Error: “Cannot Connect To SQL Server” When Trying To Connect Other Workstations

Issue:

“Cannot Connect To SQL Server”

Solution:

Verify or try the following steps to allow other workstations to connect to a SQL Server instance. Use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to test the connection between a workstation and SQL Server after each step below until the connection is successful.

1. Start Browser service. On the SQL Server machine start SQL Server Configuration Manager (All Programs | Microsoft SQL Server 2014 | Configuration Tools) and select SQL Server Services. If SQL Server Browser service is not running, right-click and choose Start.

2. Enable protocols. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, expand SQL Server Network Configuration, and then select the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to. Leave Shared Memory enabled. If not enabled, right-click TCP/IP and click Enable.

If you changed the status of any protocol, restart the database engine under SQL Server Services by right-clicking ‘SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)’ and choosing Restart.

3. Test TCP/IP connectivity. At the SQL Server machine, open a command prompt and enter the command ‘ipconfig’. Find the IPv4 address for the appropriate adapter. At another workstation, open a command prompt and enter the command ‘ping ipaddress’, where ipaddress is the IPv4 address of the SQL Server machine (e.g. ping 192.168.42.6) then repeat with the SQL Server machine’s name (e.g. ping notebook-19). The results of both commands should show packets successfully sent and received.

4. Set SQL Server Express to use static port. In SQL Server Configuration Manager expand SQL Server Network Configuration, and then select the instance of SQL Server. Double-click TCP/IP protocol.