Getting SQL Server 2008 Express to accept remote connections requires changes in both SQL Server itself and Windows Firewall. Here are the six steps needed on Windows 7.
Steps
1. Enable Remote Connections in SQL Server
Follow the standard procedure for enabling remote connections in SQL Server 2005/2008 — this is done through SQL Server Management Studio or SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Open TCP Port 1433 (Inbound & Outbound)
Add Windows Firewall rules for both inbound and outbound traffic on TCP port 1433 — this is the default SQL Server port.
3. Open UDP Port 1434 (Inbound & Outbound)
Add matching rules for UDP port 1434, which is used by the SQL Server Browser service for instance discovery.
4. Add sqlservr.exe Firewall Exception
Add inbound and outbound exceptions for the SQL Server executable. On 64-bit systems:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe5. Add sqlbrowser.exe Firewall Exception
Add inbound and outbound exceptions for the SQL Server Browser. On 64-bit installations:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe6. Restart the Machine
Restart Windows to ensure all firewall rule changes take effect.
After completing these steps, you should be able to connect to SQL Server from remote machines using the server’s IP address or hostname.