Setting Up PhonePad for Remote Mode

Remote mode is used to connect to a PhonePad database installed on a remote server. However it can also be used to connect to a PhonePad database located on a local server. In both cases, a server application (DBServer) must be run on the server.

There are a few steps you need to go through to setup PhonePad for Remote mode connection.

Step 1 - Select Remote Mode

First of all, select Remote under Connection Mode.

RemoteMode

Step 2 - Configure the Remote Settings (Compression and Encryption)

Next, click on the Remote Settings button to set the Encryption and Compression options.

RemoteSettings

The Remote Settings window allows you to specify the amount of data compression you require. Compressing the data can speed up communications over the Internet. For a LAN, this should be set to 0. For the Internet, 6 is the optimum setting.

You can also encrypt all communications between the workstation and the PhonePad server by checking the Data Encryption checkbox. This provides security over Wide Area Networks and the Internet, and prevents anyone with a packet sniffer from capturing and viewing your data.

Step 3 - Specifying the Remote Connection Settings

Now the server details have to be set up. Click on the Server tab.

ServerSettings

Enter the Server Settings Automatically

The server settings can be added automatically by selecting the Announce button in the DBServer interface and then selecting the Listen for IP Announcement button in DBConnect.

1.	Open DBServer from the server or host computer's system tray.

2.	Select DBServer's Announce button (it should appear depressed). It will broadcast it's IP address and ports every 15 seconds.

Announce

3.	Select DBConnect's Listen for IP Announcement button.

Listen

4.	Within 15 seconds the IP address and port fields should be automatically completed, and the button will be unselected. A message will be displayed advising that the settings have been received.

ServerSettingsReceived

5.	Don't forget to unselect the Announce button in DBServer once all of the workstations have been setup.

You may need to configure your network to use this facility. If you have routers or bridges on your network (or software firewalls such as ZoneAlarm), you may need to open Port 12500 to allow UDP connections. If you find that the messages aren't being received by PhonePad users (remember, they have to be logged in to PhonePad), then the messages are being blocked somewhere.

Enter the Server Settings Manually

Server IP Address

You can check the server's IP address by running the server application (DBServer) on the computer that will be acting as the server for the PhonePad database. The IP address is displayed in DBServer's main window.

The small button next to the Server IP Address is the Ping button. It can be used to "ping" the host computer to find out if it can be "seen" from the current workstation. If it can't be seen then you will be unable to connect to DBServer.

Main Port

The main port is how PhonePad communicates with the server (DBServer). The default setting is 12005 - you should use this setting unless another application is already using this port.

Administration Port

The administration port is used by various PhonePad utilities to perform administration functions on the server (DBServer). The default setting is 12006 - you should use this setting unless another application is already using this port.

You need to perform these settings on each workstation that will be connecting in Remote mode.

Step 4 - Test the Server Connection

Click the Test Server button to test the connection between the workstation and the PhonePad server.

Server Configuration

In PhonePad 3, DBConnect was used to setup and configure the PhonePad Server. This is now done by the new ServerManager utility.