Quickbooks multi-user requires NETBOIS names

This is a quick reminder for myself or anyone who is getting H202 errors or perhaps 6190 and 816 errors, the mapped drives on the remote computers need to refer to the server via NETBOIS name.  Oddly, the NETBIOS name was not resolving (pre-empted by the DNS server to an external address) for a setup I worked on.

My solution was to edit the HOSTS file to hardcode the NETBIOS name so the name could resolve.  This fixed my problem.

Quick big picture process for Quickbooks multi-user hosting.

1) make sure the Quickbooks database server is installed on the server (this is part of the installation of QuickBooks).
2) Share the folder that the QBW file is located (read and write)
3) Run Quickbooks Database Server on the host machine and scan the folder where the QBW file is located
4) On the other machines, map the share to a network drive using the NETBIOS name
5) Open the QBW file on any computer and put it in multiuser mode.

upgrading Quickbooks file to 2008

I've done two upgrades to Quickbooks 2008 from 2006. Both times, the QB file was on the network. In order to upgrade the file - you have to install QB 2008 on a machine and open then file. When I opened the file when it was located on the network, it gave me an error about permissions each time. Then I had to restore the QB file from backup. In short, in order to upgrade the file - I had to bring the file down local and open it there and then copy it back up to the network.