Well the title pretty much says it all.

I would like to transition and single user excel form into a multi-user form shared on about 5 computers. The actual Excel file itself is completely basic, and simple enough to merely include information with no real formulas or calculations.

What I would like to do is make the file (which is a simple dispatch) readable & editable on multiple computers simultaneously while being saved on only 1 computer. I would like the main dispatch computer to act in essence like a server. Employees can access the dispatch, make changes, and have it update in real time. I know real time is asking for a bit much but I thought it would be worth a shot. Even if it needs to be refreshed periodically to update itself with the master file, that would be fine too.

My goal is to avoid having multiple versions of dispatch with varying information. This may be more of a network question, but I will also somehow need to circumvent each computers firewalls(i think this is whats blocking me from accessing the file even as just a "read only"). There was never a proper network setup and we all work in one "Workgroup", but there aren't any common guidelines for folder permissions etc...

All in all I'm working on a cobbled together network with varying permissions, different AV/FW programs (PC Cillin. McAfee, Norton), and an undenyable sense of disorganization. I need to streamline and centralize some key information. All the computers belong to the company but everyone is allowed there own way of using them.

Any help / advise would be greatly appreciated.