File Is Single User Or The Host Could Not Be Found

[Navigating]

Hi,

I have a client with a small office. Two PC's, Win XP Home, using TCP/IP for network protocol, running a Peer to Peer ennvironment. One PC is hosting multiuser files while the second has a mapped network drive to the host PC. When the guest attemps to open any of the multiuser files he gets the message: File is single user or the host could not be found on the network...

All the files on the host computer are set to be shared over the network,and are checked "Multiuser"

The correct network protocol is selected in Edit>Preferences>Application,

He can go out to Windows Explorer and see the mapped network drive and open it, but can't open the files, The LAN is configured and running, I had him disable the fire wall and norton to make sure that wasn't the issue and that didn't work either. What am I missing!!! My client is about to trash our solution if I don't get this fixed. HELP

Thank you.

[RalphL]

Turn off OS sharing. Use the built in FMP sharing. Second user should use the the hosts button when opening the files.

[Navigating]

Hi, Thank you for responding but no luck. I'm at a loss. I've tried everything and I can't figure out what the issue is.

[RalphL]

You said' "All the files on the host computer are set to be shared over the network,and are checked "Multiuser"." Does this mean that you have sharing set in the operations system? If you do turn it it off.

Are all the computeres set to TPC/IP in Edit>Preferences>Application?

[Steve T.]

Hi, Sam! Ralph's right... Users should not be double-clicking on database files through the network maps (although that used to work, it can cause corruption). Have 1 computer open the all the files (host) and then all the other computers access the databases by running FM and using OPEN > HOSTS from the FILE menu. FM will find any open db's on the network and produce a list of them for users to choose from.

Good luck!

--ST

[Navigating]

Hi All,

I really appreciate all the replies to my issue. I'm at a loss though. The Host pc and the client pc have TCP/IP set as their network protocol, the files are set for multiuser, there is a launcher icon that points to a launcher(OPEN.fp5)file to make sure that the client opens the files correctly and not through the File > Open dialog box and still the client gets the error message that <<File Name>> is single user or the host could not be found on the network...Is there some type of permission in XP that would prevent the client from being able to access the hosted files? Thanks Again, Sheryl

[Fenton]

Where is this Opener file? On the client machines? It should be. The Opener file does NOT go on the Host computer. The Host might have something like a Login file; which is a real multi-user networked file, part of the solution.

Openers are kind of throw-way files, single-user, with basically one script to open the Login (or Main) file via Open Remote; with Error Capture [On] for that step (once you get it working).

There's no need for a shortcut/alias, because the Opener file should be on each computer, on the desktop. Yes, you could put it somewhere else, then create a shortcut to it; but it seems kind of redundant, especially when you're having problems.

Also, can you see the files when you use Open Remote...? If not then the Opener isn't either.

[Fenton]

Your client probably does not understand that FileMaker has its own networking, independent of the operating system. FileMaker puts this in small print, but it's there in the documentation (somewhere). They should be more up front. Some people just turn file sharing off for the FileMaker files. This configuration is not recommended by FileMaker. It is a controversial question.

It really comes to down to a simple calculation. How much does a basic computer to run FileMaker cost? A few hundred dollars, definitely less than a grand. How much is your data worth (what would happen if you lost it all)? Do you want to have FileMaker run as fast and reliable as possible? If everything to do with your data is worth less than a thousand dollars, go ahead, use your "server" computer for everything. You'll eventually come to grief, but save money right now.

The small business person is at risk because they don't know much about computers. Say you turn off file sharing for the FileMaker files. What's to stop the next "computer wizard" who comes in and turns it back on, 'cause that's how he thinks it should be?

[Navigating]

Hi,

The Opener file is located on the client machine (not the host) C:<<Folder Name>>Opener.fp5 and a shortcut is placed on the desktop.

My client isn't available until tomorrow...but I will have them set the file sharing (on the OS side) to "do not share"...right? Because right now, I believe the folder that contains the multiuser files, on the host machine, is shared now.

I understand about filemaker having it's own networking, but either way why do they continue to get the message if everything is shared? Thanks, Sheryl

[Navigating]

Hi, I have an update to this posting, which most likely will change the outcome. This issue applies to a client of ours with the following update to the configuration that I originally posted:

Host Workstation: Windows XP(home edition), Network Protocol IPX/SPX (frame type 802.3, Network no. 00000000), FMP 5.5, both data files are set to multi-user, I had her turn off the OS file sharing.

Client Workstation: Windows XP(home edition), Network Protocaol IPX/SPX (frame type 802.3, Network no.00000000), FMP 5.5, opener.fp5.

The reason they are using IPX/SPX for FMP is because they use the TCP/IP protocol as their Internet Protocol.

Does this type of configuration cause the error "File Is Single User Or The Host Could Not Be Found?" Thanks, Sheryl

[Steve T.]

Hi, Sheryl!

From a Macintosh pre-7 perspective, I do not even have IPX/SPX as a FileMaker network protocol option... just TCP/IP or AppleTalk. I'd recommend sticking with TCP/IP, and I can't imagine why your client would have problems with TCP/IP. It should not be a case of "TCP/IP already in use" kinda thing...

--ST

[Navigating]

Hi, Thanks for responding. My boss took over the ticket and even he couldn't figure this one out. He had them select TCP/IP w/a static ip address and still no luck. I think this must have something to do with XP Home Edition and FileMaker. Their networking is fine, they have no problems opening other documents, i.e. Word, Excel, etc...only with the FileMaker Multi-user databases. If anyone has any tid bit of information regarding issues with FileMaker and XP Home Edition please pass it on.

Thanks very much, Sheryl

[Charles Nicholls]

I'm having the same problem at two sites: some computers can detect the host, some ca't detect a host at all, some can detect a host after trying multiple times.

Both are windows networks, neither set of systems otherwise has any problems with TCP/IP or anything else.

Does anyone know how Filemaker uses TCP/IP? Is it independent of the local DNS/WINS servers?

Any help appreciated.

Charles

[Sheryl Johnson]

Funny, I am having the same problem. (Maybe it is our name - Sheryl.) The Hosts dialog shows no computers, even if I enter in the IP address myself, no databases show up. Well, that's not entirely true. One computer in the office is running OS 9 and those multi-user databases show up fine. But the OS X machine - nothing.

I did try turning file sharing off thorugh the systems panel and that made no difference.

And yes, I tried going through the finder and that brought up the message referenced in the subject line of this thread.

[Steve T.]

Hi, folks!

sam (late): maybe XP is blocking the ports FM uses... firewall?

charles (late): I don't have Windows, but I'm fairly certain FM is completely independent from DNS/WINS

sheryl #2: lol, sheryls. On Macs, older versions of FM defaulted to "AppleTalk" network protocol but OS X FM cannot "see" that so you have to switch to TCP/IP. You'll have to switch ALL the comptuers to TCP/IP FM, just so they all use the same protocol (host/server, too). TCP/IP will work for MacOS9, MacOSX, and even Windows. FM AppleTalk is MacOS9 only. To change, I think you just go the FM's Preferences but you'll have to re-launch FM. That SHOULD do the trick for ya!

--ST

[Sheryl Johnson]

Everything you say makes perfect sense, and should work, but alas. Both copies of Filemaker are set to TCP/IP protocol - always have been. I did notice that Apple Talk is still an option in the operating system network preferences, though it has been discontinued on my network so a zone never comes up. I think it is active on one machine and not another. I'll try turning it off on both and restarting to see if that helps. I don't think I've restarted my host machine lately, not that any of the changes *said* I needed to restart, but that does work magic at times....

[Steve T.]

Hi, S! OS X also has a firewall that may be blocking the FMP ports. Try making sure the Firewall is off under System Preferences (SHARING, I think), too. --ST

[Fenton]

Yes; you don't have to turn Off the Firewall. You just need to open a port for FileMaker networking. Choose New, then Other for the name (it's a drop-down list, of things you don't want, with no editing). The port number is 5003. Put "FileMaker" in the description, so you know what it is.

[Sheryl Johnson]

thanks, Fenton. That worked exactly! Oh happy day.