QB Network Issues? Use the QuickBooks Connection Diagnostic Tool

There are times where troubleshooting a client’s QuickBooks Multi-User Mode connectivity problems can be a real rat’s nest.

This little tool is _extremely_ helpful in providing feedback on where things are broken.

• QuickBooks Connection Diagnostic Tool

Note that an e-mail address and an agreement to the Terms & Conditions for the tool will be required before gaining access to the download.

Once the tool is downloaded and the install routine is complete, an icon for the tool will be placed on the desktop.

Make sure to elevate when running the tool by right clicking on the icon and left clicking on Run As Administrator. Otherwise:

Once the tool loads, we see the following GUI:

Click the Browse button under the Test connectivity section to navigate to the network located QuickBooks company file.

Click the Test Connectivity button and a series of tests will be run to verify that the tool can connect to the file and subsequently open it in shared mode.

Given that QuickBooks requires a database TSR on the server to manage database connections to the company file, any firewall exceptions that need to be made on SBS 2008 or Windows Server 2008 and up will show up as a failed to connect error.

• Intuit QuickBooks Support: What do these mean?.

We do the following to make sure that the QuickBooks database management setup has exceptions in the SBS 2008 or Windows Server 2008 Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.

We add the following port exceptions on the server (click to see the full shot):

• Program Allow: QBCFMonitorService.exe
• Program Allow: QBDBMgrN.exe

Be mindful that any updates to the two QuickBooks service on the server may break the rules. A recycle of the services after an update plus a test connection via client based QuickBooks in Multi-User mode will confirm that things are working as they should.

The QuickBooks Connection Diagnostic Tool can do the same without needing any QB logon or password information.

Caveat: The tool will only work if QuickBooks is installed on the machine or VM being used to test the connection!

Further reading:

• Intuit QuickBooks Support: 403317 - QuickBooks programs that require access through a firewall
• Note that only the above

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer