PassTracker - How to Manage Remote Data Sources

Settings Tab, Remote Query Tab

This is to set up a remote lookup of a customer in another PassTracker database.

As the IP address of the remote server may change periodically, a method of updating that address is necessary.

Click the Manage Data Sources button to begin the routine.

Click OK

Select the Remote PassTracker line

Double click this line, or select it adn then click the Edit button below.

Edit Data Source window

Make sure you are on the right item, it should say something like Remote PassTracker.

This case, this is a local IP address. You don't want this, you want an outside IP address. See below for details on external IP addresses.

Edit the IP address

Edit the IP address of the remote PassTracker server. You may have to call the other gym to get this IP Address

Background info

There are two sets of IP addresses to think about.

The one that 'whatsmyipaddress.com' gets is the one assigned by Telus (or whomever is your Internet Service Providor.

Each computer gets, what is known as an internal IP address, one that only lives within the network. They usually are within the the range: 192.168.1.100, or 192.168.0.102 etc.

Getting the Router's IP address -www.whatismyipaddress.com

Call the other gym. Get them to launch a web browser and enter www.whatismyipaddress.com.

This should bring up their external IP address, the IP address of the gym's Router.

Obtaining the Computer's IP Address

Under the Apple Menu, select About this Mac. Then click More Info...

Click on the Network Info item on the left sidebar.

You should then see the IP address of the Built-in Ethernet, or Airport Network, whichever is in use by your computer.

Setting up Port Forwarding

Where the two IP addresses (the Router's and the Computer's) are important, is when you use a Firewall. Most modern routers have to protect you from outside attacks by hackers, it is necessary to route Ports used by FileMaker and VNC through the router to the computer you want to talk to.

To set up Port Forwarding, log into your router. It is usually at the address 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, but may be something else. Check your documentation.

Your login screen may look a little different depending on the router you are using.

Look for Port Forwarding

In this case, with an older Linksys router, it is in the Advanced area, but check the different tabs til you find something like Port Forwarding.

Port Forwarding setup

Your port forwarding should look something like this.

You want a port open for both FileMaker (used by PassTracker) and VNC (remote control software) pointing at the appropriate internal computer, in this case the Staff Computer.

You want both TCP and UDP protocols in operation.

You want them targetting the IP address of the Staff Computer.

You want them both Enabled.

Click Apply.

Your screen may look different than this, but the fundamentals should apply.

Summary

Three things have to line up to keep Remote Database Queries working.

1) The correct External IP address has to be entered into FileMaker's Managing Data Sources
2) We need to know what the External IP address is (www.whatismyipaddress.com)
3) Port Forwarding has to be turned on in the Router/Firewall and pointing to the correct computer.

Simple eh?