Connecting remotely... OS X problem (Urgent!)

[dheraud]

Hi folks!

We host about 30 databases on FM 5.5 on Mac OS 9. This morning we upgraded to Mac OS X 10.2.2. All is well internally (as we have a few client computers within the server's premises), but our remote (DSL) clients can't connect anymore! When connecting to host, nothing happens.

Setup: FM Server 5.5v2 for OS X on an iMac, Cable modem plugged into a router. We're connecting via TCP/IP using FM Pro 5.5v2 clients on Mac OS 9 and X.

Now, since this worked in Mac OS 9 before, you probably guessed that the router's configuration is the same, nothing changed on the client-side, and I did make sure that port 591 and 5003 are open, I even tried sniffing the ports and all is well.

Thsi has to be software-based since this is the only thing that was modified... but what am I missing??

I'm dumb-founded... I've exhausted every option I had, I've scavenged this forum inside and out for an answer... nothing... hope you guys can come up with something fast!

[ibiubu]

Here are a few suggestions.

Since you re-installed on a OSX machine, and everyone in the office can still get to the files thru their os9 machines, did you check the host to see if it is serving the files via tcp or via appletalk? If it is set to appletalk that would explain why your local hosts can see the files, but your remote users can not because they are coming in thru tcp.

A second thought would be firewall issues. I dont know enough about osx, but from what I understand, it has built in firewall cpabilities. Maybe they are set to somehow limit remote access. I think a free utility called Brickhouse can be used to check the osx machines firewall settings.

LR

[dheraud]

Thanks for the suggestions, but alas, they do not help me in this situation.

In OS X, you can ONLY serve using the TCP/IP protocol, FileMaker did away with AppleTalk support (thank goodness for that). So that is not the problem.

In Mac OS X 10.2, you can control the firewall natively using the Sharing Panel in System Preferences. I used it to open port 5003. And as I mentionned, I sniffed the port and it is, in fact, open.

Anyone else want to give this a shot? =0)

[Garry Claridge]

Is the Server box the same IP address as before?

Good Luck.

Garry

[Steve T.]

You upgraded the OS but what about FM? We had FMP-u 5.5 on OS9 but when we upgraded to OS X 10.1.2, FMP-u still ran in Classic OS9. Are you X native? If so, did you have to re-configure (prefs are stored in different locations for 9/X)? Try booting exclusively in Classic or boot from X but use the 9 app.

As to the firewall, we use it but had problems with other ports other than for those that we expected. For example, we discovered that disabling pings stopped our OS9 AppleTalk logins under certain conditions even though its on a different port. I'd suggest disabling the firewall until you resolve this.

If you have the resources, just see if you can set up a quick test system from scratch (different IP, server, test db, etc.). Simplify the problem by making sure. We don't use FM Server, so I'm not familiar with its settings, but I agree w/you that it's probably a configuration/software issue (9/X FMP pref, plug-in config, port conflict, network protocol, firewall, proxy, etc.)

Sorry, that's all I can think of.

[dheraud]

The IP address is the same as far as I know, and even if it were not, I did test it with the current IP address and with our dynamic DNS name as well. No go.

No we are not running in Classic mode, we are using the OS X native FM 5.5v2 server. I'll try disabling the firewall again but if I remember correctly that is the first thing I had tried.

Thanks for trying guys... this sure is a tough one.