mac is the host/pc is the guest open page with errors

[lschiske]

I am a real novice yet willing to learn. Mac is the host at work for fm. PC is the guest from home, When I type in the ip address it reads files ready to share with "My companies name" when I call work to have them open a particualar file and then I type in the ip address i get page opened with errors and nothing else! I am really frustrated. I feel there must be a simple solution, read everything 3x plus, but still must be missing the answer as to why this is!!

Please help!!

Lisa

[Kurt Knippel]

What errors?

[lschiske]

The errors I encounter trying to enter a database hosted by a mac are as follows:

'window.webportal.lang' is null or not an object

expected'}'

The mac is on a cable connection , do I have to change the protocol on the mac to be tcp/ip? How will this effect the connection I have at work with the two macs.

Boy, I just realized.....I haven't a clue what I am doing!!

Thanks Everyone for your help!!

Lisa

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, if I'm reading this right, then you are trying to make a direct connection between two copies of Filemaker, rather than by html pages hrough a web browser, and that you're dialling in either direct or over a VPN connection that lets you into your company network?

try it in stages:

First, can you ping the IP address of the mac? If you can, then you have contact with the machine.

If so, then all copies of Filemaker (server and both clients) should be set to share over TCPIP. Mac and PC share databases happily over IP.

if you can't ping the Mac, then your TCPIP configuration needs sorting first.

regards, jeff

[lschiske]

thanks Jeff! Think I am almost there....please bear with me

Right now at work under preferences in a file I have the application set up with appleshare so the 2 macs at work can work together. Do I need to set the preference to tcp/ip in order to be able to work on the file at home with my pc? Do I have to change from appleshare to tcp/ip every time I leave work? Or will the two macs work together under tcp/ip.

thanks in advance

lisa

[Vaughan]

Forget AppleShare and set all the Macs to TCP/IP, don;t go changing them all the time.

How is the file being shared -- on a "Host" computer running FMP and you open it through the Hosts command; or on a network volume where you double-click the file's icon to open it?

The first option is good, the second is bad. Very bad as you are discovering.

[Jeff Spall]

hi, yes, Macs and PCs will happily share over TCPIP.

you might find when you go into 'hosts' from home that you'll need to type in the IP address of the host because you may have a router or two between you and the mac - databases not on the same network don't show up straight away.

Jeff

[lschiske]

Thank you , thank you, for all your help. I am certainly learning alot from this forum and definately spreading the good news.

I have confirmed when I open the filemaker program at work (using macs) that they are connected (the 2 macs) with apple talk on an ethernet hub. When I open my filemaker pro program from home my pc is setup for a tcp/ip connection. I then get on the internet type in my works' ip address and get to filemaker web companion with no files showing to be shared. When I amake a phone call to work tell them what file to open and they do it, I then get an error, in regards to the webportal lang. being null and so on. Can I assume it is because work is using Apple talk and not a tcp/ip connection as my pc?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lisa

[Jeff Spall]

hi, i was assuming that you were using either a direct remote access dial-in or a VPN connection. When you say 'over the Internet' this gets *much* more complicated - but it can be done.

can you see any other of your office's internal services - like a server??

Jeff

[lschiske]

Hi Jeff!!

Nope I do not see anything else. I use Microsoft IE as a browser and type in the ip address and it takes me right to FileMaker Web Companion with MY company's name and saying I am at a shared file site yet no files are in view, when I call and have them opened is when I get the errors. My company is on a cable connection to the internet so the ip address is always the same, I am assuming.

Thanks for being so patient and helpful

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, I'm still not really sure what your network configuration is - are you actually making a connection to the host computer - is the address you're inputting the same as the one in its TCPIP control panel??

When you say your *company's* IP address I guess that has to be the address of either a web server or a Firewall, unless your host computer is directly connected, in which case it won't be directly on your internal IP network.

If you need to be able to reach this host computer and it's within your network, then it's very unlikely that it has a registered address - one that can be reached direct from the Internet.

So this would mean getting your network administrator to open up a route through your company firewall to that particular *internal* IP address. This can be done by running your mac Filemaker over TCPIP and giving it a port number. The administrator then routes *all* calls on that port to that address.

You then make the connection using the Firewall's IP address plus the port number and it's translated by the firewall to the internal one. This is the same way that internal mailservers often get accessed - all port 25 calls go to them.

Sorry if this is getting complicated - I havn't really got a grasp of what's happening

Jeff

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, I'm still not really sure what your network configuration is - are you actually making a connection to the host computer - is the address you're inputting the same as the one in its TCPIP control panel??

When you say your *company's* IP address I guess that has to be the address of either a web server or a Firewall, unless your host computer is directly connected, in which case it won't be directly on your internal IP network.

If you need to be able to reach this host computer and it's within your network, then it's very unlikely that it has a registered address - one that can be reached direct from the Internet.

So this would mean getting your network administrator to open up a route through your company firewall to that particular *internal* IP address. This can be done by running your mac Filemaker over TCPIP and giving it a port number. The administrator then routes *all* calls on that port to that address.

You then make the connection using the Firewall's IP address plus the port number and it's translated by the firewall to the internal one. This is the same way that internal mailservers often get accessed - all port 25 calls go to them.

Sorry if this is getting complicated - I havn't really got a grasp of what's happening

Jeff