I use QuickBase if it must be browser based, one wishes to move fast, no
infrastructure, and not needing web site.  But you won't have vb style
customization.  The reporting is ok, but somewhat simple but there is user
based security to segment users from data.

Obviously going ASP or PHP - with a full web server based solution is far
more robust/flexible but at a whole other magnitude of complexity and cost....

Actually, in the case of MS access databases, you do have to use a vpn.

Remember, when you open an MS access database file, even via ODBC, you're
still opening a standard windows file (if you look close at the odbc
connection string, you'll see a standard windows file name "path name" that
MUST resolve to standard windows file name sitting on the hard drive.

You would no more ask how to use PowerPoint over the Internet, then you
would ask how to open a mdb file over the internet.

a windows file is a windows file is a windows file

a horse is a horse is a horse

What this means is that no matter how you want to connect the database,
you're going to need to be able to see the file sitting in a folder on the
hard drive. I should specify that we should not be using the word "connect"
to the database, but you should be asking how can we OPEN a standard windows
file over the Internet (don't make me sing the horse song again). As I said
before, opening an excel file, or opening an access database is the same
process, and you need the windows file system to do this (and if a couple
people are in an office, then you need the windows networking system which
extends the file system over the network).

Right now about the only way I know to extend the windows file system and
networking system over the Internet is to setup and use a VPN. If you're
going to read data from a windows file, you're gonna need to see the file
and be able two open as plain Jane file. Once again, I can't stress that
you're simply opening a file sitting in a hard drive, and windows doesn't
care if it's PowerPoint, AutoCAD, or in this case MS access.

You could perhaps develop a web site that has some type of web services or
even just use http commands to shuffle data back and forth.

You could also consider writing some little socket program running on the
one computer on the server, and then have your client software on the
desktops connect via this little socket communications system you build. Of
course, now you're writing winsock code and creating a bunch of little other
issues you have to deal with.

On at the other hand, since SQL server is now free, there's really little
benefit here for you to attempt to roll your own system when it's been
written for you already. SQL server is a socket based connection system, and
is not a windows networking file based system (this is why you can so easily
use SQL server over the Internet).

There's also a number of other solutions that you could look into, and I
give some solutions on how to use MS access databases over the Internet here

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html