XADM: Setting TCP/IP Port Numbers for Internet Firewalls

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Some Internet firewalls may not accept TCP/IP port numbers that Microsoft Exchange Server uses for remote procedure call (RPC) communication. To solve this problem, you must permit Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections to be made on port 135 of your firewall, and then configure Exchange Server to use the ports that your firewall permits. The computer must be restarted for these changes to take effect.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.


To configure the RPC Port for the Microsoft Exchange Directory Service:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Find the following registry subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeDS\Parameters

3. Add the following registry value

   TCP/IP port

   as DWORD value, specifying the port to be used. The radix should be set to decimal when entering the value.
4. Quit Registry Editor.

To configure the RPC Port for the Microsoft Exchange Information Store Service:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Find the following subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem

3. Add the following registry value

   TCP/IP port

   as DWORD value, specifying the port to be used. The radix should be set to decimal when entering the value.
4. Quit Registry Editor.

To configure the RPC Port for the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant:

NOTE: In order to administer an Exchange Server across a firewall, the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant should be configured to use a specific RPC port as well.

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Find the following subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters

3. Add the following registry value

   TCP/IP port

   as DWORD value, specifying the port to be used. The radix should be set to decimal when entering the value.
4. Quit Registry Editor.

NOTE: The DWORD value should be in decimal.

NOTE: You have to change this registry setting only on the computer that runs Microsoft Exchange Server. Clients always connect to port 135, the RPC endpoint mapper, and then ask what ports they should use for the Directory and Information Store Services.

WARNING: Do not assign ports immediately above the 1023 range. For additional information about the ramifications and guidelines for static port assignment of Exchange services, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information Exchange Services for Internet Firewalls and port considerations, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: