FMP client with Windows XP Service Pack 2

[QuinTech]

I haven't seen this on the forums, so i'll throw it out there:

THE FACTS:

We have a customer who is set up with FM Server 5.5 and three FMP 6 licenses on workstations, all Windows. Our application ships with an opener file for workstations which looks for a file across the network using the usual Filemaker multicast (that is, no IP address specified).

Monday, all three users were able to connect. Tuesday, one user had XP Service Pack 2 installed. Wednesday, that user was unable to connect in the normal way, but the other two users were able to connect.

We resolved the situation by modifying the affected user's opener file to specify the IP address of the FM Server machine. After that, she was able to open without a hitch.

Those are the facts.

OUR ANALYSIS:

SP2, upon installation, prevents multicasts by default. We suspect it does this by enabling/enhancing Windows XP Personal Firewall to forbid or restrict multicasts. (We were afraid to try to inspect this with the user we had on the phone, so it remains a suspicion.) The problem can be resolved by specifying a Host Address or by allowing XP to do multicasts.

MS's KB seems to confirm this.

Anyone have thoughts on this? Anyone been able to do any testing with SP2 that can confirm or controvert this?

Jerry

[transpower]

I installed SP2 (from CD) a couple of days ago. I did get a security message from Windows asking me if I wanted to unblock FileMaker. Of course, yes. I haven't seen the message since...thank goodness.

[Wim Decorte]

That message was because of the Firewall. SP2 turns on the windows firewall even if it was before the upgrade. If you click yes to the message, the firewall unblocks the ports that FM needs.

For clients that have good perimeter security on their network, you can turn off the windows firewall completely.

[Wim Decorte]

I've converted the machines in my office to SP2 and a lot of clients too but never saw that problem. I'm sure it's induced by SP2 but since it happens on only one of the machines and not the others, there must be a machine-specific factor.