Remote users can't connect to Access file on server

[Guest]

Hello:
I have an Access 97 file on a server. All on-site and remote users can
access the file but a couple of offsite workers using Windows 2000 cannot.
The file freezers or a message is displayed like this:

The form name "switchboard" is mispelled or refers to a form that doesn't
exist.

If the invalid form name is a macro, an Action failed dialog box will
display the macro name and the macro's argument after you click ok. Open the
Macro window and enter the correct form name.

How can I help them to access the file? I asked in the Access newsgroup and
got this response:
Access 2000 can open an Access 97 database without any problems (i.e., it
knows the format of the mdb file) But there are some other gotchas:
Offsite users are connecting to your network via the following:

TCP Port 53 = DNS lookup so they can say something.somewhere.com
TCP Port 563 so that ActiveDirectory can authenticate them.
(perhaps you get the idea, but there are lots of other TCP communications
that happen behind your back, before Access can even see the file on the
share)


Plus, once you say, "Remote Users", you have to think about people on ISP's
like Verizon DSL or Comcast Cable Internet, who are behind firewalls, trying
to talk to your network (which is also behind a firewall) and then there is
all that goop about your routers or Citrix boxes that may even still be
blocking communications.

You may say, "But we're using a VPN". Sure. Fine. Check it anyway.

I bet your users are being port-blocked by accident at some layer of the
network. For more (or higher quality) information, check one of the Windows
XP newsgroups. I think your problem is network-related, and unfortunately,
we are all database geeks in here. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking you
should repost in microsoft.public.windows.xp (or whatever it's called)



Thanks.
J

 

[john Q]

Hello:
I have an Access 97 file on a server. All on-site and remote users can
access the file but a couple of offsite workers using Windows 2000 cannot.
The file freezers or a message is displayed like this:

Not sure if this is related or not, but certainly, Access doesn't play
well, when people are getting to the file via a share by IP, as
opposed to a share by UNC. (if you get past the error you're having,
you'll soon enough get to the locking problem).

Given that there's no known solution to the share issue when doing by
IP, there's probably no solution to your problem either (I'm just
assuming that since they're remote, they're by IP?)

Just my two cents... good luck

 

[Guest]

Hi John:
The users are accessing the file using UNC - the drive is mapped using the
UNC not the IP address of the server.
Do you think the fact that I used the DAO library in my database has
anything to do with it....i.e DAO library for 97 is 3.51 and for 2000 3.6 or
something like that.
Thanks,
J.