I installed SQL Server 2008 Express on all of my workstations at home this weekend to have a test environment to play with before my 70-453. I had never installed SQL Server across a workgroup before, so it was a learning experience.
Two of the workstations were Windows XP Professional and one was Windows Vista Home Premium. The installs were all fairly uneventful. Being SQL Express intalls, i used the SQLEXPRESS named instance. I opened up TCP port 1433 in Windows Firewall and enabled remote connections.
All set, right? No.
OK. Let’s check everything again.
- SQL Server Browser service running? Check
- Remote connections enabled? Check
- Exception for TCP port 1433? Check
All set, right? No.
Crap.
After a half hour of searching and five minutes of cursing I discover the SQL Server Browser service uses UDP port 1434. I added the exception and everything is hunky-dory.
~Ron
