• Change Windows Firewall settings

  In order to allow users access to your shared database (shared database: A database that is shared out to other users. These users create their own local copy, which is periodically synchronized with the shared database.) from remote computers, you must allow a connection (called an exception) through the Windows Firewall. In addition, you must add File and Printer Sharing to your exception list.

   Note   You cannot share a Business Contact Manager database with users on another computer when the Don't allow exceptions check box is selected on the General tab of the Windows Firewall dialog box in the Microsoft Security Center. By default, exceptions are not allowed. When you change the firewall settings, Business Contact Manager for Outlook clears this check box automatically to allow users to access your shared database. Rarely, existing settings for Windows Firewall prevent this check box from being cleared automatically, and you may have to clear the Don't allow exceptions check box manually.

  By default, firewall exceptions are configured only for the local subnet (a number used with the IP address of a computer to divide a large network into smaller networks) that your computer belongs to. This allows only users and their computers that belong to your subnet to access your shared database.

  To allow a user on a computer that does not belong to your subnet to access your shared database, do the following:

  1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
  2. In Control Panel, click Windows Firewall.
  3. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.
  4. Click Microsoft Small Business, and then click Edit.
  5. Click Change Scope.
  6. Select one of the following options:
     • Click Custom List, and then enter one or more IP addresses, separated by commas.
     • Select Any computer (including those on the Internet).
  7. Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

  Additional Firewall Information

  If your computer uses a firewall other than the firewall that comes with Microsoft Windows (such as a firewall from a network router or virus scanner), and you share data with a computer that is outside your firewall, Business Contact Manager for Outlook may not be able to open the port needed for database sharing to work. If you have difficulty sharing your database with users outside your firewall, you must open TCP port 5356 before you can successfully share your database. For more information about how to open this port, see your firewall documentation.

  If you delete all your shared databases, the changes you made to your computer’s firewall and the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client network protocols when you chose to share your databases will still be in effect. If you want to restore your firewall and SQL Server Native Client network protocols to their prior settings, first stop sharing each database, and then delete the databases.

• Change File and Printer Sharing settings

  Rarely, Business Contact Manager for Outlook cannot automatically configure needed Windows Firewall settings. In this case, you must manually ensure that the File and Printer Sharing is selected as an allowed exception.

  Select the File and Printer Sharing check box.

  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. In Control Panel, click Windows Firewall.
  3. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.
  4. On the Exceptions tab, select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK .

• Change Simple File Sharing settings

  Simple File Sharing handles all remote users as Guest users. In order for you to control who has access to your database, you need to allow individual users access, and to do that, you must clear the Use simple file sharing check box.

  Clear the Simple File Sharing check box.

  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. In Control Panel, click Folder Options.
  3. In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab.
  4. On the View tab, clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
  5. Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

• Change Windows Firewall settings

  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. In Control Panel, click Windows Firewall.
  3. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, next to Windows Firewall is on, click Change settings.
  4. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.
  5. Click Microsoft Small Business, and then click Properties.

     The port number should be 5356.

  6. Click Change Scope.
  7. Select one of the following options:
     • Click Custom List, and then enter one or more IP addresses, separated by commas.
     • Click Any computer (including those on the Internet).

        Tip   Choose Any computer if other computers cannot connect to the shared database.

  8. Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

   Note   You cannot run Business Contact Manager for Outlook when the Don't allow exceptions check box is selected on the General tab of the Windows Firewall dialog box in the Microsoft Security Center. By default, exceptions are not allowed. When you change the firewall settings, Business Contact Manager for Outlook clears this check box automatically to allow users access to your shared database. Rarely, existing settings for Windows Firewall prevent this check box from being cleared automatically, and you may have to clear the Don't allow exceptions check box manually.

• Change File and Printer Sharing settings

  Rarely, Business Contact Manager for Outlook cannot automatically configure needed Windows Firewall settings. In this case, you must manually ensure that the File and Printer Sharing is selected as an allowed exception.

  Select the File and Printer Sharing check box.

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Windows Firewall.
  2. In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click Allow a program through Windows Firewall.
  3. On the Exceptions tab, select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK.

By default, when Business Contact Manager for Outlook installs SQL Server 2005, it is configured to restrict connections only to users on the local computer. The SQL Server configures the Business Contact Manager database to only allow users on the computer where the database is stored to connect to the database.

When the Business Contact Manager database is shared, Business Contact Manager for Outlook automatically activates networking support to allow users on other computers to connect to the shared database by enabling both the TCP/IP protocol and the named pipes protocol.

To manually activate networking support to allow users to connect to this database from a remote computer, complete the following procedure.

1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs.
2. Click Microsoft SQL Server 2005.
3. Click Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.
4. Click Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections.
5. On the View by Instance tab, click MSSMLBIZ, click Database Engine, and then click Remote Connections.
6. Click Local and remote connections, and then click Using both TCP/IP and named pipes.