Unable to access SQL Database for Get data in Power BI Lab

Question

Unable to access SQL Database for Get data in Power BI Lab

Kennedy Davis 0

I am having trouble connecting to the SQL database in the first Lab. To complete the Get data in Power BI Lab, I must have access to SQL Server. I keep getting an error message when I try to open SQL Server in Power BI. I get this error message

"Details: "Microsoft SQL: 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: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)".

Erland Sommarskog 136.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-07T19:40:41.69+00:00

The error message means that you were not able to reach the SQL Server instance you specified. There can be any number of reasons for this, including misspelling of server and instance names.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about these labs, so I cannot give any help which is specific to your situation. All I can do is that you double-check the instructions and make sure that you have type all names and addresses correctly.

Answer accepted by question author

Julian Sharp 38,661

If you are referring to https://microsoftlearning.github.io/PL-300-Microsoft-Power-BI-Data-Analyst/Instructions/Labs/01-get-data-in-power-bi.html [Note: It helps if you provide a reference so we don't have to guess] and you are doing the lab o your own computer and not in an offiical lab environment then you also need to follow the steps in https://microsoftlearning.github.io/PL-300-Microsoft-Power-BI-Data-Analyst/Instructions/Labs/00-setup.html and install SQL Server and import the database yourself.

Note: These labs are designed for instructor-led courses with a managed environment, not for individuals.

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Your answer

Erland Sommarskog 136.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-07T19:40:41.69+00:00

The error message means that you were not able to reach the SQL Server instance you specified. There can be any number of reasons for this, including misspelling of server and instance names.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about these labs, so I cannot give any help which is specific to your situation. All I can do is that you double-check the instructions and make sure that you have type all names and addresses correctly.

Answer 1

This error means Power BI cannot reach the SQL Server instance specified for the lab. The most common causes in this scenario are an incorrect server or instance name, SQL Server not running, TCP/IP not enabled, an incorrect client alias, or a firewall blocking the SQL port.

Use this troubleshooting path:

Verify the server name in Power BI.
- For a default instance, use <computer name> or localhost if the lab expects a local instance.
- For a named instance, use <computer name>\<instance name>.
- If the instance uses a non-default port, try <servername>,<portnumber>.
Test whether SQL Server is reachable locally on the machine running SQL Server.
- Open SQL Server Management Studio.
- In Connect > Database Engine, use Windows Authentication.
- Try the server name as either:
  - default instance: <computer name>
  - named instance: <computer name>\<instance name>
- If local connection fails, resolve that first before troubleshooting Power BI.
If this is a named instance, verify that SQL Server Browser is running.
- Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
- Locate SQL Server Browser and confirm it is started.
- This step is required for named instances, not default instances.
Enable TCP/IP on the client side if Power BI is falling back to Named Pipes.
- In SQL Server Configuration Manager, expand SQL Native Client <version> Configuration > Client Protocols.
- Make sure TCP/IP is enabled.
- Make sure TCP/IP has a higher priority than Named Pipes.
- Shared memory can remain first for local connections.
Check for an incorrect SQL alias on the client machine.
- In SQL Server Configuration Manager, expand SQL Server Native Client Configuration > Aliases.
- If an alias exists for the server, open its properties and verify the server name and port are correct.
- An incorrect alias can redirect Power BI to the wrong SQL Server.
Check firewall access.
- A default instance commonly listens on port 1433, but some installations use a different port.
- If the SQL instance is not on 1433, connect using <servername>,<portnumber>.
- If that works, update the connection in Power BI to use the server name with port.
- If it does not work, a firewall may be blocking the SQL port.
Test basic network/name resolution.
- If connecting by computer name fails but connecting by IP works, name resolution is the issue.
- In that case, use the IP address temporarily when connecting.

For Power BI lab environments specifically, some labs assume a local SQL Server instance is already available on localhost. If that instance is missing or not running, the lab connection will fail with this exact error.