Knowledge Base FAQ Item #7750010

Q7750010: Which database driver do you recommend to use with Microsoft SQL Server?

It is strongly recommended to use the Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server (MSOLEDBSQL). This provider will be updated by Microsoft with the most recent server features going forward. It also supports encryption standards, whereas other Microsoft providers don't. ActiveXperts fully supports MSOLEDBSQL.
To install the MSOLEDBSQL driver (if not installed yet), see FAQ #7750020.

In ActiveXperts Network Monitor version 2022 and lower, ActiveXperts recommended the 'SQL Server Native Client (SNAC)' driver, which was available from SQL Server 2005. However, 'SQL Server Native Client (SNAC)' has been removed from SQL Server 2022 (16.x) and SQL Server Management Studio 19 (SSMS). The driver can still be used, but is not recommended.

The legacy Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server (SQLOLEDB) can also be used, but is not recommended either. It isn't maintained anymore by Microsoft and it is not suitable to use with encryption and the latest encryption standards.

To see how a typical MS SQL Server based connection string would look like, see FAQ #7750024.