Block ping in Windows Server 2008 R2 - windows-server-2008

I have deployed my Asp.Net web application on Windows Server 2008 R2 , and I want to block all ping requests to this server without effecting my application .
Thanks in advance

Go to Start → Administrative Tools → Windows Firewall with Advanced Security → Inbound Rules → File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request – ICMPv4-IN) → right click and select Enable Rule.
My application now works fine and when I try to ping my server I do not receive any response.

Using the solution provided by Satinder, you should further refine the scope of which computer/server and/or IP range(s) can Ping your server.
That way, the public can't ping your server but maybe you or certain computer on your network can get to it in case you need a quick check on connectivity.

Related

MSDTC on server 'MSERVER1-PC\SQLEXPRESS' is unavailable

I have 2 linked SQL servers, Both are SQL Server 2012 Express Edition.
I was executing insert statement into a table of connected SQL Server and it was working perfect until now. I have changed nothing. but now it gives me the following error message.
MSDTC on server 'MSERVER1-PC\SQLEXPRESS' is unavailable.
I have "Distributed Transaction Coordinator" service enabled. have tried restarting it and tried all options but all in vein.
In Component Services under Distributed Transaction Coordinator, In Local DTC, I have enabled Network DTC Access. Allow Inbound and Allow Outbound are checked. Network DTC Access is checked.
Have tried almost everything but all in vein.
Any idea...
To enable MSDTC on the business management server that is running on Windows Server 2008 click Start, Run, type dcomcnfg and then click OK to open Component Services.
In the console tree, click to expand Component Services, click to expand
Computers, click to expand My Computer, and click to expand Distributed Transaction Coordinator.
Right click Local DTC, and click Properties to display the Local DTC Properties dialog box.
Switch to the Security tab.
In the Security Settings section, click Network DTC Access.
In the Client and Administration section, select Allow Remote Clients and Allow Remote Administration.
In the Transaction Manager Communication section, select Allow Inbound and Allow Outbound.
In the Transaction Manager Communication section, select Mutual Authentication Required (if all remote machines are running Windows Server 2003 SP1 or Windows XP SP2 or higher), select Incoming Caller Authentication Required (if running MSDTC in a cluster), or select No Authentication Required if some of the remote machines are pre-Windows Server 2003 SP1 or pre-Windows XP SP2. No Authentication Required is the recommended selection.
Select Enable XA Transactions, and then click OK.
Repeat steps 1 through 9 on the other Web servers.
Use DTCPing.exe to validate the connection between the Web server and the computer that is running SQL Server or an SQL cluster depending on your configuration. To obtain the DTCPing.exe tool, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=72166.
For more information about how to troubleshoot
I also tried all the above settings to no avail. But the good old engineering principle works for me "If something is broken try restarting the machine".
In my case the problem was not MSDTC server either. I had to disable "Enable Promotion of Distributed Transaction" option under Linked Server properties -> Server Options.

Unable to start the Transact-SQL debugger, could not connect to the database engine instance

