title: SQL Server 2008 R2 Unable to connect remotely
body: <p>Please help, I have been working on this for days.</p>
  
  <p>I am trying to connect to my database in Visual Studio 2010 using the named instance by </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>123.123.123.123/instanceName</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>however, i encounter the </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>error provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 – Could not open a connection to SQL Server </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I have enabled the following:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>open Port 80, 1433, 1434 on router</li>
  <li>allow Port 80, 1433, 1434 through Firewall (UDP, TCP)</li>
  <li>allow Program Sqlsvr.exe, SqlBrowser.exe through Firewall</li>
  <li>server server (instanceName), SQL Server Browser, Named Pipes, TCP/IP</li>
  <li>enabled Remote Connection in SQL Server Management</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I have followed the guide in <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc646023.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc646023.aspx</a></p>
  
  <p>What is it that I am missing? Any ideas?</p>