Using the server name will use the default connection protocol for the client. This can be called pipe or tcp / ip (MDAC version, update vs install, etc.).
The alias is configured to use TCPIP, which first protocol in the following order is shared memory
I assume that if the client alias is configured to use tcp, then the server is only configured to listen on named pipes, so it only works with the server name. Ultimately, the client will find named pipes in the list of protocols used.
To check, replace the server name with np: servername and tcp: servername to change the protocol without using an alias.
Or check that the server is listening and fixing it ...
- TCP- (, 1433) , 1433/1434.
SQL 2000