I have been trying to run debugging within SQl server management studio and for some reason the debugger has just stopped working.
This is the message I get:
Unable to start the Transact-SQL debugger, could not connect to the
database engine instance 'server-sql'. Make sure you have enabled the
debugging firewall exceptions and are using a login that is a member
of the sysadmin fixed server role. The RPC server is unavailable.
Before this I get two messages, one requesting firewall permissions and the next says 'usage' with some text that makes little sense.
I have looked at the other similar answers on there for the same message which suggest adding the login as a sysadmin but that is already set. I also tried adding sysadmin to another account but that also didn't work.
In the end I was able to start it by right clicking and selecting run as administrator.
I encountered this issue while connected to SQL using a SQL Server Authenticated user. Once I tried using a Windows Authenticated user I was able to debug without issue. That user must also be assigned the sysadmin role.
This happened to me and I could not find the resolution anywhere. My firewall is disabled so I knew that couldn't be the issue.
According to Microsoft: Configure firewall rules before running the TSQL Debugger:
The server needs to communicate back to the client via RPC. The
account under which SQL Server service is running should have
authenticate permissions to the client.
We had a group policy that was preventing this:
Deny access to this computer from the network (Local account, Guests)
In order to resolve the issue, I had to add the SQL Server service account to the local group "Remote Desktop Users" on my desktop. Hope this helps someone else resolve this frustrating issue.
I try with the following steps, but it did not work (maybe because I'm on a PC in a office and I don't have control of the firewall). But you can try the following.
Check the users role:
IF IS_SRVROLEMEMBER ('sysadmin') = 1
print 'Current user''s login is a member of the sysadmin role'
Follow these instructions:
configure the transact-SQL Debugger
Run SQL Server Management Standard Edition 64 bits (with SQL Server Account)
In my case, I received this error message:
Unable to start the Transact-SQL debugger, could not connect to the computer "local".
I end up close the existing connection, then reconnect to my local SQL server using IP 127.0.0.1 and it works.
What helped me, was from here:
SQL Server Management Studio must be running under a Windows account that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server roll.
The Database Engine Query Editor window must be connected by using
either a Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication login
that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.
So, I've added sysadmin role to my windows account and run ssms as administrator. Debugger started working normally.
In addition to above works, what make our 2 computers remote debug able, was running: (right click on Window's Start button)
System--> Advanced System Properties-->Computer Name-->Click on Network ID... button
and running that wizard to join workgroup on both computers.
I found this solution by looking at my Windows' Event Viewer and looking for a solution to errors with NetBT Source, that is related to workgroup and computer Name.
Update: after some days, it stop working again.
I had the same problem and double checked al recommended settings. At some point I disabled the firewall on the database server and it worked like a charm. By enabling and checking the Firewall log I noticed this entry:
2019-10-31 16:07:50 DROP TCP 192.168.xxx.xxx 192.168.xxx.xxx 65231 61214 52 S 56576751 0 8192 - - - RECEIVE
When I allowed TCP port 61214 (Inbound rule) and switched the firewall back on, it worked. I don't know why this port is needed, maybe some here on SO?
Anyway, maybe the firewall log can be of help too.
Struggled through many hours and got the answer
You can do the configuration through this doc
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/scripting/configure-firewall-rules-before-running-the-tsql-debugger?view=sql-server-ver15
(1) 2 settings need to done on the remote server where Sql server is installed
(2) 1 setting at client computer (i.e) our computer

