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Opening shared files as a client

After a file is opened by a host and shared via FileMaker Networking, you can access it as a client.

FileMaker Pro databases shared via TCP/IP can be opened remotely using the list of local hosts, the IP address of the host machine, or the DNS name of the host machine if one has been defined. For example, a database hosted from a computer with an IP address of 192.168.10.0 and a DNS name of host.domain.com can be opened by entering either the IP address or the DNS name in the File menu > Open Remote > Network File Path field, using the format
fmnet:/192.168.10.0/<filename>. (Note that fmnet:/ uses a single slash.)

Note  FileMaker Pro also supports IPv6 addresses in the form of eight four-digit number groups, separated by colons and surrounded by square brackets. For example,
fmnet:/[2001:0DB8:85A3:08D3:1319:8A2E:0370:7334]/<filename>

To open a shared file as a client:

1.	Choose File menu > Open Remote.

The Open Remote File dialog box appears, displaying a list of hosts.

2.	For View, choose the type of host you want displayed in Hosts.

 

Choose	To display
Favorite Hosts	Hosts you previously added as favorites. (For information about adding, editing, or removing a favorite host, see the section after these steps.)
Local Hosts	FileMaker Server hosts located on your TCP/IP subnet. To specify a host located on another TCP/IP subnet, for Network File Path, type a domain name (as host.domain.com) or IP address using one of the following formats: IPv4: 192.168.10.0 IPv6: [2001:0DB8:85A3:08D3:1319:8A2E:0370:7334]
Hosts Listed by LDAP	FileMaker Server hosts available through LDAP. To specify an LDAP from which you want to see hosts displayed, see the last section in this topic.

Note  To add a local host or a host located on an LDAP to the list of favorites, select the host to add and click Add to Favorite Hosts. Then, see the section after these steps.

3.	To see the available files from a host, select the host.

4.	For Available Files, select the file you want to open, then click Open (or double-click the filename). Or, for Network File Path, type the fully qualified filename (for example, fmnet:/<host IP address>/<filename>), then click Open.

Tip  To narrow the list of available files, type a few characters in the Filter text box. Only filenames containing the characters you type are displayed in the list.

You might be required to enter an account name, password, and domain name (Windows only), depending on how file sharing is configured on the host.

To add, edit, and remove favorite hosts:

1.	In the Open Remote File dialog box, do one of the following:

•	To organize the list of favorite hosts, for View, select Favorite Hosts. Select the host to organize, then click Add, Edit, or Remove. (Add and Edit display the Edit Favorite Host dialog box; Remove deletes the host from the list.)

•

To mark a remote file so it appears in the Favorite Files list in the FileMaker Quick Start Screen, for View select Favorite Hosts, select a host, select an available file, click Add to Favorites. For more information about accessing favorite remote files, see Using FileMaker Quick Start to open files.

•	To add a local host or a host located on an LDAP to the list of favorites, for Hosts, select the host you want to add, then click Add to Favorites. (The Edit Favorite Host dialog box appears.)

2.	In the Edit Favorite Host dialog box, for Host’s Internet Address, enter the host’s IP address or domain name.

•	Enter IP addresses using one of the following formats: IPv4: 192.168.10.0 IPv6: [2001:0DB8:85A3:08D3:1319:8A2E:0370:7334]

•	Enter domain names using the format host.domain.com.

3.	For Favorite Host’s Name (optional), type a name for the host.

If you don’t enter a name, only the host’s internet address is displayed in the Manage Favorites dialog box and the FileMaker Quick Start Screen.

4.	In the File Settings area, choose to show all available files (the default) or only the files you specify.

If you choose Show only these files, enter each filename on a separate line, ending each line with a carriage return.

5.	Click Save.

To specify an LDAP server:

1.	In the Open Remote File dialog box, with Hosts Listed by LDAP selected for View, click Specify.

The Specify LDAP Directory Service dialog box appears.

2.	In the Server Information area, enter information about the server. (You may need to contact your network administrator for this information.)

 

For	Do this
Server Address	Enter the domain name of the server, in this format: host.domain.com or the IP address of the server in one of the following formats: IPv4: 192.168.10.0 IPv6: [2001:0DB8:85A3:08D3:1319:8A2E:0370:7334]
LDAP Port	Keep or change the port number. (To return to the initial value, click Use Default.)
Search base	Enter an LDAP host search base string.

3.	In the Login Settings area, select or clear Use Windows Authentication (Windows only). Then:

•	If you select this option, choose Log in as current user, or choose Log in using account and type your account name, password, and domain name (Windows only).

•	If you clear this option, choose Log in anonymously, or choose Log in using account and type your account name and password.

4.

Click OK.

Related topics 

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