Can anyone share their experiences using Daylite over the internet and also through a VPN?

Also... we are looking at up to 25 concurrent users. Any comments?

I really think it is going to be a function of:

• How fast is your internet connection.
  
• How fast is the host computer for the database
  
• How fast is the client computer
  
• What you VPN settings are in terms of color depth
  

In my experience Daylite functions as well as any other application that does minimum screen updates (as opposed to video intensive applications).

So in short VPN works fine with Daylite and is totally usable.

You might also consider punching a hole in your firewall to allow database access. It will require a minimum of 3 ports that have to be open and forwarded.

cheers

Hey Russb,

I have used a VPN once or twice to connect to our own database and was able to work perfectly. I have only done it once or twice so I am sure other users can give you additional insight.

The other reason I wanted to reply to this post was to ensure you had our networking guide. This will help assist configuring your network for Daylite access.


Managing databases with Daylite

In the Administration pane of Daylite Preferences, you can:
• Create new databases on your Mac
• Choose which databases start up automatically when the Mac is restarted
• Turn network sharing of databases on or off
• Find out the status of running databases, and whether or not they are being shared with other users on the network

In order to use many of the functions in the Administration pane, you need to be a Mac OS X administrator. Also note that most of the features are designed to be used by Daylite database administrators, and are not necessary for day to day use of Daylite.
To create a new database on your Mac
1. Choose Daylite > Preferences...
2. Click Administration.
3. Click the Databases tab.
4. Click the "+" button to add a new database.
5. Daylite opens the New Database window. All the details about the new database can be filled out, and in the end the new database will be created on your Mac.
To share databases on your Mac with the network
1. Choose Daylite > Preferences...
2. Click Administration.
3. Click the Databases tab.
4. Check "Share these databases on the network."
5. The local Daylite databases will be available to other Daylite users on the network. Note that sharing ideally requires a static IP address and is recommended for servers only.

The Status tab displays information that may be useful when troubleshooting connection problems. It shows your Mac's IP address and network name, and indicates whether or not databases on your Mac are actually running and shared with other users on the network.
To use the Status tab
1. Choose Daylite > Preferences...
2. Click Administration.
3. Click the Status tab.

Configuring Daylite for network access

To configure Daylite for network access, you should first designate one computer in your network as the server. This can be any desktop Mac running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or greater (Mac Os X 10.4.5 or greater recommended). It should have a static IP address (Note: If this is not possible, you can also configure with a dynamic IP address, provided that it has a long lease-expiry date...consult Marketcircle's Knowledge Base for more details). Daylite should be installed on all computers in the network, and that network must also provide the ability to connect to each computer.

For the server computer
1. Choose Daylite > Preferences.
2. Click Administration.
3. Click Databases.
4. Select the Share these databases on the network checkbox.
5. Enabling this feature usually takes a few moments to complete, during which time a dialogue appears advising that in rare cases, you might have to reboot after completing this function. Click OK to continue.
6. Click Status.
7. The Status pane shows whether Daylite is currently configured for network or local access.
8. Logout of Daylite.
9. To login, choose Daylite > File > Log in to Database...
10. The Log in window opens.
11. Click Show Details.
12. From the Select a Connection drop-down selector, choose Find Local databases.. to select a database you wish to connect. Alternately, using the Connect to Database pane, you can simply enter the computer name (e.g., Mary's computer), or the network IP address of the Mac you want to connect to (provided the server computer is not a dedicated server).
13. Enter the username and password. Click Login.

For the client computer (i.e., another desktop or notebook)
1. Launch Daylite and choose File > Log in to Database...
2. Click Show Details.
3. In Select a Connection drop-down, choose the option Find Other Databases...
4. In the text field, enter the IP address of the server (created earlier and which can be found in the status preference of the server's computer). Press the Return key on your keyboard.
5. Select an appropriate database and click Choose.
6. Replace the username and password (clear the password field, if that user does not have a password).
7. Select whether you want to store the password in your Mac's keychain and whether you want this to be the default database.
8. Click Login.


Connecting users via the Internet

To connect users via the Internet, you must first designate one computer in your network as the server. This can be any desktop Mac running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or greater (Mac OS X 10.4.5 or greater recommended). It should have a static IP address (not a dynamic IP). Daylite should be installed on all computers in the network, and that network must also provide the ability connect to each computer (i.e., file sharing). Daylite communicates with its databases using TCP/IP, so connecting via the Internet is done by adhering to standard TCP/IP rules.

To connect users via the Internet
1. Install Daylite on a server.
2. Connect the user's computer to the network where the server is located.
3. Ensure your computer is currently able to connect to the Internet (contact your network administrator to do this).
4. Ensure that for the server, you have a static IP address assigned by your Internet service provider or via a dynamic DNS system (see www.dyndns.com for more details).
If you are using a NAT-enabled (Network Address Translation) router:
On the server
1. Open Ports 20220 to 20300 (see Marketcircle's Knowledge Base for more details).
2. Forward those ports to your internal server where the Daylite database is located.

On the remote Daylite computer
1. Launch Daylite and choose File > Log in to Database...
2. From the Select a Connection drop-down, choose New connection.
3. Enter the public static IP address given to you by your Internet service provider. Use the domain name if possible (e.g., www.yourcompanyname.com). 4. In the text field, enter database name, username, and password.
5. Click Login.


I hope these details help.