Cannot connect to remote SQL server

A client of mine gave me a server name which is fully qualified [servername].somedomain.net
to try to connect to their SQL Server instance over VPN.
So I tried, using the username and password they gave me. No luck. I can ping it but cannot connect, I get the error that the username and password is incorrect.
So I log onto the actual server, verify that my login is in security and has rights and it appears there. Workgroup\mylogin and it appears that workgroup\ actually is the same as somedomain.net\mylogin. Because when I try to add somedomain.net\mylogin, it resorts to saying that it's already added which is workgroup\mylogin.
Not sure what else to check here. I gave myself sysadmin role in SQL Server. I can ping the server's IP.
I looked at how they are authenticating me and they have my user in SQL Server set up to use Windows Auth. Well, the error I get is that it cannot trust cross domain when trying to use windows auth when I try to connect locally here in my management studio. I'm connected tot their VPN so what could be the problem?
They're not available right now to try to troubleshoot it and I'm just curious what else I might try to try and resolve this on my own if I can.
Basically, when you failed to connect to your SQL Server, the issue could be:
Network issue,
SQL Server configuration issue.
Firewall issue
Client driver issue
Application configuration issue.
Authentication and logon issue.
Step 1: Network issue
You might be able to make local connection without a working network, but that's a special case. For remote connection, a stable network is required. The first thing to trouble shoot SQL connectivity issues is to make sure the network we rely on is workable and stable. Please run the following commands:
ping -a (use -4 and -6 for IPv4 and IPv6 specifically)
ping -a
nslookup (type your local and remote machine name and IP address multiple times)
Be careful to see any mismatch on the returned results. If you are not able to ping your target machine, it has high chance that either the network is broken or the target machine is not running. It's possible the target machine is behind a firewall and the firewall blocks the packets sent by ping, though. Windows firewall does not block ping (ECHO) packet by default. The correctness of DNS configuration on the network is vital to SQL connection. Wrong DNS entry could cause of all sorts of connectivity issue later. See this link for example, "Cannot Generate SSPI Context" error message, Poisoned DNS.
Step 2: SQL Server configuration issue
You need to make sure the target SQL Server is running and is listening on appropriate protocols. You can use SQL Server Configuration Manager (SCM) to enable protocols on the server machine. SQL Server supports Shared Memory, Named Pipes, and TCP protocols (and VIA which needs special hardware and is rarely used). For remote connection, NP and/or TCP protocols must be enabled. Once you enabled protocols in SCM, please make sure restart the SQL Server.
You can open errorlog file to see if the server is successfully listening on any of the protocol. The location of errorlog file is usually under:
%ProgramFile%Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQLxx.xxx/MSSQL/Log
If the target SQL instance is a named instance, you also need to make sure SQL Browser is running on the target machine. If you are not able to access the remote SQL Server, please ask your admin to make sure all these happen.
Step 3: Firewall issue
A firewall on the SQL Server machine (or anywhere between client and server) could block SQL connection request. An easy way to isolate if this is a firewall issue is to turn off firewall for a short time if you can. Long term solution is to put exception for SQL Server and SQL Browser.
For NP protocol, please make sure file sharing is in firewall exception list. Both file sharing and NP use SMB protocol underneath.
For TCP protocol, you need put the TCP port on which the SQL Server listens on into exception.
For SQL Browser, please put UDP port 1434 into exception.
Meanwhile, you can put sqlservr.exe and sqlbrowser.exe into exception as well, but this is not recommended. IPSec between machines that we are not trusted could also block some packets. Note that firewall should never be an issue for local connections.
Step 4: Client driver issue
At this stage, you can test your connection using some tools. The tests need to be done on client machine for sure.
First try:
telnet
You should be able to telnet to the SQL server TCP port if TCP is enabled. Otherwise, go back to check steps 1-3. Then, use OSQL, SQLCMD, and SQL Management Studio to test sql connections. If you don't have those tools, please download SQL Express from Microsoft and you can get those tools for free.
OSQL (the one shipped with SQL Server 2000) uses MDAC.
OSQL (the one shipped with SQL Server 2005 & 2008) uses SNAC ODBC.
SQLCMD (shipped with SQL Server 2005 & 2008) uses SNAC OLEDB.
SQL Management Studio (shipped with SQL Server 2005 & 2008) uses SQLClient.
Possilbe command use be:
osql -E -SYour_target_machine\Your_instance for Windows Auth
osql -Uyour_user -SYour_target_machine\Your_instance for SQL Auth
SQLCMD also applies here. In addition, you can use “-Stcp:Your_target_machine, Tcp_port” for TCP, “-Snp:Your_target_machine\Your_instance” for NP, and “-Slpc:Your_target_machine\Your_instance” for Shared Memory. You would know if it fails for all protocols or just some specific procotols.
At this stage, you should not see general error message such as error 26 and error 40 anymore. If you are using NP and you still see error 40 (Named Pipes Provider: Could not open a connection to SQL Server), please try the following steps:
a) Open a file share on your server machine.
b) Run “net view \your_target_machine” and “net use \your_target_machine\your_share” (You can try Map Network Drive from Windows Explorer as well)
If you get failure in b), it's very likely you have OS/Network configuration issue, which is not SQL Server specific. Please search on internet to resolve this issue first.
You can try connection using both Windows Authentication and SQL Authentication. If the tests with all tools failed, there is a good chance that steps 1-3 were not set correctly, unless the failure is logon-related then you can look at step 6.
If you succeeds with some of the tools, but fails with other tools, it's probably a driver issue. You can post a question on our forum and give us the details.
You can also use “\windows\system32\odbcad32.exe” (which ships with Windows) to test connection by adding new DSN for various drivers, but that's for ODBC only.
Step 5: Application issue
If you succeed with steps 1-4 but still see failure in your application, it's likely a configuration issue in your application. Think about couple of possible issues here.
a) Is your application running under the same account with the account you did tests in step 4? If not, you might want to try testing in step 4 under that account or change to a workable service account for your application if possible.
b) Which SQL driver does your app use?
c) What's your connection string? Is the connection string compatible to your driver? Please check http://www.connectionstrings.com/ for reference.
Step 6: Authentication and logon issue
This is probably the most difficult part for sql connectivity issues. It's often related to the configuration on your network, your OS and your SQL Server database. There is no simple solution for this, and we have to solve it case by case. There are already several blogs in sql_protocols talking about some special cases and you can check them see if any of them applies to your case. Apart from that, things to keep in mind:
a) If you use SQL auth, mixed authentication must be enabled. Check this page for reference http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms188670.aspx
b) Make sure your login account has access permission on the database you used during login ("Initial Catalog" in OLEDB).
c) Check the eventlog on your system see if there is more information
Reference: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sql_protocols/archive/2008/04/30/steps-to-troubleshoot-connectivity-issues.aspx
Sorry for this wall of text, i hope that something from here can help you solve your issue!
Regards.
If you want to access that server you are going to need a domain account from that domain or use SQL authentication. I would recommend just using SQL authentication - it's a lot more straight forward - if they allow it.
I had the same problem, other machines could connect to sql server but one computer was not connecting and displaying the error "a network related or instance specific error...", the problem was solved when I changed the network protocol in the login window of SSMS, in advanced options from TCP/IP to Named Pipes. Please see the below screenshots.
Please note that you should be on the same domain, and your credentials should be valid on the server.

