Troubleshooting Lync Online DNS configuration issues in Office 365

Article ID: 2566790 - View products that this article applies to.

Not sure what release of Office 365 you're using? Go to the following Microsoft website:
Am I using Office 365 after the service upgrade?
(http://office.microsoft.com/redir/HA103982331.aspx)
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PROBLEM

One or more of the following features don't work as expected in Microsoft Lync Online: 
  • Lync Online Autodiscover and automatic sign-in
  • Lync Online federation with external users
  • Public Internet Connectivity (PIC) together with Windows Live, MSN, and Hotmail users
  • Outlook Web Access instant messaging
  • Sign in from Lync Mobile clients by using the Auto-Detect Server option
Or, you receive one of the following error messages when you sign in to Microsoft Lync 2010 or Microsoft Lync 2013:
  • Lync couldn’t find a Lync Server for contoso.com. There might be an issue with the Domain Name System (DNS) configuration for your domain. Please contact your support team.
  • Cannot sign in because the server is temporarily unavailable. If the problem continues, please contact your support team.
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SOLUTION

To resolve these issues, make sure that you add the following service (SRV) and alias (CNAME) records to your Domain Name System (DNS) host.

SRV records
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TypeServiceProtocolPortWeightPriorityTTLNameTarget
SRV_sip_tls44311001 hour<DomainName>sipdir.online.lync.com
SRV_sipfederationtls_tcp506111001 hour<DomainName>sipfed.online.lync.com

CNAME records
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TypeHost nameDestinationTTL
CNAMEsip.<DomainName>sipdir.online.lync.com1 hour
CNAMElyncdiscover.<DomainName>webdir.online.lync.com1 hour
Note The <DomainName> placeholder in this table represents the name of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) domain of your organization, such as contoso.com.
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MORE INFORMATION

This issue occurs if all the following conditions are true:
  • You use a custom domain in Office 365.
  • DNS SRV resource records, CNAME resource records, or both kinds of records are configured incorrectly for your domain.

Troubleshoot Lync Online DNS issues with the Lync Remote Connectivity Analyzer (RCA)

Go to the Lync Connectivity Analyzer
(https://www.testlyncconnectivity.com)
and select Office 365 Custom/Vanity Domain Name Settings Test for Lync. Enter the sign-in address that you're using when you to try to sign in to Lync Online (for example, darrin@contoso.com), and start the test.

This test examines all four DNS records that are required by Lync Online to determine whether they're correctly configured.

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If any issues are detected, check the DNS configuration with your domain registrar. For instructions about how to configure DNS for the most common DNS providers, go to the following Microsoft Office 365 website:
Create DNS records when Office 365 doesn’t host your DNS
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/office365-suite-help/create-dns-records-when-office-365-doesn-t-host-your-dns-HA103444183.aspx?CTT=5)

If you can't add SRV records through your DNS host

Some DNS hosts can't host SRV records, or the DNS hosts don't have options to host SRV records. This condition blocks the ability to communicate with external users (Federated and PIC). In these cases, there is currently no workaround except to change DNS hosts or to manage DNS through an on-premises DNS host.
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References

For more information about how to create and verify DNS SRV records if you have an on-premises DNS host, go to the following Microsoft TechNet website:
Create and Verify DNS SRV Records
(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398680.aspx)
For Office 365 for professionals and small businesses, go to this article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 
2526143
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2526143/ )
You can't sign in to Lync Online by using a domain that is configured for full redelegation
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Still need help? Go to the Office 365 Community
(http://community.office365.com/)
website.
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Properties

Article ID: 2566790 - Last Review: May 31, 2013 - Revision: 32.0
Applies to
  • Microsoft Office 365 for enterprises (pre-upgrade)
  • Microsoft Office 365 for small businesses  (pre-upgrade)
  • Microsoft Office 365 for education  (pre-upgrade)
  • Microsoft Lync Online
Keywords: 
mosdal4.5 kbgraphxlink o365062011 pre-upgrade o365022013 after upgrade o365 o365e o365p o365a o365m KB2566790
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