What is the safest way to set up SQL Server for remote access?

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I'd like to be able to make my dev database server accessible over the internet. I and half a dozen dev applications will be the only users. I have a hosting account that includes SQL Server, but I prefer to keep this for staging and production instances.

FYI My set-up at home is an HP ML server with a 60MB (reasonably fast upstream) cable connection to the net. I'm using an Apple Extreme wifi router. I have a sketchy understanding of what's required from doing some preliminary research. Opening ports on the router, perhaps running an SSH server and so on but I'm having some trouble putting it all together in a coherent, reasonably secure architecture and could really do with some pointers.

Thanks in advance.

5arx

Posted 2012-05-22T21:31:50.797

Reputation: 1 438

so is the dev sql server in your home and you want to make it available to YOU ONLY when your outside the home? Not totally clear when you say "I and half a dozen dev applications will be the only users". – Bret Fisher – 2012-05-23T06:15:02.230

Sorry I mean I'll be doing ad hoc stuff, data import etc. via Management Studio and I have some dev apps running (inside my home network) that would also be hitting the db server. Nothing else. – 5arx – 2012-05-23T08:29:49.410

Answers

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Without getting into the whole "most secure" debate, the short answer is to think about two things:

  1. Access control. You could use a VPN. I recommend Hamachi which then wouldn't require you to open any firewall ports.
  2. Encryption of communications. Solved by Hamachi as well.

Lots of other ways to do it, but the usual way (old school) would be to open the SQL port on your firewall and connect via IP (or use dyn.com for dynamic DNS name). This isn't near as secure as the Hamachi option.

Bret Fisher

Posted 2012-05-22T21:31:50.797

Reputation: 151

1Yeah, Hamachi is to VPN's like join.me is for remote desktop. The easiest possible way to do it. – djangofan – 2012-05-23T19:25:18.330

1I installed Hamachi and I haven't looked back. VPN is definitely the way to go esp. when it involves zero-configuration. Thanks very, very, very much for your suggestion. – 5arx – 2012-05-25T11:45:54.187

Asked: 2012-05-22T21:31:50.797

Viewed: 692 times

Active: 2012-08-28T05:27:00.677