Remote access: FileMaker Server or Web Companion?

[alopas]

Hi,

Our office is located in NY, and we need two other offices to have remote access to our database (one is in Hong Kong and the other one in Maryland). We use Mac's and they use PCs. Our databases are hosted by a FileMaker Server (TCP/IP). My question is: would it be quicker for them to access our databases through our FileMaker server by using a FMP license, or through the web browser (web companion) over the Internet?

Thanks in advance.

[Kurt Knippel]

How many people would be accessing the DBs?

[alopas]

NY office: max 15 users, 5 average (simultaneously)

HK office: 1 user (ideally would be extended to 5 users, but wouldn't access at the same time as NY due to time difference)

Maryland: 1 user

[Kurt Knippel]

With so few users, I would suggest a remote access solution such as Timbuktu. This is a cross-platform remote control program where the remote user actually controls a machine on your internal LAN, and only the mouse, keyboard and screen redraws are sent over the lines. Very quick, even on slow dialup connections.

The only downside is that you need a computer allocated to each of the remote users, which they will control. For the HK users this should be no problem, as they can just control some of the vacant NY systems, althougn you will need to set aside a system for the MD user.

[alopas]

Thank you ...the problem of using Timbuktu is that both HK and MD use PC (Windows), whereas we use Mac.

[Kurt Knippel]

Matters not one bit as Timbuktu is totally cross-platform.

[alopas]

Sorry about my ignorance ... thank you very much, this is the gratest solution ever!!!

[Anatoli]

Also VNC should be crossplatform and free.