How can I connect my SSMS client to a remote SQL Server 2008 R2 instance using SQL browser AND with Windows firewall enabled?
I find that that with the firewall turned off, I can connect fine (without specifying the instance name). Now when I turn the firewall (domain profile) back on, my connection attempts time out. So, to begin my troubleshooting, I created an 'AnyAny' firewall rule however it still failed with a timeout error.
Naturally I can connect fine either way (firewall turned on/off) when I specify the instance name and port. SQL browser is running and listening on UDP 1433. SQL Server is running Windows 2008 R2.
What is getting blocked? And why won't a custom 'AnyAny' rule bypass it?
The information on this SQLCAT blog might be helpful to you. By default, the SQL Browser service runs on UDP port 1434. If you have a firewall configured on your SQL server, you should open up port 1434 for inbound connections from SSMS.
If you need help setting remote connections to your SQL Server, this guide is spot on.