How to Add/Edit records remotely

[Athar Khan]

In Microsoft Access, How can I Add or Edit records from my home computer to office computer WITHOUT paying hosting services. Please note that this is a single user Database.

One method is to edit and save the file offline and then sync/upload it online to Google Drive or Dropbox etc, but then I will have to download the updated file on other computer each time before working on it. Uploading and downloading a file (nearly 20 MBs) each time is annoying. And also there is a risk of data corruption while auto sync.

Any better solution please?

[kd2017]

Do you have admin rights to the computer, can install new software? What's the network like, have access to the router?

[John_G]

Is the office computer on a network? If so, is that office network accessible to the outside world, i.e. the internet, either by direct connection or dialup?
Where is the database - on a network drive, or on your own computer?

Can you give more precise information about the configuration?

[Athar Khan]

Thanks for your responses, here are the answers to the questions.

1) Yes, I am admin myself
2) Yes, I can install any software
3) Single PC is connected to the Internet through WiFi at office
4) Single PC is connected to the Internet through WiFi at home
5) Currently, Office or home computer is not connected to a Local Area Network (LAN)
6) Database is on my office computer
7) Database can also be copied in to home computer if necessary

[Micron]

Have you ruled out Citrix? This was how I used to connect to the actual network db from home.

[kd2017]

Can you use a different db like mysql? I don't know but there may be free hosts out there.

If not this is how I might approach it but maybe someone else has an easier way:
First thing you would probably want to do is sign up for a free dynamic dns service. I've successfully used noip.com. You will need to get this set up and working between your router and the service.
What the dyndns service does is relays a web address to your office's ip address, you set up the router to update the dyndns service everytime the router's ip address changes.

From here there are a lot of options to evaluate, a remote desktop session would probably be the easiest.
Other than that I would look into using MS sql server express or mysql or something instead of ms access. You would need to set up a server on your office computer to talk between your remote computer and the server. Are you familiar with other databases, web servers, php, python, ruby, etc?

[Athar Khan]

No, I don't know about Citrix, can you please tell me something about Citrix or send me a link

No, I am not familiar with other databases, web servers, php, python, ruby, etc

Do you mean Virtual PC by Remote Desktop session?

[kd2017]

Yes I did.

Probably forget I mentioned anything about other dbs, and servers. That's a whole other can of worms.

[Athar Khan]

I don't know but I think that remote desktop session or Citrix will consume more data then just uploading and downloading the file to Google Drive or Dropbox, am I right?

[ArviLaanemets]

I can work at my computer from home (p.e. not feeling well and minimizing contacts with coworkers). My computer at work is always working and connected to LAN. I have a SSL VPN software installed at my home computer, and I belong to user group at my work having access to LAN over VPN (our network guys are taking care of this part). I activate the connection at my home computer and log on into my workplace domain. Then I connect to my work computer over remote desktop connection, log in into my computer, and after that I can do anything on my work computer as usually (p.e. I can start remote desktop connection to our SQL server, and do there some programming, or run stored procedure, or whatever). When finished, I close remote desktop without logging out (so I can repeatedly connect when needed), and close VPN connection.

[Athar Khan]

Thanks ArviLaanemets, can you please send me the complete name or link of SSL VPN software, also can you please ask your network guys for me that how much MBs will be consumed for logging on and off and working for one hour on remote desktop connection?

[Micron]

Citrix will consume more data

Don't understand this. What network or terminal services type of software "consumes" data? Resources maybe...
Yes I could Google Citrix for you and post a link - or you could do your own research??
I was only a user of it, not an Admin sort. It worked fine, and suspect it's a better choice than a vpn (I have used that as well), but as I said, I'm no network admin.

[kd2017]

Don't understand this. What network or terminal services type of software "consumes" data? Resources maybe...
Yes I could Google Citrix for you and post a link - or you could do your own research??
I was only a user of it, not an Admin sort. It worked fine, and suspect it's a better choice than a vpn (I have used that as well), but as I said, I'm no network admin.

I poked around their website earlier when you posted and assumed it was a vpn, no? ... taking a second look it's comparing itself to a virtual machine??? Either way, it looks like it is a pay service.

[Micron]

I think it's more like terminal services than a vpn, but the window to access external networks runs on your desktop, and you can switch back and forth between the session and your local machine. Certainly it is licensed software. When you said you didn't want to pay for hosting, I didn't extend that to licensing for software since I presumed if your employer is OK with you working from home (probably unpaid) that they'd take care of that for you.

[ssanfu]

Just an FYI......

Thanks for your responses, here are the answers to the questions.

1) Yes, I am admin myself
2) Yes, I can install any software
3) Single PC is connected to the Internet through WiFi at office
4) Single PC is connected to the Internet through WiFi at home
5) Currently, Office or home computer is not connected to a Local Area Network (LAN)
6) Database is on my office computer
7) Database can also be copied in to home computer if necessary

If you are wanting to connect from HOME to the database at work and there is a WIFI connection involved,
you WILL corrupt your database - not a matter of IF, just WHEN.


See Using a wan with ms-access? How fast, how far?
http://www.kallal.ca/Wan/Wans.html