Question

i would like to host an access backend database on my computer and allow remote connections. every client will have their own access front end. is this a common practice? what would the connection string look like? ip address/localhost ??

would it be better to have a mysql backend? i need it over the internet?

Answer 1

I explain in details how and why a WAN (wide area network over the internet) will not work with a JET based back end with ms-access. The following article thus explains some choices and workarounds:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html

In a nutshell when you open a access database, you are opening a windows file, like word, or Excel, or whatever. So, there not really a concept of a connection string and even really anything more then a concept of opening a file. I outline some solutions in the above article, and you are most free to continue to use Access as the front end (forms/reports/code) etc, but over the internet, you need to use different technology then that of a standard windows file open.