title: How to connect SQLPlus with tnsnames.ora
body: <p>I want to connect with my Oracle database <strong>without</strong> installing Oracle Client.</p>
  
  <p>I downloaded:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>"Instant Client Package - Basic" and </li>
  <li>"Instant Client Package - SQL*Plus"</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Then I created folder on <code>C:\Oracle\instantclient</code>, where I extracted all packages.</p>
  
  <p>I have been set <code>system environment</code> like:</p>
  
  <p><code>Path - C:\Oracle\instantclient
  NSL_LANG - with properly key
  ORACLE_HOME - C:\Oracle\instantclient
  ORACLE_SID - C:\Oracle\instantclient
  TNS_ADMIN - C:\Oracle\instantclient</code></p>
  
  <p>Then I created <code>tnsnames.ora</code> file with configuration in <code>C:\Oracle\instantclient</code></p>
  
  <p>and when I puted a command to cmd:</p>
  
  <p><code>sqlplus user/password @HOST</code></p>
  
  <p>I have a message like:</p>
  
  <p><code>ERROR:
  ORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error</code></p>
  
  <p>but when I tried like:</p>
  
  <p><code>sqlplus user/password@(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(Host=address to host)(Port=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=address to SID)))</code></p>
  
  <p>everything works properly. Why SQL have a problem with recognize tnsnames.ora file?</p>