MSN Messenger Exchange client over VPN

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

I've been fighting with this combination on an HP 6315 for a couple of
weeks now. Can't get it to go. I VPN fine, can ping all of the
relevant mail servers by name/IP fine, I can log into MSN Messenger
fine, I can see the online/offline status of all of my contacts
(again, talking Exchange here, not Passport) fine, I can send a
message fine... Messages returned to the IPAQ fall off the face of
the planet though.

I had to bring up a WINS server in our company to get VPN to play
nicely with all of the other IPAQ features (Terminal Server Client,
net browsing, wireless ActiveSync, etc.) but it did not remedy
Messenger. I've added WINS entries for every possible Exchange server
that is even remotely related to IM.

It's obviously (I think, anyway!) a return-path problem... I've heard
tale that Messenger does a lookup of it's own IP and bundles that with
outbound messages which would obviously throw of the return path if it
is a private NAT'd IP that our corporate WAN is not aware of (which is
the case).

I've read the newsgroups here in search of an answer, but have come up
empty. Anyone get this to work? I actually have once... But haven't
been able to recreate it. I had put something funky/bogus into the
WINS server entry at the time, but alas... Can't seem to duplicate
it.

Thanks all,
Jason