiveSync

  • Exchange Web Services

  • Outlook

  • Internet email

Exchange ActiveSync tests

There are two tests that you can run for Exchange ActiveSync, as follows:

  • Exchange ActiveSync: This test simulates the steps that a mobile device uses to connect to the Exchange server. It performs a full synchronization against a mailbox when you enter an email address, user name, and password.

  • Exchange ActiveSync Autodiscover: This test doesn't perform a full synchronization. It validates the Autodiscover service settings for Exchange ActiveSync.

Exchange Web Services tests

The Exchange Web Services tests validate settings for many of the Exchange Web Services. To troubleshoot external access to Exchange from Entourage, Web Services Edition, use the following tests:

  • Synchronization, Notification, Availability, and Automatic Replies (OOF): This test determines whether programs that have to access this information can connect correctly. The test runs against a specific mailbox. To perform this test, the Inbox of the account that's used must be empty.

  • Service Account Access: This test determines whether developer connections to Exchange Web Services are configured correctly. The test verifies that a service account can access a mailbox, create and delete items in that mailbox, and access it through Exchange Impersonation.

Outlook tests

To validate settings for connectivity to Outlook, use the following tests:

  • Outlook Anywhere (RPC over HTTP): This test validates the connectivity for Outlook Anywhere for a specific mailbox. You can use the Autodiscover service to validate these settings or manually specify the server settings.

  • Outlook Autodiscover: This test verifies that the Autodiscover service is configured correctly for Outlook Anywhere. This test doesn't actually connect to a mailbox.

Internet email tests

There are two Internet email tests that you can run using the ExRCA, as follows:

  • Inbound SMTP E-Mail: This test confirms that you can receive an inbound SMTP message at a specified email address.

  • Outbound SMTP E-Mail: This test checks your outbound IP address settings for Reverse DNS, Sender ID, and RBL checks.