Question

How to Best Share QuickBooks Company File in 2 Locations

Asked by: buckstaff

We have 3 quickbooks company files used between 3 people.  We have 2 accountants that need to use the company file while away from the office, as well as a secretary at our office.  All 3 people have high speed 768kupstream/7mbit downstream broadband.

What is the best way to share the company file so we can all edit it at the same time?

1.  Using LogMeIn/VNC?
2.  Using RDP?
3.  Other?

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Asked On
2008-01-16 at 07:16:41ID23087143
Tags

Intuit

,

QuickBooks

,

Pro

,

Networking 2 Locations

Topics

Quickbooks Financial Software

,

Miscellaneous Networking

,

Remote Desktop/Terminal Services

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: ryansotoPosted on 2008-01-16 at 07:24:09ID: 20672612

Set up a terminal server so they can all rdp to it (if this isnt done already)
Then when they log in they will have the option to choose which company file to use.
Of course you will need to load quickbooks on the machine they rdp into

 

by: buckstaffPosted on 2008-01-16 at 07:58:37ID: 20672957

Can Quickbooks Pro 2008 be RDP'd to, or would they need the enterprise edition?

Do I have to have Windows Server 2003 to run a terminal server, or can I do it with Windows XP Pro?

 

by: ryansotoPosted on 2008-01-16 at 08:05:48ID: 20673030

You need to have 2003 to run terminal server.
As far as versions go it really doesnt matter.  Which ever version will support more than one user at a time, which I believe both version do.  Enterprise just allows more users and has more features.

QB works a couple of ways.  You can load the files (and where the company files are stored on one machine) then load the client (the front end that connects to the backend machine) on the terminal server.
Or you could load the entire application on the terminal server so when users log in they start the application and away they go.

 

by: RobWillPosted on 2008-01-16 at 08:57:21ID: 20673610

-QuickBooks 2008 pro and higher, has built-in remote access capabilities.
-Prior versions can be run on the terminal server but you have to modify permissions. Please advise if you wish to do so and we can provide the details.
-If only one user at a time or you have multiple PC's to which you can grant access, you can use remote desktop on an XP pro machine.

Performance with remote desktop/terminal services will be much better than LogMeIn, VNC or other applications.

If you are going to have multiple users connecting/using the same QuickBooks data file simultaneously, you need to have the Premier or Enterprise versions which allow multi-user mode. This is regardless of weather using terminal server or multiple workstations.

 

by: buckstaffPosted on 2008-01-16 at 10:38:52ID: 20674676

since there will only be 3 people involved, wouldn't it be silly to buy an expensive server, when I could just RDP to an XP Pro machine?

I'll find out how important multiuser access is.  Thanks guys

 

by: RobWillPosted on 2008-01-16 at 10:46:16ID: 20674735

If it is one user at a time, agreed, only an XP PRO workstation is necessary.

3 simultaneous users can use 3 workstations, might still be cheaper.

You could also make an XP like a terminal server using WinConnect Software. 3 users for $299
http://www.thinsoftinc.com/product_thin_client_winconnect_server_xp.aspx

Keep in mind all require XP pro, not home.

 

by: mdsmith52Posted on 2008-04-02 at 18:33:04ID: 21269122

i have qb 2008 premier (4 user) will not run under domain, workgroup ok

 

by: RobWillPosted on 2008-04-02 at 18:53:29ID: 21269195

Sorry I don't know what you mean by; "will not run under domain, workgroup ok". Most installations of QB 2005-2008 premier are running under domains.

 

by: mdsmith52Posted on 2008-04-02 at 19:35:58ID: 21269362

exactly, the machines directly logging into the domain are terribly slow running qb2008 and the one machine that attaches to the domain (workgroup) runs fast. that looks look like a dns issue, but all the other software on the pdc run at a normal speed qb 2008 dies on the secondary server.

 

by: RobWillPosted on 2008-04-02 at 19:41:08ID: 21269379

>>"the one machine that attaches to the domain (workgroup)"
Is it a domain, or is it a workgroup? They are two different configurations. Neither should affect QB performance.

We "talked" earlier about different remote connection scenarios, how are these users connecting to the data, localy, over a VPN, RDP, Terminal services???

 

by: RobWillPosted on 2008-04-08 at 11:24:35ID: 21308062

Thanks buckstaff.
Cheers !
--ob

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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