John,

Running FoxPro/xbase applications across a WAN begins to show the problems with traditional xbase type solutions. The trouble is that when an xbase application works with data you will find large data sets being transmitted across the WAN which will slow everything down as the app waits for the data to come across. Operations like setting indexes etc will take forever.

You did not say where the executable programs are located but I will assume that you have them located on the users local drive (running the exe across the WAN would be suicide).

The best option you have is to use something like SQL Server as a back end database engine and VFP using views. SQL Server will only send you the data requested and not the whole data file ala xbase. The key is to reduce the amount of network traffic on the WAN by reducing the amount of data being sent across the wire.