ADO.NET Cookbook

1.6. Using an IP Address to Connect to SQL Server

Problem

You want to connect to a SQL Server using its IP address instead of its server name.

Solution

Use the Network Address and Network Library attributes of the connection string.

The sample code contains a single event handler:

Connect Button.Click

Creates and opens a connection to a SQL Server using its IP address. Information about the SQL Server is displayed from the properties of the SqlConnection object.

The C# code is shown in Example 1-5.

Example 1-5. File: ConnectSqlServerIpAddressForm.cs

// Namespaces, variables, and constants
using System;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

//  . . . 

private void connectButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
    String connString =
        "Network Library=dbmssocn;Network Address=127.0.0.1
;" +
        "Integrated security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=Northwind";
    
    SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connString);
    conn.Open( );

    // Return some information about the server.
    resultTextBox.Text =
        "ConnectionState = " + conn.State + Environment.NewLine +
        "DataSource = " + conn.DataSource + Environment.NewLine +
        "ServerVersion = " + conn.ServerVersion + Environment.NewLine;

    conn.Close( );

    resultTextBox.Text += "ConnectionState = " + conn.State;
}

Discussion

SQL Server network libraries are dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that perform network operations required for client computers and SQL Server computers to communicate. A server can monitor multiple libraries simultaneously; the only requirement is that each network ...