Is this to big a job? Need a hand...

[Argy Bargy]

I am new to FMP8. My dad showed me the amazing potential of it and now i am hooked. Essentially this is my problem. I run an Australian Rules football dreamteam competition for myself and 15 other friends.

If you are not familiar with the dreamteam concept - basically each player at the start of the year picks their team in a 'draft' then each week you play each other and your team scores points based on the playres you picked statistics for carious things. In this comp my dad has written me a database to basically import the stats from the statisitc site on the web (via importing into a excel sheet then importing into the database).Also each player emails me their team each week and i manually import their 8 players and the position that they want them to play in (out of the 16 they originally picked). I then manually change this in the database.

LONG WINDED! Essentially i would like to set it up on the web so that the contestants can change their own team each week, without me inputting it. I don't really understand the IWP as it doesnt appear to work when i try and set an ip address as i have broadband and have a static address. I am sure I ahve more explaing to do and i am happy to make avialable any answers or in fact email the database i ahve so far ...its only about 1mb.

many thanks for even reading this much

Rob

South Australia

[IdealData]

Persist with IWP.

Basically IWP presents the end user with a FileMaker style layout in a conventional web browser. There is very little detail about why IWP doesn't work in your posting, but I suspect this is fairly simple configuration.

Mostly people forget to turn on IWP PROPERLY as the default state of FMP files is unshared. Even when you turn on IWP, you must also then specify the users that may access the file(s).

Watch out if you have any other web services running, particularly a web server as this will take port 80, so you must use IWP under a different port number (typically 591). You can test your "local" connection just by specifying your own IP address, and optionally appending the port number (:80 or :591)

Other possible problems may be with your modem/router, but I can't comment on that here.

Bear in mind that IWP is limited to 5 CONCURRENT users and FMP must be running to host the database to the web.

[Argy Bargy]

my understanding is i have to have my computer running and fmp8 running for people to then access their editable area? I cant just upload this db to a webspace and have them alter it online while i amy or may not be online? Can i designate a url that directs them to the db? i have a some webspace available.

Rob

[Argy Bargy]

when i do this i get an error message coming up saying "the maximum number of users allowed to connect to this server has been exceeded."

i am also assuming that a random surfer could not type in my static ip address and it would come up?

192.168.1.3:591 for example?

Rob

[IdealData]

Hosting:

Yes you MUST have FMP running and the database MUST BE ON THE SAME MACHINE. You cannot have the file hosted in your own web space, unless you use a commercially available FM hosting service.

You could have a URL redirection order by your ISP, however there will be a charge and you may also need another domain name.

IP Address:

The IP Address you quoted is a typical LAN address, whereas your external users would use your STATIC address and the modem/router should be configured to re-route traffic from there to your internal address.

Error message:

Not sure. Can you supply screen shots of the message AND the IWP sharing settings in FMP?

[IdealData]

Maybe my signature should read "if you want to hire me then e-mail me."

However, you sent me 2 copies of the same screen shot. Please try again - but post the files on the forum.

Incidentally, the FMP sharing settings look fine.

[Argy Bargy]

ok here is the screenshot. I am unsure wether this has anything to do with broadband modem settings etc.

appreciate everyones time and help.

[Argy Bargy]

in the IWP settings and then specify advance settings to indicate the port - over on the right it says maximum number of users O see attached image...is this the problem for above message?

Rob

[IdealData]

That is almost certainly the problem - but I don't know the answer.

I did some tests for web sharing conflicts etc. but cannot replicate your 0 connections (I'm on OS X).

Maybe you have a corrupted preferences file? On a Mac the "web.prefs" file controls this which I found in the "Web Support" folder of thje FM installation.

Maybe someone with a Windows system can guide further.

[Martin Brändle]

In your first screenshot, I see a very strange port: 79. This is the port used for UNIX finger services (see http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers ) . Probably you get a port conflict with a system service that uses this port and therefore your number of users is fed up.

Use either 591, which is the official alternate HTTP port reserved by FMI, or 80 (for direct HTTP).

[Argy Bargy]

yes i tried port 80 however it states that i have a port number conflict...so i am nowusing 591...the problem i now have is that i am not sure how to get web access for external users as the url i have is just my broadband modem router ip, how do i create an ip that others can view the database from an external computer, i believe my ip changes all the time everytime modem resets? I have some web space available through my isp is possible to allocate some of that to the DB?

Rob

[Garry Claridge]

A few ways exist to solve this:

1. Purchase a "Static IP" from your ISP.

2. Use a service such as "DynDNS" ( www.dyndns.com ) with a domain name.

3. Use a Filemaker hosting service, such as; "Point in Space".

Good Luck.

Garry