Software will not resolve IP Address/only windows share name

jtaylor753 · Post by **jtaylor753** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 1:42 pm

Hopefully you guys can help me navigate the config or point me in the right direction. We are using Medisoft V.17, we have a server and we connect using PC's/FatClients (no thin). All PC's run XP Pro and server runs 2003 x64 (not that this info is relevant to the issue but people always ask). Long story short: I have the server on my DMZ and rules set in the firewall so i can access the software from an external IP without the threat of someone accessing our internal network(basic concept of DMZ of course). And rules so that i can see the server from anywhere but the server cant see me or the internal network. That is the short version obviously but this all works fine, no problems. Here is my problem: the server is not on a "Windows managed network" so there is no DNS or name resolution from within the internal network to the server but you can navigate to the shared folders on the server using the IP address. So....when i open the Medisoft software and choose a path (\\192.168.1.1\medidata instead of \\servername\medidata) it will not work. If i put the server on the internal network then i can do this of course with no problems. Is there an .ini file or config file that i can work in to allow the software to resolve the IP address instead of just windows share names? I have never used Medisoft before and know nothing about it. I hope i explained this well enough and this makes sense, i don't always make sense, even in my own head.
Thanks for any advice you guys can offer!
Josh

Post by **Gavin Walker** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:44 pm

I think I see a couple of problems.

1. It sounds like you are trying to access Medisoft via a remote VPN. Unless you can get a 100 mbit connection across your Internet, this will not work. You will want to use Remote Desktop instead.

2. 192.168.1.1 is your internal IP address. If you are trying to make this work externally, you should use an external IP address. Use www.whatismyip.com to determine your external IP address.

jtaylor753 · Post by **jtaylor753** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:37 pm

First off, thanks for the fast response! Unfortunately these are not the issue. I am not using a VPN, i am connecting via RDP through an external IP and random port. The external IP address is strictly for this service, we have 50 external IP's and no need to do whatismyip.com because i know them all by heart. I'm sorry, I really should have left out the external info because it is not the issue, it is working perfectly. The issue is the Medisoft software not recognizing anything other than a windows share folder or something not on the local domain. The shared folder will not show up through "My Network Places" for example because it is on the DMZ and not on the actual internal network. But you can navigate to the shared folder from any computer as long as you do so with the IP(\\192.168.1.1\data) instead of the name(\\abcd\data). How do i make medisoft see the IP \\192.168.1.1\data? i know that it will work but only if someone knows the "background" files used to make the software work, i dont know what config files control this part of the software.

Post by **Gavin Walker** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:22 pm

OK, I think I see what is happening. As always, your Medisoft server will need a fixed IP address.

Now, delete or rename your existing MWDBList.adt file that is in the Medidata folder of the server. Now, press and hold F7 key while you restart Medisoft. You will be prompted for the Medidata root folder. Enter \\192.168.1.1\data. You will be prompted that the Medisoft Root Data does not exist. Click Yes to create it. Click Create New dataset and add your practice data folder to the list. You will be prompted that the data already exists, do you want to add it. Click Yes to add it. Click Create New dataset for each addition practice that you need to add.

jtaylor753 · Post by **jtaylor753** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:53 am

I see the MWDBList file, it is on the server. When i rename/delete the file what effect will it have on the other users? We have about 10 users logging in through RDP(straight to the server) to use the software?

Post by **Gavin Walker** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:28 pm

Those other users will also be accessing the data through \\192.168.1.1\data so the IP address needs to be local to them too.

As an alternative to that, you can edit the local Hosts file and specify servername = 192.168.1.1