How to enable odbc connnections in new sql server setup? Fresh server 2012 R2 Essentials install, trying to get SQL Server Express to accept ODBC connections. My database is setup and I have all of my data populated, but now I am trying to get my reporting software to connect to the database and am not sure how to get the server to allow incoming connections.
By default when Express Edition is installed the TCP/IP protocol is disabled. You need to go into SQL Server Configuration Manager and enable that protocol.