Unable to connect to SQL Express "Error: 26-Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)

I am at an loose end with one particular box that is running SQL Server 2008 R2 Express.
Windows Firewall is configured to allow inbound TCP & UDP 1433, 1434.
Windows Firewall is configured to allow outbound TCP & UDP on any port.
No other software AV/FW is currently running.
When I try to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\sqlexpress, it times out with the following error:
TITLE: Connect to Server
Cannot connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\SQLEXPRESS.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)
I have checked that remote connections are allowed on the server.
I have confirmed TCP/IP is enabled and configured in SQL Server Configuration to allow connections on the external IP to 1433.
I have also used Wireshark from my local machine and I can see requests for 1433 UDP going to the remote server.
But using Wireshark on the remote server shows no inbound connection requests for 1433 UDP or anything from my external IP (with filtering to remote RDP from results).
This makes me think it is a firewall issue.
The server is hosted by an external company who have control over the PIX in front of our server.
I need to troubleshoot this as much as possible myself as the hosting company have no clue what they are doing.
I had a similar problem which was solved by going to the "SQL Server Configuration Manager" and making sure that the "SQL Server Browser" was configured to start automatically and was started.
I came across this solution in the answer of this forum post:
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqlexpress/thread/8cdc71eb-6929-4ae8-a5a8-c1f461bd61b4/
I hope this helps somebody out there.
press windows+R open RUN Window
services.msc
find SQL Server(SQLEXPRESS) right click on that and start the service
then check
Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager > SQL Server Services > In Right Side window show all the servers which may stop. If you are using "SQLEXPRESS" then ,
Right click on SQL Server(SQLEXPRESS) and start. After try to connect server... I had same problem but I resolved by these steps.
Here is a simple method to troubleshoot connection issues:
Create an empty file called test.udl using a text editor
Double click the file test.udl, then specify your connection properties
Hit the "Test Connection" button.
I recently encountered the same issue however I am using Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10041 and SQL Server 2014 (Advanced).
Follow the same advice from above:
In particular, my problem was that I did not enable the TCP/IP in Sql
Server Configuration Manager->SQL Server Network
Configuration->Protocols for SQLEXPRESS.
Once you open it, you have to go to the IP Addresses tab and for me,
changing IPAll to TCP port 1433 and deleting the TCP Dynamic Ports
value worked.
Follow the other steps to make sure 1433 is listening (Use netstat -an
to make sure 0.0.0.0:1433 is LISTENING.), and that you can telnet to
the port from the client machine.
Finally, I second the suggestion to remove the \SQLEXPRESS from the
connection.
AND ----> That last line is important! It looks like to be Windows 10 specific; remove \SQLEXPRESS from your connection string. What was frusting was that SQL Management Studio connects just fine using either connection string (full or short), however Visual Studio only accepted the connection string without the \SQLEXPRESS.
The active firewall on the server might be causing this. You can try to (temporarily) turn it off and see if it resolves the issue.
If it is indeed caused by the firewall, you should allegedly be able to resolve it by adding an inbound rule for TCP port 1433 set to allowed, but I personally haven't been able to connect this way.
I had a Same Problem but i solved by Restarting the browser service in SQL CONFIGURATION MANAGER and removing \SQLEXPRESS from the instance name in the connection window.
It's security all about. Make sure you have double check your firewall (windows and anti virus) in some cases when you disabled av firewall and restart your computer, automatically windows firewall is active and it's still block your application. Hope this is helpful ..
Could you post the connection string you're using that's giving you trouble?
You might need to add the port number to the Data Source value, as omitting it can also produce SQL Error 26.
E.g.: Data Source=ServerHostName\SQLServerInstanceName,1433
If you have done anything but in spite of all couldn't connecting?!!
In my case i have changed connection part splitting port "," instead of this ":"
The corresponding TCP port or pipe name is not specified in the connection string (such as Srv1\SQL2008, 1433).
This issue also confused me a few days, after the IT guy changed some security settings on the SQL Server.
