Network Sharing Filemaker Pro 8

[RichTJ99]

Hello,

I have a client that just upgraded from Filemaker 4 to version 8 (we used version 6 to covert the database over).

Currently sharing doesn't seem to be working properly. The network is a 2 PC network using a linksys router. Windows XP Pro is working on both PC's & file sharing is enabled (and working).

The main problems that the client is having with sharing are as follows:

1. If the host PC has filemaker turned off, there are no shared files available (using the filemaker share software within the program). Should that be the case?

2. If the host pc has file maker turned on & the files shared within the program (also turned on), do the actual files need to be in use on the host PC in order for the client to see/share them?

File maker 4 might be old but it seemed that if you wanted to share the data across a network, it was much easier to do without all the "warning" messages coming up with each use of the individual database files.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Rich

[Kent Searight]

Currently sharing doesn't seem to be working properly.

Make sure sharing is enabled in your solution under Edit > Sharing > FileMaker Network ...

Make sure the file on the host is stored in an area where sharing is allowed.

1. If the host PC has filemaker turned off, there are no shared files available (using the filemaker share software within the program). Should that be the case?

Look at the host as your server. If the file's not open there, nothing is available to share on the client machine.

2. If the host pc has file maker turned on & the files shared within the program (also turned on), do the actual files need to be in use on the host PC in order for the client to see/share them?

No. The file just has to be open.

One more thing...from the client machine the file needs to be opened as a Remote File.

Hope some of this helps.

[RichTJ99]

Kent,

Thanks for getting back to me. I think i have everything setup correctly. I just wasnt 100% sure if filemaker had to be up & running on the host & that all the filemaker files needed to be currently accessed on the host in order for them to be shared.

So it seems the best solution would be to keep filemaker running on the host (which is someones workstation as well) and to make sure all the files are always opened so that they can be shared on the client (someone elses work station).

Is it me or is that an incredibly strange way of sharing? It seems a dedicated "server" with the program running & all shared files in use would be a better way of doing this (in a two PC setup).

[Kent Searight]

Is it me or is that an incredibly strange way of sharing? It seems a dedicated "server" with the program running & all shared files in use would be a better way of doing this (in a two PC setup).

In an ideal world your peer-to-peer setup would have the host machine acting as a server, not someone's workstation. This would help to alleviate problems such as the user shutting down by accident or crashing because of another program crash...things like that. But a lot of small offices do exactly what you're doing and seem to get along with just some occasional, minor hiccups.