I run a set using Filemaker Pro Server Advanced. The internal network runs perfectly. However we have a few users who need to be able to access this set up from the net. We can access these file with IWP, but the functional short-comings of IWP make me want to render these files accessible from the net.

I have a broadband connection with a dynamic IP address. I know we should have a static address, however except for power failures the router is never turned off, so I assume that for testing purposes at least this should be functional as the IP address does not change.

I have opened the following ports on the Mac where FMPSA is running 591, 5003. I have also opened these ports on the router.

I understand that we should be able to connect to our files using Open Remote and by typing the address fmnet/xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/filename.fp7 where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the external WAN IP address where the router is accessing the net. However we cannot get a connection. What am i doing wrong

This might be a firewall problem (at either end) and/or a port forwarding problem at the server end.

Has a VPN been set up?

I have opened the following ports on the Mac where FMPSA is running 591, 5003. I have also opened these ports on the router.

And did you forward those ports to the NAT address of the server machine?

Steven

No there is no VPN set up and I don't really know how to set one up or what it's purpose is.

I gather from your answers that I am more or less on the right track but that somewhere along the line the firewall or router are blocking the connection. It's just a question of finding where. Am I right?

It could be the same problem I had - see my post #258005. My problem was a setting that needed to be made within the MODEM.

You do not need a vpn set up for external users to access your FileMaker databases, you do however need to make sure you have set up port forwarding correctly in your router.

An excellent web site for great walk-thru's for port forwarding is http://www.portforward.com

You do have the ports correct, 591 is for for Web Publishing and 5003 is for FileMaker Network Sharing. Make sure you are giving your external users the public IP address, which you can double check at web sites like http://www.ipchicken.com