Just been fighting with getting sql server express to allow remote connections, followed all the NB articles at microsoft to enable remote connections using the sql server surface configuration tool.
I opened the ports in our firewall, doing a netstat revealed no process listening on port 1433.
I looked at the event log for errors, didn't see any, then started going through the event log entries from sql server. I noticed one that stated that sql server was ready for connections on any ip on port 1117, this made no sense to me.
I opened the Sql Server Management tool, went to the Protocols for SQL Server express, then selected TCP and properties. the IP All section showed TCP Dynamic ports on 1117 and nothing on TCP Port, so on whim I added 1433 and voila, remote connections are now allowed. never had to do this before.
