Does it also work if you add C:\WinNT\System32 to the SET PATH command in your app?

>Ah ha! I found something.
>
>If I SET DEFAULT TO c:\winnt\system32, then the SQLCONNECT() will work in both VFP6 and VFP7.
>
>I think I have a variation of a documented problem (Q239714) where there can be an intermittent connectivity problem if the ODBC support files are incompatible with the OS files in the Windows system folder.
>
>Q239714 warns against leaving old ODBC files in the default application folder (which I don't have any), however, I do have some old ODBC files on the client PC in places such as c:\winnt\system.
>
>Why I am just now seeing the problem is still a mystery, but maybe the new firewall has changed the timing or behavior of the ODBC driver manager in some way and it is grabbing some previously installed ODBC drivers for some reason.
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>In any case, maybe I just need to clean up the client machines (and maybe the LAN also) of old ODBC support files. One thing I thought I could do as a quick fix is to just register the ODBC32.DLL out of c:\winnt\system32 on the fly, however, it won't allow me to register it.
>
>Oh well, at least I have something to research now.
>
>Thanks,
>David
>
>
>>
>>There really is not anything different. SQL Plus only uses the SQL Net client. It does not use ODBC. VFP uses ODBC with the SQL Net client. That is the only difference. It can't be that port 1521 or whatever port you have the server using is configured for one way. If it was then SQL Net would also fail. THis limits the problem to a combination of the ODBC drivers and the Router. I say both are involved because you had no problems before or with other machines outside the firewall. There is some incompatibility between the two, and I'll be danged if I know what that would be.