I can't connect to my servers SQL database via an IP Address

Your SQL Server is installed as named instance, so first of all try connecting to your server using the following server name: IP Address\SQLEXPRESS.
When you install SQL Server as named instance it uses dynamic TCP/IP ports by default, so it is not possible to connect to it whitout specifying instance name (just IP address). If you need to connect to your server without using instance name you have to reconfigure your server to use static TCP port. To do it please perform the following:

  1. open SQL Server Configuration Manager;
  2. switch to the SQL Server Network Configuration | Protocols for SQLEXPRESS;
  3. double-click the TCP/IP protocol;
  4. select the Yes value in the Enabled field;
  5. switch to the IP Addresses tab;
  6. find the IPAll section;
  7. clear the TCP Dynamic Ports field in that section;
  8. specify the 1433 value in the TCP Port field:
    enter image description here
  9. restart your server
    Try to connect to your server using just its IP address.

Using SQL Server Express 2017, in addition to the answers above, when trying to connect using the port, ensure you use the comma syntax, not the colon syntax i.e:

 MyServerName,1433\InstanceName

After wrestling with the above for a couple hours, following all of the suggestions, and it still not connecting, I used the above instead, and it connected right away through the SQL Server Management Studio remotely. A first step to success.


You should enable , following for me the issue solved by enabling following and restarting all service.

  • Shared Memory
  • TCP/IP
  • Named Pipes

SQL Server Configuration Named Pipes