I am trying to come up with a simple elegant solution to use FileMaker in a small office environment. I need to run FileMaker on a server and allow 4 or 5 people to connect as FileMaker clients (only for occasional access). I also need to allow 50 people to connect via automatic web publishing. This will also only be occasional access. We own several copies of FileMaker and FileMaker developer. When I look at the web access section of FileMaker developer, it shows the number of people allowed to connect as "Unlimited"! Because this database will only see very light use, can I run a copy of Developer as the server?

I understand that it is not as robust as the server products, but like I said, it will only see occasional use.

What is occasional use? One or two users a day? 25 users several times a day? Fm Developer has the same web limitations as a client copy of FM. 4 or 5 local FM clients connecting to a copy of FM 'occasionally' should be fine. I'm not sure about your web strategy though. I think you will need a copy of FM Unlimited.

It could be anywhere between 5 and 15 people a day. The wierd thing is that when I go to Application Prefrences in FM6 Client and look at the Web Companion Plugin it shows the "IP Guest Limit" as 5. But when I go to the same place in FileMaker 6 Developer, it shows the IP Guest Limit as "Unlimited". This it the same thing I see in FileMaker Unlimited.

This is the reason I think it may work. I may just have to test it.

Hi:

Any FM product (besides mobile I would think) can be used to "host" databases. However, if you see the IP limit as unlimited, I am pretty sure it is not Developer because as already stated, Developer is like regular FM (with some additions)and thus has the 10 IP limit in a 12 hour period. You probably started Unlimited.

Ken

I rechecked again ...

I go to the help menu, and select "About FileMaker"

It tells me I am running Version 6 Developer edition.

I go into the Edit Menu, select Prefs/Aplication

I go to the Web Sharing Plugin

It tells me the number of IP Guests is UNLIMITED!

I am not going crazy, that is what it says!

I have never had Unlimited installed on this computer, so there is no chance that I could be running Unlimited.

"The Web Companion in the Developer edition of FileMaker Pro can only serve to a maximum of ten IP addresses in a 12-hour period, as indicated by the IP Guest Limit of 10 in the Web Companion Configuration dialog box."

-- FM Developer's Guide, p. 8-2

Not sure why you're seeing unlimited, but I imagine that's not intended or covered by the license agreement, FWIW. Maybe 10 IP/12-hr is all you need for your purposes? Good luck.