Could not connect to SQL Server 2012 Remotely

Question

Hello, 
I have a situation as follows:
The Server
SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition installed on Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition
Active Directory is installed on the same server as well
Remote Access Role added and configured to connect VPN 
DNS Role added
Windows Firewall is disabled
The Server is connected to the internet 
SQL Server Service & SQL Browser both are running under domain accounts
SQL Server allows remote connections
The Router
The router that connects the server to the Internet is configured to:
Enable VPN Tunnels Protocols (PPTP, L2TP and IPSec)
Forwarding > Virtual Servers (all requests on TCP and UDP on all ports to the server local IP)
The Client
PC running Windows 7 SP1 with SQL Server 2012 Express 
Joined AD on the server
Connected to the internet
VPN Connected to the Server
Can Remote Desktop the Server
Can ping the server host name
Can nslookup the server host name
The Problem
If Both the Server and the Client are connected in the same Local Area Network, Client can connect to the SQL Serve
Once the Client is placed in different location connected to the Interent, VPN connected as described above, I could not connect to the Server using:
Windows Authentication Domain Users or
SQL Server users
and the error message is:
Cannot connect to SERVER\SQLINSTANCE.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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:
SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)
For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft%20SQL%20Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=-1&LinkId=20476
Any thoughts
Thanks in advance
 

Answer 1

Hello Hilary,
I have been working on a small replication test.
On the Publisher, things went smooth and the Snapshot Agent was able to work and produce a snapshot written in a shared folder located on the Publisher
On the Subscriber, as I am testing from SQL Server Express, I had run the following command:
replmerg.exe -Publisher [SERVER\SQLInstance] -PublisherDB [dbRepl] -PublisherSecurityMode 0 -PublisherLogin rplMergeAgent -PublisherPassword p@ssw0rd -Publication [TEST Publication] -Distributor [SERVER\SQLInstance] -DistributorSecurityMode 0 -DistributorLogin
rplMergeAgent -DistributorPassword p@ssw0rd -Subscriber [SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance] -SubscriberSecurityMode 0 -SubscriberLogin rplMergeAgent -SubscriberPassword p@ssw0rd -SubscriberDB [dbRepl] -SubscriptionType 1 -OutputVerboseLevel 2 -Output C:\TEMP\mergeagent.log 
Where 
SERVER
Publisher and Distributor
dbRepl
Database to replicate
Merge Agent
rplMergeAgent
Subscriber
SUBSCRIBER
dbRepl
Subscriber Database
Merge Agent
rplMergeAgent
Password
p@ssw0rd
rplMergeAgent
SQL Login defined in both Publisher and Subscriber with same password
Granted the following at Publisher:
Login to Publication Database (dbRepl)
Login to Distribution Database (distribution)
Member of PAL
Granted the following at Subscriber:
db_owner fixed database role in Subscription database (dbRepl)
I couldn't grant rplMergeAgent Read Permission on SnapshotFolder as it is only a SQL Login.
When I ran the above command line, I received the following error:
Message: The schema script 'Person_2.sch' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
I am pasting below the whole log file written by the above command:
2014-04-11 15:38:07.205 Microsoft SQL Server Merge Agent 11.0.2218.0
2014-04-11 15:38:07.342 Copyright (c) 2008 Microsoft Corporation
2014-04-11 15:38:07.389 
2014-04-11 15:38:07.406 The timestamps prepended to the output lines are expressed in terms of UTC time.
