Some Networ adapters and routers block access?

[carlosnorvik]

Hi:

I have my files hosted on Server 11 installed on a Mac Mini server running Snow Leopard, accessed by machines running FMPA 9, FMP 9, 10 and 11 and FM Go, both remotely (WAN) and locally (LAN). Router is a Netgear.

No problems until recently and seem to be VERY hardware incompatibility related.

a) Cable company changed my home modem to a Arris Touchstone Telephony modem/router, form that day on, I cannot see the files hosted on the server from home.

On my iPhone and iPad both with FM GO, I switch WiFi off and connect via 3 G, and all the files are visible again.

With my Toshiba R-705 Laptop (FMPA 9) it is the same story, blocked access through the Arris, but no problem accessing from anywhere else, be it WiFi, cabled or 3G.

Recently bought an emachines E443-Bz602 laptop for a sales rep who is at another city (her dog destoyed the old laptop), installed FMP 9 and tested it at the LAN in the Office, perfect.

Tested on a separate internet WiFi connection at the office (which I have as a backup with another provider) and files became invisible.

Tried the emachines with internet acces through a USB dongle and through iPhone 4 personal hotspot and no files visible.

So there seems to be some incompatibility between FM Server 11 and some recent hardware, I hope it won't become an epidemic, but 2 instances in less than 1 month, after 2 years w/o access problems (before files were hosted on FM Pro 10) is scary.

Tomorrow I will test the e machines with an external network adapter to see what happens.

Any advise is welcome.

Thanks and have a great weekend

Carlos

[Wim Decorte]

The network traffic to and from FMS is all very standard so it certainly would not be an incompatibility on the FMS side. My guess is that it is a network configuration issue with the Arris and a similar configuration issue with the USB / iPhone 4 hotspot.

[carlosnorvik]

Hi again:

Completely uninstalled FMP 9 from the Acer laptop, including registry references using CCleaner.

Installed FMP 10 and it worked OK.

Still working on the Arris problem.

Carlos

[carlosnorvik]

Now it gets more puzzling, I decided to upgrade one PC running FMP 8.5 with the spare license of FMP 9 I was left with (see above), same problem, i could not see the files on the server.

I uninstalled 9 and installed a fresh licence of 11, and all of a sudden it was working OK.

Seems like new installs of 9 give problems, but old installs (I have 1 FMP 9 and one FMPA 11 old installations), still work perfectly.

Can't really figure it out.

Carlos

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Yes the new install of 9 has a problem with the SSL certificate. There is (or was maybe) a patch to download for this 9,0v3.325 and x326. FYI, FileMaker 9 Family of Products is on the way to official end of life soon. I'd recommend staying with the newest version.

Steven

[Wim Decorte]

in addition to what Steven is saying above, FM9 also had problems with corrupting the pem file from time to time. See the techInfo database for more info on that and how you can solve it.

[carlosnorvik]

Hi Steven and Wim:

Thanks for your help, I installed FMP 9 on a seldom used PC and downloaded + installed the SSL patch.

Still NO files visible on the server.

On the 2 old 9 installations I have (1 FMPA and 1 FMP) eveything works fine.

I guess the day I decide to unistall because of a machine breakdown, I'll have no choice but upgrading.

best regards

Carlos

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Did you get both patches? The version should end with x326.

Steven

[carlosnorvik]

Hi Steven:

I only found one patch for each FMP and FMPA (http://fmdl.filemaker.com/UPDT/fmpa_9.0_SSL_win_updater.zip and http://fmdl.filemaker.com/UPDT/fmp_9.0_SSL_win_updater.zip).

With my home internet, I gave up and connect to my server with a USB 3G dongle. From my house I can see other FM servers (I tried looking up some server hosting services trial databases), it probably is an incompatibility between the Arris router at home and the Netgear at the office.

Carlos