Can't see host computer

[bails52]

Please help! My wife's computer is connected to our LAN wirelessly, mine via ethernet. We both have iMacs running 10.4.9 and both have copies of Filemaker Pro 6.

She is hosting a file. But when I select "Open Remote" I get nothing. I've checked our sharing settings and it all makes sense to me.

If she closes the file, I can go through the network and host it myself, so I know we're connected.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Steve

[Wadrod]

Have you checked that Sharing has been enabled on your wifes computer, and that "all users" have access to file.

Once Sharing is enabled, it will also give you the IP address of the computer hosting the file.

Also ensure that the "Don't Display in Open Remote Dialoge Box" is not selected.

[Fenton]

Did you create an opening in your Firewall, in the System Preferences, Sharing pane, for FileMaker's port, which is 5003? You generally need to do this on the host computer. Perhaps in the router also (I'm not sure about this, but that's what I do).

BTW, this has nothing to do with whether you can see the files themselves via your OS networking; and in fact OS networking is discouraged when hosting FileMaker files; because there is some possibility of collisions (don't ask me exactly how, as I only know what I read about this).

[AudioFreak]

It's also possible that one or both machines do not have the Filemaker Network Protocol set to TCP/IP.

In Filemaker go to Edit>Preferernces>Application Preferences. The setting is in the general tab.

Michael

[Ender]

A few possibilities come to mind:

1. The wireless router is using NAT addressing for the machines that connect wirelessly. If this is the case, you would not be able to connect to them from the LAN without doing port mapping or VPN setting. I'd suggest you either have the host on a wired Ethernet connection, or turn the wireless router into a bridge, so it bridges the existing LAN network to the wireless machines (this may or may not be possible depending on your wireless router).

2. Her computer or the router have a firewall setting that's blocking FileMaker hosting (port 5003).

3. FileMaker Sharing is not enabled on her machine.

If she closes the file, I can go through the network and host it myself

Remember: you should never attempt to open a file from a network drive. Move the file to local hard drive before opening and hosting.

[bails52]

Voila! It was the 5003 port...never even knew such a thing existed!

Thanks to all for your suggestions!!

Steve