sql server replication: Hi all,

I could REALLY use a hand with this one.

Merge replication (DB authentication) over the internet using MSDE
Subscribers (on XP) and a SQL2000 sp4 Publisher on windows server 2003
(w no domain conroller). Current development environment is on my home
network.

The current problem is error 53 (network error, from what I have read).
It is specific to getting the initial snapshot (via ftp of course).
More details follow.

The replication process on the subscribers is kicked off by a desktop
application using the ActiveX libraries. I run the desktop app under a
user account on the subscriber that is the same username/password as
the account under which the DB and Agent run on the server as well as
the DB and Agent on the subscribers.

This has allowed me to replicate successfully with no domain user
account (while connected to my LAN, anyhow).

However, if I change to a dial-up account, and I change the
PublisherAddress to the external IP of the server, I cannot replicate,
and I get error 53.

This is only for getting the initial snapshot. If I grab the initial
snapshot using my LAN connection, it is successful. I can then switch
to my dial-up account (of course, changing the PublisherAddress to the
external IP of the server) and replicate no problem.

So, it is a problem with the snapshot only, and makes me think of
problems either with the FTP or with folder permissions on the server.

However, because I can browse the FTP folder over the dial-up
connection (FTP works), and because getting the initial snapshot DOES
work over the lan (which does use FTP for it, my logs show) I don't
think it's an FTP thing.

I've tried setting Server Aliases, to no avail.

Can anyone PLEASE help me troubleshoot this! I don't even know what
else to do, because I have so little information about this problem.

JJ

Oh, and just to add...

- The firewall ports 21 and 1433 ARE open and forwarded to the
publisher
- when getting the snapshot fails, no login is recorded in the FTP
server log (yes, anonymous access is enabled) so it seems that it's not
ever getting that far.

Sounds like a DNS problem to me.
Look for differences in your Dial-up connection and your LAN connection.
Try ftp in a browser window to check connectivity to the server.

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