Error remotely connecting to SQL Server Express

I've been trying to configure remote connections to my sql server express to no avail.

First here are some constants to clear some things up:
- OS: Windows XP Pro
- SQL Express version: April CTP release
- Windows Firewall: disabled (to avoid any problems there)
- Network type: two computers connected a router.
- Router firewall: Enabled (I may be wrong but the router firewall only blocks external traffic, so I left it on.)

First, I configured my SQL server to allow remote connections in the SQL Surface Area Configuration. (Set it to both TCP/IP and named pipes)

Second, I enabled and configured sql server browser.

Third, I enabled TCP/IP and named pipes in the 'Protocols for SQL Express' option of the SQL Server Configuration Manager.

According to http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress/archive/2005/05/05/415084.aspx
I have done everything I need to (including edit the registry to enable the SQL Server Browser service) and the error I continue to get is:

"An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)"

So I tinkered and had no success in messing with anything that would fix it. Although, ***when I browsed for network servers on different machine, the server instance DID show up in the list***. So I find it odd that it can find the instance when browsing, but fails to 'find' it when making a connection.

So I didn't stop there, I decided to try the non-sql server browser method of remotely connecting: specifying the IP.

I went back to the blog of instructions referenced above and re-did the steps, this time specifying a TCP Port for the server instance and then after specifying the port on the remote computer connection string, and attempting to connect, I get this error:

"An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: TCP Provider, error: 0 - A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 10060)"

I've done all I know how, read all the possible blogs I can, and nothing's come up. If anyone can shed some light on me, I'd pay you 1 billion pretend dollars. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

First of all, why are you using a CTP version of SQL Server Express ?

What is your connection string / with which application are you trying to connect ?

Is SQL Server Browser started on the server ?

Jens K. Suessmeyer

http://www.sqlserver2005.de