| title | description | author | ms.author | ms.date | ms.service | ms.subservice | ms.topic | helpviewer_keywords | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Logging In to SQL Server |
Find out about different ways of signing in to an instance of SQL Server. Learn which format to use for the server name in various environments. |
rwestMSFT |
randolphwest |
03/14/2017 |
sql |
configuration |
conceptual |
|
[!INCLUDE SQL Server]
You can log in to an instance of [!INCLUDEmsCoName] [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] by using any of the graphical administration tools or from a command prompt.
When you log in to an instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] by using a graphical administration tool such as [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull], you are prompted to supply the server name, a [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] login, and a password, if necessary. If you log in to [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] using Windows Authentication, you do not have to provide a SQL Server login each time you access an instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. Instead, [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] uses your [!INCLUDEmsCoName] Windows account to log you in automatically. If [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is running in mixed mode authentication ( [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] and Windows Authentication Mode), and you choose to log in using [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Authentication, you must provide a [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] login and password. When possible, use Windows Authentication.
Note
If you selected a case-sensitive collation when you installed [!INCLUDEssNoVersion], your [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] login is also case sensitive.
When connecting to an instance of the [!INCLUDEssDE], you must specify the name of the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. If the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is the default instance (an unnamed instance), then specify the name of the computer where [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is installed, or the IP address of the computer. If the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is a named instance (such as SQLEXPRESS), then specify the name of the computer where [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is installed, or the IP address of the computer, and add a slash and the instance name.
The following examples connect to an instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] running on a computer named APPHOST. When specifying a named instance, the examples use an instance name SQLEXPRESS.
Examples:
| Type of Instance | Entry for the server name |
|---|---|
| Connection to a default instance using the default protocol. | APPHOST |
| Connection to a named instance using the default protocol. | APPHOST\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance on the same computer using a period to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | . |
| Connection to a named instance on the same computer using a period to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | .\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance on the same computer using localhost to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | localhost |
| Connection to a named instance on the same computer using localhost to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | localhost\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance on the same computer using (local) to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | (local) |
| Connection to a named instance on the same computer using (local) to indicate that the instance is running on the local computer. | (local)\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance on the same computer forcing a shared memory connection. | lpc:APPHOST |
| Connection to a named instance on the same computer forcing a shared memory connection. | lpc:APPHOST\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance listening on TCP address 192.168.17.28 using an IP address. | 192.168.17.28 |
| Connection to a named instance listening on TCP address 192.168.17.28 using an IP address. | 192.168.17.28\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connection to a default instance that is not listening on the default TCP port, by specifying the port that is being used, in this case 2828. (Specifying a port number is not necessary if the [!INCLUDEssDE] is listening on the default port (1433).) | APPHOST,2828 |
| Connection to a named instance on a designated TCP port, in this case 2828. (Specifying a port number is often necessary if the [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Browser service is not running on the host computer.) | APPHOST,2828 |
| Connection to a default instance that is not listening on the default TCP port, by specifying both the IP address and the TCP port that is being used, in this case 2828. | 192.168.17.28,2828 |
| Connection to a named instance by specifying both the IP address and the TCP port that is being used, in this case 2828. | 192.168.17.28\SQLEXPRESS,2828 |
| Connecting to default instance by name, forcing a TCP connection. | tcp:APPHOST |
| Connecting to named instance by name, forcing a TCP connection. | tcp:APPHOST\SQLEXPRESS |
| Connecting to a default instance by specifying a named pipe name. | \\APPHOST\pipe\SQL\query |
| Connecting to a named instance by specifying a named pipe name. | \\APPHOST\pipe\MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS\SQL\query |
| Connecting to default instance by name, forcing a named pipes connection. | np:APPHOST |
| Connecting to named instance by name, forcing a named pipes connection. | np:APPHOST\SQLEXPRESS |
When connected to the [!INCLUDEssDE], the following query will return the protocol used for the current connection, along with the authentication method (NTLM or Kerberos), and will indicate if the connection is encrypted.
SELECT net_transport, auth_scheme, encrypt_option
FROM sys.dm_exec_connections
WHERE session_id = @@SPID; Log In to an Instance of SQL Server (Command Prompt)
The following resources can help you troubleshoot a connection problem.