Default SQL Server Network Configuration

To enhance security, SQL Server disables network connectivity for some new installations. Network connectivity using TCP/IP is not disabled if you are using the Enterprise, Standard, or Workgroup edition or if a previous installation of SQL Server is present. For all installations, shared memory protocol is enabled to allow local connections to the server. The SQL Server Browser service might be stopped, depending on installation conditions and installation options.

Use the SQL Server Network Configuration node of SQL Server Configuration Manager to configure the network protocols after installation. Use the SQL Server Services node of SQL Server Configuration Manager to configure the SQL Server Browser service to start automatically.

Default Configuration

The following table describes the configuration after installation.

Edition

New installation vs. previous installation is present

Shared memory

TCP/IP

Named pipes

VIA

Datacenter

New installation

Enabled

Enabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

Enterprise

New installation

Enabled

Enabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

Standard

New installation

Enabled

Enabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

Workgroup

New installation

Enabled

Enabled

Disabled for network connections.1

Disabled

Developer

New installation

Enabled

Disabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

Evaluation

New installation

Enabled

Disabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

SQL Server Express

New installation

Enabled

Disabled

Disabled for network connections1

Disabled

All editions

Previous installation is present but is not being upgraded.

Same as new installation

Same as new installation

Same as new installation

Same as new install

All editions

Upgrade

Enabled

Settings from the previous installation are preserved.

Settings from the previous installation are preserved.

Disabled

1 When shared memory (a local named pipe) is enabled, local connections can connect to the instance by using the named pipes protocol. To connect to the default instance, use osql -E –S np:. as the connection string. To connect to a named instance, use osql -E -S \\.\pipe\MSSQL$<instance_name>\sql\query as the connection string.

Note

If the instance is running on a SQL Server failover cluster, it will listen on those ports on each IP address selected for SQL Server during SQL Server setup. To enable the network protocols, use SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Note

When you are installing SQL Server with command-prompt arguments, you can specify the protocols to enable by using the TCPENABLED and NPENABLED parameters. For more information, see How to: Install SQL Server 2008 R2 from the Command Prompt.

Note

The VIA protocol is deprecated. This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.

SQL Server Browser Settings

The SQL Server Browser service can be configured to start automatically during setup. The default is to start automatically under the following conditions:

  • When upgrading an installation.

  • When installing side-by-side with an instance of SQL Server 2008.

  • When installing on a cluster.

  • When installing a named instance of the Database Engine including all instances of SQL Server Express.

  • When installing a named instance of Analysis Services.