title: Configuring SQL Native Client ODBC on the client computer?
body: <p>We have an application where our clients are connecting to a SQL Server 2005 database - via a SQL Native Client ODBC data source. We are having some difficulties with the ODBC connection getting severed during program execution. After questioning a tech support person, he said that he had seen this type of error before, but they fixed the issue by configuring the clients to connect using Named Pipes (primarily), rather than TCP/IP.</p>
  
  <p>So I did some research and found where to configure client access on the server - via the SQL Server Configuration Manager. However, there does not appear to be a way to configure the SQL Native Client ODBC data source on the client machine itself. The older SQL Server ODBC driver did allow you to configure it to use Named Pipes, or TCP/IP, but the SQL Native Client does not. </p>
  
  <p>Does the SQL Native Client data source automatically decided which method to use to connect to the database? Is there a way to configure it?…and is there a way to find out which method a particular client machine is using to connect?</p>
  
  <p>Any help would be appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>--Thanks
  Mike C.</p>