I have an EntityFramework for the Web application and for a desktop application.
After I changed some settings on the SQL Server, the Web application comeback to work, but the desktop still facing issue. But I used the same connection string for both applications, it make no sense one is working but the other doesn't.
Then I searched a lot until I found someone saying here it is needed to add port number 1433 after the $ServerName\$DatabaseInstanceName,1433.
After I added it, the exception became:
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Login failed for user
'domain\name-PC$'
Then I found this link. It says to add Trusted_Connection=False;.
The whole connection string should be like:
data source=XXXXX\SQLSERVER,1433;initial catalog=XXXDB;user id=UserID;password=PWD;Trusted_Connection=False;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;
Hope this answer will help the ones out off Generic exception:
Error: 26-Error Locating Server/Instance Specified
Have you Disabled the VIA setting in the SQL configuration manager? If not, do disable it first (if VIA is enabled, you cannot get connected) and yes TCP must be enabled. Give it a try and it should be working fine.
Make the changes only for that's particular instance name.
Cheers!
I found this url to be very useful:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/2cdcab2e-ea49-4fd5-b2b8-13824ab4619b/help-server-not-listening-on-1433
In particular, my problem was that I did not enable the TCP/IP in Sql Server Configuration Manager->SQL Server Network Configuration->Protocols for SQLEXPRESS.
Once you open it, you have to go to the IP Addresses tab and for me, changing IPAll to TCP port 1433 and deleting the TCP Dynamic Ports value worked.
Follow the other steps to make sure 1433 is listening (Use netstat -an to make sure 0.0.0.0:1433 is LISTENING.), and that you can telnet to the port from the client machine.
Finally, I second the suggestion to remove the \SQLEXPRESS from the connection.
EDIT: I should note I am using SQL Server 2014 Express.
This really Works .. i had verified lot of sites and finally got the answer
This may occurs when the master.mdf or the mastlog.ldf gets corrupt . In order to solve the issue goto the following path
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL , there you will find a folder ” Template Data ” , copy the master.mdf and mastlog.ldf and replace it in
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA folder .
Thats it . Now start the MS SQL service and you are done .
While there can be many reasons for this error - In my case it was pretty simple which I overlooked for a while. I was using server IP address along with instance name for Server as -
<add name="MyDBConnection"
connectionString="Persist Security Info=False;User ID=sa;Password=xxx;Database=MyDB;Server=nn.nn.n.nn\SQLInstance01; Connection Timeout=180" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
Correct connection string will look something like this (note this one doesn't have SQL Server instance name)
<add name="MyDBConnection"
connectionString="Persist Security Info=False;User ID=sa;Password=xxx;Database=MyDB;Server=nn.nn.n.nn; Connection Timeout=180" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
HTH.
In my case, I Installed SQL Express 2012 and the problem raise after I reboot my PC. I solved so:
I go to Services -> SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) and I see that was stopped. I started and It's say an login error.
In properties, Tab Log On, I change it to Local System account , then I can start the SQL service.
Then to test it, I go to SQL Server Management Studio and I connect to .\SQLEXPRESS and it works!
I had a similar problem which was solved by going to the "SQL Server Configuration Manager" and making sure that the "SQL Server Browser" was configured to start automatically and was started.
it works for me
I got a similar problem with sql server , I have tried every thing but does not connect to database engine & it shows error:26.
First check if the database engine is running or not. by going into
configuration manager. start > sql server >sql server configuration
manager. On the right pane you should see the sql server (mss .. )
should be running state with a green indication.
IF the database engine is not running, simply uninstall sql
server / format your system if possible and then download sql
server 2012 and management studio. from
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=29062
Install server first, make sure to add server on installation phase
by clicking add server and then install management studio.
All you need to do is to go to the control panel > Computer Management > Services
and manually start the SQL express or SQL server.
It worked for me.
Good luck.

