How to Enable Remote Connections in SQL Server 2005

The first time when I tried to make a remote connection, I got this error message.

"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 connection ...?"

By default, SQL Server 2005 doesn't allow remote connection so you have to enable it manually. If you try to connect to a remote SQL Server without enabling a remote connection first. This is a security precaution that prevents other computers from connecting to this instance of SQL Server before it has been properly secured. If you have successfully installed SQL Server 2005 and you want to allow other computers to be able to access your instance of database then you have to enable remote connection in your system.

Here we go step by step, on how to enable remote connection.

What is a Surface Area configuration tool?

1. Use the Surface Area Configuration Tool to enable remote connection. See in the snapshot how
   Microsoft SQL Server 2005 selectively installs and starts key services and features. This helps reduce the attackable surface area of a system. In the default configuration of new installations, many features are not enabled. A system administrator can change these defaults at installation time and also selectively enable or disable features of a running instance of SQL Server 2005.
     
2. Now click on the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections
   
3. Now click on SQLEXPRESS/Database Engine/RemoteConnections/ or MSSQLSERVER.
4. Now enable Local and remote connections
    

Hope it will help.