>What is the error that AERROR() returns? Did you compare the connection string to the ODBC configuration?

Thanks, I will check for AERROR() and let you know. In the mean time I used FlameRobin (FireBird GUI) to connect to the database and got the following error
--------------------------
Unhandled Error in FlameRobin
---------------------------
*** IBPP::SQLException ***
Context: Database::Connect
Message: isc_attach_database failed

SQL Message : -902
Unsuccessful execution caused by a system error that precludes
successful execution of subsequent statements

Engine Code : 335544721
Engine Message :
Unable to complete network request to host "DEVE1".
Failed to establish a connection.
A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond
after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host
has failed to respond.

---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

If it is failing to connect to the server DEVE1 but DEVE1 does not have any problem to connect to the client's test database in a similar manner. This is not only a single case but happens similarly on another set of computers and this is apart from VFP+ConnStrings but then again everything was fine when using ODBC on both the sets of computers. I will revert back to ODBC for the moment but I am not sure of this one way traffic thing.