title: Cannot connect to Informix from ASP.NET application
body: <p>I've installed the trial version of IBM Informix Dynamic Server 11.50 on my development laptop, for use with an ASP.NET 2.0 app I'm writing. I have created a couple databases and filled them with sample data but I cannot connect. This is the relevant section of code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Dim facStr As String = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("fact").ConnectionString  
  conn.ConnectionString = facStr
  Try
      conn.Open()
  Catch ex As Exception
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The exception is:</p>
  
  <p><strong>[Informix .NET provider][Informix]Server ol_srv_custom is not listed as a dbserver name in sqlhosts.</strong></p>
  
  <p>The full path to the sqlhosts file is:</p>
  
  <p><strong>C:\Archivos de programa\IBM\Informix\Client-SDK\etc\sqlhosts</strong></p>
  
  <p>Informix's environment variables:</p>
  
  <p><strong>INFORMIXSQLHOSTS=C:\Archivos de programa\IBM\Informix\Client-SDK\etc\sqlhosts</strong></p>
  
  <p>Contents of sqlhosts file:</p>
  
  <p><strong>ol_srv_custom olsoctcp *nb-desarrollo svc_custom</strong></p>
  
  <p>Connect string:</p>
  
  <p>**Host=*nb-desarrollo; Service=svc_custom; Server=ol_srv_custom; Database=fact; User Id=informix; password=**********</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas?</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>ODBC doesn't work either. When I try to create the DSN the driver user interface asks me to select a "Server Name" from a combobox, but it's empty. In fact, the only way I have to connect to this Informix installation is using the console utility dbaccess, that's how I created the test databases and INSERTed the sample data. I'm not sure if this question still belongs in SO, maybe ServerFault might be more appropiate place to ask but I don't know how to move it.</p>