2014-04-11 15:38:07.433 User-specified agent parameter values:
-Publisher SERVER\SQLInstance
-PublisherDB dbRepl
-PublisherSecurityMode 0
-PublisherLogin rplMergeAgent
-PublisherPassword **********
-Publication TEST Publication
-Distributor SERVER\SQLInstance
-DistributorSecurityMode 0
-DistributorLogin rplMergeAgent
-DistributorPassword **********
-Subscriber SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance
-SubscriberSecurityMode 0
-SubscriberLogin rplMergeAgent
-SubscriberPassword **********
-SubscriberDB dbRepl
-SubscriptionType 1
-OutputVerboseLevel 2
-Output C:\TEMP\mergeagent.log
2014-04-11 15:38:07.497 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:38:07.517 Connecting to Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:38:07.518 Connecting to OLE DB Subscriber at datasource: 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance', location: '', catalog: 'dbRepl', providerstring: '' using provider 'SQLNCLI11'
2014-04-11 15:38:07.608 OLE DB Subscriber: SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 10.50.4000
catalog name: dbRepl
user name: rplMergeAgent
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:38:07.613 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': select SERVERPROPERTY ('ProductVersion') 
2014-04-11 15:38:07.617 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': set nocount on declare @dbname sysname select @dbname = db_name() declare @collation nvarchar(255) select @collation = convert(nvarchar(255), databasepropertyex(@dbname, N'COLLATION')) select
collationproperty(@collation, N'CODEPAGE') as 'CodePage', collationproperty(@collation, N'LCID') as 'LCID', collationproperty(@collation, N'COMPARISONSTYLE') as 'ComparisonStyle',cast(case when convert (int,databasepropertyex (@dbname,'comparisonstyle')) &
0x1 = 0x1 then 0 else 1 end as bit) as DB_CaseSensitive,cast(case when convert (int,serverproperty ('comparisonstyle')) & 0x1 = 0x1 then 0 else 1 end as bit) as Server_CaseSensitive set nocount off
2014-04-11 15:38:07.637 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {?=call sp_helpsubscription_properties (N'SERVER\SQLInstance', N'dbRepl', N'TEST Publication')}
2014-04-11 15:38:07.681 Distributor security mode: 0, login name: rplMergeAgent, password: ********.
2014-04-11 15:38:07.682 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:38:07.683 Connecting to Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:38:07.684 Connecting to OLE DB Distributor at datasource: 'SERVER\SQLInstance', location: '', catalog: '', providerstring: '' using provider 'SQLNCLI11'
2014-04-11 15:38:25.062 OLE DB Distributor: SERVER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 11.00.2100
catalog name: 
user name: guest
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:38:28.887 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': select SERVERPROPERTY ('ProductVersion') 
2014-04-11 15:38:29.842 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sp_helpdistpublisher (N'SERVER\SQLInstance') }
2014-04-11 15:38:32.198 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': select datasource, srvid from master..sysservers where upper(srvname) = upper(N'SERVER\SQLInstance')
2014-04-11 15:38:33.199 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sp_MShelp_merge_agentid (0,N'dbRepl',N'TEST Publication',null,N'dbRepl',100,N'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance')}
2014-04-11 15:38:34.451 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:34.560 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sp_MShelp_profile (23, 4, N'')}
2014-04-11 15:38:36.189 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:36.499 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_get_redirected_publisher(N'SERVER\SQLInstance',N'dbRepl',0)}
2014-04-11 15:38:37.396 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:38:37.396 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:37.399 Initializing
2014-04-11 15:38:37.401 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:37.403 Connecting to OLE DB Publisher at datasource: 'SERVER\SQLInstance', location: '', catalog: 'dbRepl', providerstring: '' using provider 'SQLNCLI11'
2014-04-11 15:38:38.427 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:38:38.428 Validating publisher
2014-04-11 15:38:38.429 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:39.455 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:38:39.456 Connecting to Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:38:39.457 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:38:46.548 OLE DB Publisher: SERVER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 11.00.2100
catalog name: dbRepl
user name: rplMergeAgent
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:38:50.282 OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance': set nocount on declare @dbname sysname select @dbname = db_name() declare @collation nvarchar(255) select @collation = convert(nvarchar(255), databasepropertyex(@dbname, N'COLLATION')) select collationproperty(@collation,
N'CODEPAGE') as 'CodePage', collationproperty(@collation, N'LCID') as 'LCID', collationproperty(@collation, N'COMPARISONSTYLE') as 'ComparisonStyle',cast(case when convert (int,databasepropertyex (@dbname,'comparisonstyle')) & 0x1 = 0x1 then 0 else 1 end
as bit) as DB_CaseSensitive,cast(case when convert (int,serverproperty ('comparisonstyle')) & 0x1 = 0x1 then 0 else 1 end as bit) as Server_CaseSensitive set nocount off
2014-04-11 15:38:57.393 OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance': select SERVERPROPERTY ('ProductVersion') 
2014-04-11 15:38:59.236 Connecting to OLE DB Publisher at datasource: 'SERVER\SQLInstance', location: '', catalog: 'dbRepl', providerstring: '' using provider 'SQLNCLI11'
2014-04-11 15:39:07.271 OLE DB Publisher: SERVER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 11.00.2100
catalog name: dbRepl
user name: rplMergeAgent
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:39:45.229 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:39:45.234 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:39:45.235 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:39:45.236 Retrieving publication information
2014-04-11 15:39:45.238 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:39:46.287 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:39:46.288 Retrieving subscription information.
