Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host

Hey Dev, are you facing issues with SQL Server browser? Is it giving you an error message that says something like “Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host”? Do not worry, in this journal article, we will guide you through everything you need to know to fix this error.

What is SQL Server Browser?

Before we dive into the error, let us first understand what SQL Server Browser is. SQL Server Browser is a Windows Service that runs on the server that hosts your SQL Server. It helps clients to locate and connect to your SQL Server instances. It listens on a specific UDP port for requests from clients, and when a client requests an instance, it responds with the appropriate information.

Why is SQL Server Browser important?

SQL Server Browser is essential because it allows your clients to connect to your SQL Server instances without having to know the instance name or port number. It also helps clients to connect to named instances of SQL Server running on the same computer as the SQL Server Browser service.

Now that we have understood what SQL Server Browser is and why it is essential, let us move on to the error message that you may encounter while working with it.

Error: Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host

The error message “Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host” is usually encountered when the client fails to connect to the SQL Server Browser service. The error can occur due to several reasons, such as the service not running, blocked by firewalls, or incorrect configuration.

Common Causes of the Error

The most common causes of the “Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host” error are:

How to Fix the Error

Here are some steps that you can follow to fix the “Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host” error:

Step 1: Check if SQL Server Browser Service is Running

The first step is to verify if the SQL Server Browser service is running or not. You can do this by following the below steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type “services.msc”, and then click OK.
3. In the Services window, locate the SQL Server Browser service.
4. Check if the service status is “Running”. If it is not running, right-click the service, click Start, and then click OK.

Step 2: Check if the Firewall is Blocking SQL Server Browser Service

If the SQL Server Browser service is running correctly, the next step is to check if the firewall is blocking the service.

To verify if the firewall is blocking SQL Server Browser, you can follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type “firewall.cpl”, and then click OK.
3. In the Windows Firewall window, click on “Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall”.
4. Check if SQL Server Browser is listed. If not, click on the “Change settings” button and then click on “Allow another app”.
5. In the “Add an app” window, click on “Browse”.
6. Navigate to the SQL Server Browser executable file (sqlbrowser.exe) location and select it.
7. Click on “Add” and then click on “OK”.

Step 3: Verify SQL Server Browser Configuration

If the SQL Server Browser service is running, and it is not blocked by the firewall, the next step is to verify the SQL Server Browser configuration.

To verify the SQL Server Browser configuration, you can follow these steps:

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Expand the “SQL Server Network Configuration” section.
3. Click on “Protocols for SQL Server Browser”.
4. Verify that “Enabled” is set to “Yes”.
5. Verify that “Listen All” is set to “Yes”.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SQL Server Browser Port Number?

The SQL Server Browser service listens on UDP port 1434.

Can I disable SQL Server Browser?

SQL Server Browser is not required if you are using the default SQL Server instance. If you are using named instances, you need to keep SQL Server Browser running.

Can I change the SQL Server Browser Port Number?

You can change the SQL Server Browser port number by modifying the registry.

How do I troubleshoot SQL Server Browser?

To troubleshoot SQL Server Browser, you can use SQL Server Configuration Manager to check the status of the service and the configuration. You can also use SQL Server Profiler to track client requests and server responses.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed what SQL Server Browser is, why it is essential, and the error “Unable to Get Instances from SQL Server Browser on Host”. We have also provided you with steps to fix the error and answered some frequently asked questions.

We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.