May I use SqlHelper Class in VB.NET if Oracle is the database?

Question

I am using SqlHelper in my application. It's working properly if using SQL Server as the database. But it's not working in Oracle.

It shows:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)

How do I solve it?

Answer 1

You should use the System.Data.OracleClient library to connect with Oracle databases in .NET. SQL helper is specifically designed for use with SQL Server.

Answer 2

You need to use the Oracle Data Provider for .NET, since SqlHelper is only for SQL Server. As far as I know, Microsoft has been recommending using Oracle's .NET data provider rather than the built-in System.Data.OracleClient. Based on our tests here, the Oracle driver beats Microsoft's Oracle driver hands down.