How to open Smart Firewall port 1433 for SQL Server

Norton 360 for Windows
1

I have SQL Server running on my Windows 11 PC and want to connect from other computers on my local network.

Last time I did this a few years ago it was simple, but now Smart Firewall has a bunch of default SQL Server rules and it’s not clear which is relevant.

Product & version number: Norton 360 for Windows 26.6.11052 (build 26.6.11052.0)

OS details:Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457

2

I think the problem was that SQL Server wasn’t accepting TCP connections. After I did the following it worked. Maybe one of Norton’s default rules had the wrong port, 443 instead of 1433, at this point I’m not sure.

Enable TCP/IP Protocol and Port

  1. Press Win + R, type SQLServerManager14.msc (the manager for SQL Server 2017), and press Enter.
  2. Expand SQL Server Network Configuration in the left sidebar.
  3. Click Protocols for [YourInstanceName] (e.g., Protocols for MSSQLSERVER or Protocols for SQLEXPRESS).
  4. Right-click TCP/IP in the right-hand pane and choose Enable.
  5. Right-click TCP/IP again and select Properties.
  6. Switch to the IP Addresses tab and scroll down to the IPAll section.
  7. Clear any value in TCP Dynamic Ports and type 1433 into the TCP Port field.
  8. Click Apply and then OK. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Enable Mixed Mode Authentication & Logins

  1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

  2. Right-click your server instance name in the Object Explorer and select Properties.

  3. Go to the Security page in the left pane.

  4. Under Server authentication, select SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode. Click OK.

  5. Expand Security → Logins in your Object Explorer.

  6. Right-click the login you want to use (e.g., sa) and select Properties.

  7. Go to the Status page.

  8. Under Login, select Enabled.

  9. Restart the Service

Your configurations will not apply until the service is manually cycled. [1]

  1. Go back to the SQL Server Configuration Manager.
  2. Click SQL Server Services in the left pane.
  3. Right-click your SQL Server ([Instance Name]) service in the main window.
  4. Click Restart. [1, 2, 3, 4]
1 Like
3

Thanks for the detailed resolution post. Glad you figured out what settings to adjust.

Norton is generally aimed at home users that would not be setting up an SQL Server. So advanced users like yourself often have to do a little investigation to get things working correctly.