Hey everyone, I recently started a new job at a startup and developed a program to manage stock and customer data. My boss wants it to be accessible from anywhere, and since I've set it up to allow multiple users, I now need to figure out how to properly set up a server for it. We have a PC ready to run the server, but I'm unsure how to connect it so my program can be accessed from anywhere. Any advice on this?
4 Answers
It sounds like you might need some help from a network administrator. If you're having to set this up yourself, be prepared for a bit of a learning curve. Think about whether you want the server to be accessible through a standard URL or just an IP address. You'll also need to consider security aspects such as SSL, input sanitization, and how customer data is handled, especially with regulations like GDPR if you're in the EU. Honestly, for just a bit more than running your own PC as a server, you could get a VPS that's maintained for you, which might save you hassle in the long run.
Just to clarify: are you building a web app or a desktop application? That’ll shape your server setup a lot.
It's a desktop and Android application that I'm working on.
Have you thought about WAMP? It might be exactly what you need for your setup. Just keep in mind that while it's great for development, exposing any PC directly to the internet brings security concerns, so you'll want to research that well.
Yeah, I have some basics for security in place, but I’ll definitely dive deeper. Thanks for the tip on WAMP!
You might want to check out ngrok for a quick setup. It’s perfect if you need your application accessible remotely to a small team without a lot of hassle. Just remember it's best for testing rather than a long-term solution!
Thanks! I'll look into ngrok. Sounds like a good temporary solution.
I get what you're saying, but I can't really afford to hire someone right now. It's a tight budget, and I need something I can manage myself. If it helps, my application will likely send emails and relies on a database, plus it's half API based. I'm working on Windows and Android using MAUI.