Checklist for troubleshooting user connectivity problem?

I posted something about this a few days ago, but no luck.
It's getting posted again with a different wrapper in hopes of catching the
attention of somebody who knows connectivity.
The dilemma is this:
---
1) I rebuilt my PC a few weeks ago, reinstalling SQL Server-Developer Version in
the process.
2) An app that I've been developing is now giving me trouble when trying to open
up an ADO connection to it's SQL Server back end.
3) ODBC connections to the DB in question work fine, no problems...same User/PW
as the attempted ADO connection.
4) I can get to the DB via Query Analyzer using the same User/PW with no
problem.
5) The error message reads: "Server does not exist or access denied."
6) The DB definately exists because of items 3 & 4.
7) I think the User/PW is ok, also because of items 3 & 4.
8) The only protocol installed it TCP/IP.
9) The same connection string worked against the same DB before the rebuild. I
didn't want to post the string - thinking that it might confuse the issue by
misleading somebody into thinking there was some problem with it... but it seems
inevitable that somebody will want to see it, so here it is:
Provider=SQLOLEDB;SERVER=SAG;DATABASE=TRETS;UID=Trets;PWD=trets
Again, the string is unchanged from the time it was working. Exactly the same,
precisely the same...
10) The text of the error message is "Server does not exist or access denied."
11) If I change the "Provider=" in the connection string to "Provider=Melvyn", a
different error message pops whose verbage explicitly says the provider was not
found...so I'm guessing that the Provider=SQLOLEDB is alive and well.
---
Seems like that leaves something to do with ADO talking to the server...but
what.
Talked to the client today...to discuss a change they want made...
SO: I'm getting desperate...
Suggestons would be nice - but the main thing I'm trolling for there is some
sort of checklist for debugging connectivity problems. I'm guessing somebody
somewhere at Microsoft has developed such a thing but where?
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PeteCresswell| 10) The text of the error message is "Server does not exist or access
denied."
--
Try this:
INF: Potential Causes of the "SQL Server Does Not Exist or Access Denied"
Error Message
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328306
Hope this helps,
--
Eric Cárdenas
SQL Server support|||RE/
>INF: Potential Causes of the "SQL Server Does Not Exist or Access Denied"
>Error Message
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328306
>Hope this helps,
Thanks. It led me right to the problem.
Norton Personal Firewall...Turn it off, problem goes away. Turn it back on,
problem resurfaces. (KB article 319432)...
Now I just have to figure out how to determine the IP address and TCP/IP port
number that my SQL Server is using and config the firewall accordingly...
For now, I just disconnect from the internet and turn the firewall off.
That was a loooooong week...
--
PeteCresswell|||| >INF: Potential Causes of the "SQL Server Does Not Exist or Access
Denied"
| >Error Message
| >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=328306
| >
|
| Thanks. It led me right to the problem.
|
| Norton Personal Firewall...Turn it off, problem goes away. Turn it
back on,
| problem resurfaces. (KB article 319432)...
|
| Now I just have to figure out how to determine the IP address and TCP/IP
port
| number that my SQL Server is using and config the firewall accordingly...
|
| For now, I just disconnect from the internet and turn the firewall off.
--
Hi Pete,
You can "ping" the SQL Server machine to determine the IP address. The
default TCP port for SQL Server is 1433.
Hope this helps,
--
Eric Cárdenas
SQL Server support|||RE/
>You can "ping" the SQL Server machine to determine the IP address. The
>default TCP port for SQL Server is 1433.
Thanks. I think there's something more going on there though. Haven't really
*read* the articles yet, but the picture I get from a quick scan is that there's
some other entity out there - or at least the server looks like something else -
when the initial contact to validate the user/pw occurs.
When I tried it against the firewall, the offender was "LocalHost", with what
looks like a port number ("2323") and a TCP/IP address of 127.0.0.1.
I just have to find some time and dig into it a little more...
--
PeteCresswell