How to connect to SQL Server from another computer?

I want to connect from home using SQL Server 2005 to another PC.
I had a look on the msd...but before connecting it says I should connect to another computer
using the computer management and it didn't work out....I can only connect to computers from my workgroup?
Thanks,
Luisa
Disclamer
This is just some additional information that might help anyone. I want to make it abundantly clear that what I am describing here is possibly:
A. not 100% correct and
B. not safe in terms of network security.
I am not a DBA, but every time I find myself setting up a SQL Server (Express or Full) for testing or what not I run into the connectivity issue. The solution I am describing is more for the person who is just trying to get their job done - consult someone who is knowledgeable in this field when setting up a production server.
For SQL Server 2008 R2 this is what I end up doing:
Make sure everything is squared away like in this
tutorial which is the same tutorial posted above as a solution by "Dani" as the selected answer to this question.
Check and/or set, your firewall settings for the computer that is hosting the SQL Server. If you are using a Windows Server 2008 R2 then use the Server Manager, go to Configuration and then look at "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". If you are using Windows 7 then go to Control Panel and search for "Firewall" click on "Allow a program through Windows Firewall".
Create an inbound rule for port TCP 1433 - allow the connection
Create an outbound rule for port TCP 1433 - allow the connection
When you are finished with the firewall settings you are going to want to check one more thing. Open up the "SQL Server Configuration Manager" locate: SQL Server Network Configuration - Protocols for SQLEXPRESS (or equivalent) - TCP/IP
Double click on TCP/IP
Click on the IP Addresses tab
Under IP1 set the TCP Port to 1433 if it hasn't been already
Under IP All set the TCP Port to 1433 if it hasn't been already
Restart SQL Server and SQL Browser (do both just to be on the safe side)
Usually after I do what I mentioned above I don't have a problem anymore. Here is a screenshot of what to look for - for that last step:
Again, if someone with more information about this topic sees a red flag please correct me.
If you want to connect to SQL server remotly you need to use a software - like Sql Server Management studio.
The computers doesn't need to be on the same network - but they must be able to connect each other using a communication protocol like tcp/ip, and the server must be set up to support incoming connection of the type you choose.
if you want to connect to another computer (to browse files ?) you use other tools, and not sql server (you can map a drive and access it through there ect...)
To Enable SQL connection using tcp/ip read this article:
For Sql Express: express
For Sql 2008: 2008
Make sure you enable access through the machine firewall as well.
You might need to install either SSMS or Toad on the machine your using to connect to the server. both you can download from their's company web site.
all of above answers would help you but you have to add three ports in the firewall of PC on which SQL Server is installed.
Add new TCP Local port in Windows firewall at port no. 1434
Add new program for SQL Server and select sql server.exe
Path: C:\ProgramFiles\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe
Add new program for SQL Browser and select sqlbrowser.exe
Path: C:\ProgramFiles\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe
I'll edit my previous answer based on further info supplied. You can clearely ping the remote computer as you can use terminal services.
I've a feeling that port 1433 is being blocked by a firewall, hence your trouble. See TCP Ports Needed for Communication to SQL Server Through a Firewall by Microsoft.
Try using this application to ping your servers ip address and port 1433.
tcping your.server.ip.address 1433
And see if you get a "Port is open" response from tcping.
Ok, next to try is to check SQL Server. RDP onto the SQL Server computer. Start SSMS. Connect to the database. In object explorer (usually docked on the left) right click on the server and click properties.
alt text http://www.hicrest.net/server_prop_menu.jpg
Goto the Connections settings and make sure "Allow remote connections to this server" is ticket.
alt text http://www.hicrest.net/server_properties.jpg
Here is the link ... You must read it.