Sharing files on a network > Opening shared files as a client
 
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.
To open a shared file as a client:
1. Choose File menu > Open Remote.
The Launch Center opens to the Hosts tab. If hosts aren’t displayed, click Show/hide hosts list button in the Hosts tab. Favorite hosts appear first in the list.
In the search box above the hosts list, type a few characters of the host name, or scroll the hosts list.
2. To see the files available from a host, click the host name.
To view files in a list, click List button in Hosts tab. To view files as tiles, click Tiles icon in Hosts tab.
To edit the host, see "To add and edit favorite hosts," below.
3. Select the file you want to open, then click Open (or double-click the filename).
Note  You can select a custom icon to represent a file in the Launch Center. See Setting file options.
To open a shared file as a client using a network file path
1. In the Launch Center, click the Hosts tab, then click Action menu button and choose Network File Path.
2. For Network File Path, enter the address and filename of the shared file in this format:
fmnet:/address/filename
For example:
an IPv4 address: fmnet:/192.168.10.0/My Addresses
an IPv6 address: fmnet:/[2001:0DB8:85A3:08D3:1319:8A2E:0370:7334]/My Addresses
a DNS name: fmnet:/host.domain.com/My Addresses
Note that fmnet:/ uses a single slash.
3. Click OK.
To add and edit favorite hosts:
1. In the Launch Center, click the Hosts tab, then do one of the following:
To add a host as a favorite, click Add Favorite Host button to display the Add Favorite Host dialog box.
To edit an existing favorite host, select the host. Click Action menu button, then choose Edit Favorite Host to display the Edit Favorite Host dialog box.
2. In the 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. (optional) For Favorite Host’s Name, type a name for the host.
If you don’t enter a name, only the host’s Internet address is displayed in the Launch Center in the Hosts tab.
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 remove a favorite host:
1. In the Launch Center, click the Hosts tab.
2. Click Host icon with favorite next to the host name.
To specify an LDAP server:
1. In the Launch Center, click the Hosts tab.
2. Click Action menu button, then choose Configure LDAP.
3. 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 enter the IP address of the server in one of these 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.) Select Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) if your LDAP server supports a secure connection.
Search base
Enter an LDAP host search base string.
4. Windows: In the Login Settings area, select or clear Use Windows Authentication. Then:
If you select this option, choose Log in as current user, or choose Log in using account, then type your account name, password, and domain name.
If you clear this option, choose Log in anonymously, or choose Log in using account and type your account name and password.
5. Click OK.
Notes 
When a file you are opening is hosted, you may see a lock icon that indicates the security level of the connection to the host. See About the security lock icons.
When opening a shared file that uses an OAuth identity provider for authentication, use the host’s fully qualified domain name (for example, host.domain.com). Using the host name that appears automatically in the hosts list in the Launch Center may not work under some circumstances.
Related topics 
Working with favorite files and hosts
Setting permitted hosts preferences