Allow remote connections to named instance

Aim: To allow remote connections to a SQL Server named instance. These steps are useful as a basic troubleshooting guide when you are experiencing problems connecting to a named instance from another computer.

1. Open SQL Server Services in SQL Server Configuration Manager & start the Browser if it is stopped.
   
   If the Browser is disabled, enable it via the Service tab in Properties by setting the Start Mode to Automatic or Manual.
   
2. In the Network Configuration section of SQL Server Configuration Manager, open Protocols for MyNamedInstance & enable TCP/IP. Note that the service must be stopped & restarted before the changes will take effect.
   
   
   In the TCP/IP properties, set the TCP port for IPAll to a suitable value & set the TCP Dynamic Port to blank (disabled). Again, you will receive a warning that the service must be stopped & restarted before the changes will take effect.
   
   In SQL Server Services, restart MyNamedInstance.
3. Open Windows Firewall With Advanced Security & create a new inbound rule for the TCP port set in step 2. Create a second inbound rule for UDP port 1434, which is the port that the SQL Server Browser listens on.
   
4. As an aside, if you are having difficulty connecting to the default instance, it’s worth checking that there is an inbound firewall rule for the default instance’s TCP port (usually 1433, unless it has been changed).