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I'm just a few months ahead of you so I know what you're going through. You could upload the database IF your Internet Provider had a copy of FileMaker running there on the server. That's the key. Then it could be accessed and edited from anywhere with a browser, as you say. Since I didn't explore that very far, there may be even more involved that I don't know about.

You may want to consider just keeping your machine on (not all that much more wear and tear than turning it on and off--some would argue less), and asking the Provider how much extra a static IP address would cost. (You would probably be charged for storage on the web server anyway.) Then you could enable Instant Web Publishing, the Web Companion, multi-user, set up "views," and your PC would become a server. You'd have to do all of this on the Provider's server too, so keeping it "at home" seems much simpler. Whenever you edit or add records, they'll appear instantly to the next person who logs on. And when others edit records, it will be in the copy of the database on YOUR computer, not somewhere else that you'd have download or copy. Chapter 14 in the manual makes it all fairly clear.

As you've no doubt seen elsewhere, you'd need FileMaker Unlimited for more than 10 users in a 12-hour time period; otherwise FileMaker 5.5 is fine.

Hope this helps, and you'll probably get much better answers as time goes on.

Ernie

>From what I can tell I should be able to upload the db to our website and have our satellite >office open and edit the db.

This isn't the way it works... the database must be open and accessible to the internet. Whether you use instant access (which is what I believe you are looking for) or Custom access, the database, being dynamic, needs to be viewable from the outside.

>In fact from some of the feature sheets that I?ve seen it seems that we should be able to edit >the DB from any machine with web access and a browser.

This is so... but it needs to be set up using either the web companion [Preferences > Application > Plug ins] or remote access companion [same place]

> I just can?t figure our how to do this.

Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll explain it to you if you like

> Also we have a dynamic IP address

Are you on "dial-up" or "broadband"?

Do you have a web server?

Are you on Windows or Mac?

There are a number of solutions, but they depend on what you already have in place.

Hi, G DeNars! I think ErnieG and highflyr are right on target, but you can always try a workaround... If you cannot get a static IP, maybe you can make FMP auto-send e-mail to your sat. office with your IP address every time it starts to serve.

Regarding accessing the db via the web, what you're talking about is either Instant Web Publishing or Custom Web Publishing but they're still dependent on IP address. Serving anything really works best with continuous internet connections with static IP addresses. In any event, you should also initiate security (access priviliges or web security database) whenever you can--just in case.

Another option, although I've never used them, are dynamic IP tracking services that I've heard people use to serve websites from homes. Your computer contacts their site with its new IP address whenever you startup (or something to that effect)... but that may be more trouble than you wanted. Also, although you can perform basic functions via the web, I think using FMP directly is always the best choice if you can. It's quicker, more efficient screen-space-wise, and gives your users better control.

Hope this helps... --ST