Connect to SQL Server through IP address

Question

I\'m developing tools using vb.net framework 4, and I need to connect to company server through IP address, so staff will be able to use the apps from home.

I have t

Answer 1

Right idea, you just overelaborated.

If the SQL Server is the default instance on that computer, you can just specify it as:

Data Source=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

If it's a named instance, specify it as

Data Source=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\INSTANCENAME

For SQL Express instances, it is generally:

Data Source=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\SQLEXPRESS

If there're multiple instances running on the same server, you may need to leave the SQL Browser Service running (it is generally disabled by default).

There is a fantastic web resource out there at http://www.connectionstrings.com. They provide the syntax and options for connecting to just about any kind of server database that's out there.

Also, when working through SQL connectivity problems, it's always helpful to turn off your firewall on the server machine until you have everything worked out, and then re-enable it and work through the firewall issues afterwards. It just makes life more difficult when you're trying to address multiple potential issues all at once.