2014-04-11 15:39:46.290 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:40:00.472 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:40:00.478 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:40:00.479 Applying the snapshot to the Subscriber
2014-04-11 15:40:00.480 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:40:02.535 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': select datasource, srvid from master..sysservers where upper(srvname) = upper(N'SERVER\SQLInstance')
2014-04-11 15:40:03.559 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_mergesubentry_indistdb (0,N'SERVER\SQLInstance',N'dbRepl',N'TEST Publication',N'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance',N'dbRepl',1,1,0,N'',?,90)}
2014-04-11 15:40:04.600 Connecting to OLE DB Subscriber at datasource: 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance', location: '', catalog: 'dbRepl', providerstring: '' using provider 'SQLNCLI11'
2014-04-11 15:40:04.609 OLE DB Subscriber: SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 10.50.4000
catalog name: dbRepl
user name: rplMergeAgent
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:40:04.611 OLE DB Subscriber: SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 10.50.4000
catalog name: dbRepl
user name: rplMergeAgent
API conformance: 0
SQL conformance: 0
transaction capable: 1
read only: F
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 0
owner usage: 15
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: 
max columns in table: 1000
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 131072
max statement len: 131072
max row size: 131072
2014-04-11 15:40:07.454 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': sp_MSacquiresnapshotdeliverysessionlock
2014-04-11 15:40:07.526 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': sp_MStrypurgingoldsnapshotdeliveryprogress
2014-04-11 15:40:07.530 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': sp_MSissnapshotitemapplied @snapshot_session_token = N'\\SERVER\Snapshot\unc\SERVER$SQLInstance_DBREPL_TEST PUBLICATION\20140411082109\', @snapshot_progress_token = N'\\SERVER\Snapshot\unc\SERVER$SQLInstance_DBREPL_TEST
PUBLICATION\20140411082109\Person_2.sch'
2014-04-11 15:40:24.659 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': sp_MSreleasesnapshotdeliverysessionlock
2014-04-11 15:40:24.663 The schema script 'Person_2.sch' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
2014-04-11 15:40:24.665 OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:40:24.690 Percent Complete: 18
2014-04-11 15:40:24.692 The schema script 'Person_2.sch' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
2014-04-11 15:40:24.693 OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance': {call sys.sp_MSadd_merge_history90 (?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}
2014-04-11 15:40:27.541 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:40:27.542 Category:NULL
Source:  Merge Replication Provider
Number:  -2147201001
Message: The schema script 'Person_2.sch' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
2014-04-11 15:40:28.563 Percent Complete: 0
2014-04-11 15:40:28.565 Category:AGENT
Source:  SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance
Number:  0
Message: The process could not read file '\\SERVER\Snapshot\unc\SERVER$SQLInstance_DBREPL_TEST PUBLICATION\20140411082109\Person_2.sch' due to OS error 1326.
2014-04-11 15:40:28.566 Disconnecting from OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.568 Disconnecting from OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.569 Disconnecting from OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.570 Disconnecting from OLE DB Subscriber 'SUBSCRIBER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.571 Disconnecting from OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.573 Disconnecting from OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.575 Disconnecting from OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.577 Disconnecting from OLE DB Publisher 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.578 Disconnecting from OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
2014-04-11 15:40:28.579 Disconnecting from OLE DB Distributor 'SERVER\SQLInstance'
I can say it is about how can the rplMergeAgent read the Shared folder.
What do you think?