Hello Together,

I'm trying to publish a small part of my database on the web so customers can fill out a simple form with their personal data. The fp5 book I'm reading doesn't make a few things really clear. Here are my questions, I hope you can help:

1: do I need a static IP address?

2: does my computer have to be connected to the internet all the time in order to have 24/7 availability (which at the same time means it needs to run all the time)?

3: is there a possiblity to place and open filemaker on the web by using a web server? This way I could give customers a link to my homepage to fill out the form.

4: would you suggest in updating to a more recent version of FM that makes web publishing more convenient>

Thanks a bunch in advance for your help,

Andy

Andy--

I'll try to help with some of this:

If you want your users to connect to your database, that database has to be available to them, meaning that if your database is in Filemaker, Filemaker has to be up and running, and processing that database. So, if you want users to have 24/7 access, the database (and by extension, the computer on which the database is loaded) has to be running 24/7.

If you want your FM database available on the web, you'll either have to create your own web presence (setting up a webserver that has FM on it, connecting it to the internet using some service provider, etc.), or you could look into an ISP that provides website hosting services that include FM (the approach I'd take).

HTH,

David

Hi David,

I do have my own web site/domain so if I'd like to set it up there I'd need to install the FM software on that server for people to be able to access it, right? Do I need FM SERVER version for that?

Thanks,

Andy

Technically you can use FMP to host the database, but it's limited to 10 connections. FM Server Advanced is the proper tool for the job.