Crate Pro Support

APPLICABLE TO:

FileMaker Pro connecting to a FileMaker hosted file.


Resolution:

FileMaker uses port 5003 to share files over the network. Therefore, to connect to files hosted on a remote network you will need to “forward” port 5003 from your router to the Crate Pro 6 database on your host computer. Port 5353 allows your FileMaker Pro hosted/ Crate Pro 6 database files to be discoverable or visible over your remote network.

This article will walk you through the process of setting up port forwarding on your router so that you can access your FileMaker hosted databases from an outside network to the host computer inside your network. You may only connect to your Crate Pro 6 database from an computer that has an EAL license.

Important: These are very general instructions and may not apply to every router. For detailed instructions please consult your router’s help manual.

Steps:

1.     Go to your router’s “setup” page.

• Launch your web browser and enter in the standard IP address for your router.
• Some routers may ask you to enter in a username and password. The typical login information is no username and the password “admin”. If you’ve changed or lost the password please consult your router instructions on how to reset it.
• Windows Users: You can find your default gateway by going to Start>Run>CMD>ipconfig/all.
• Macintosh Users: You can find your default gateway by going to System Preferences>Network. Select the Ethernet connection. The number next to the “router” is the default gateway.

2.     Once you’re in the setup page, look for a tab with a name like, “Port Forwarding” or “Applications”.

3.     For FileMaker Network Sharing you will need to forward port 5003. To see your database files you will need to forward port 5353 as well. For extra security you may chose to hide these files after creating a connection.

• Some routers use “Port Ranges”. This means you will have to select a starting and ending port. Select port 5003-5003.
• Your router may ask you to open ports for TCP or UDP. You can select both.

4.     Enter in the IP Address of the host computer that you would like the data from that port to be sent to (The computer that is hosting your FileMaker files). Your router assigns an IP address to your internal network devices. If you're using DHCP or dynamic routing the IP, or address of your host computer may change. It's recommended to create a static IP on the host. Check online on how to set that up based on your computer and operating system.

5.     Save your settings and test out your configurations.

Troubleshooting:

If you’re still having issues here are a few things you can check:

• Verify that the host IP address has been entered in correctly.
• If you’re using a dynamic IP address then your IP address may change every time you turn your router on or off. If it changes then you will need to go back to your router’s setup page and change the information in port forwarding. One other option is to setup a Static IP address. For information on how to do this, please contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
• Some routers may ask you to select a port lower and higher than the port you want to forward. For those devices you will need to enter in a port range of 5002-5004.