Silly question, but I like to rule everything out. What does this setting show? The same?

1. Open SQL Server Enterprise Manager and find the server that contains your database.
2. Right click on the server name.
3. Select properties.
4. Choose the Connections tab.
5. Increase the query timeout value. (The value is in seconds. Set it to 0 for unlimited time)
6. Click OK.

(Sorry I cut and paste)

>>Keep in mind that the default of 600 applies to an outgoing connection initiated by the Database Engine as a remote query. This value has no effect on queries received by the Database Engine.
>
>In our situation, the timeout happens from a hit coming from the Web. So, from the VB.NET code, executing a SQL select command could cause it. It is in regards to that that I would like to increase the timeout. For now, we have it at about 30 seconds, from what I can see. This is too low. I do recognize the fact that we need to redesign some of the issues we have. But, one thing for sure, at startup, on the first SQL select commands on big tables, it will take longer. I also have seen that behavior when we use VFP as the backend. It seems the tables are being cached on their first accesses and it performs faster for the ongoing ones.