Re: Can't connect MS Access to 8i

anc_at_not_to_beadams-blake.not_tobe.com says...
> I'm not an Oracle expert but I do know a bit about ODBC. I'm trying to link
> to an Oracle 8i table. I built the DSN using the Microsoft Driver for
> Oracle. I have a valid user/pass/server... but I get some obscure TNS error
> that I looked up and told me nothing (I forget the number... it's a common
> one.)
>
> Do I need to have the Oracle ODBC driver on my WinXP machine? I looked at a
> million postings and sites on the web about connecting to Oracle and I
> can't figure out if I need this. (I know it's free and on the Oracle site.)
>
> Also, what is/was SQL*Net which became Net8 later on? Do I need that too?

Talk to your Oracle DBA/admin *BEFORE* you try to do anything.

Get a copy of Tom Kyte's book "Expert One-on-One Oracle" and read the first couple of chapters at least twice.

You will (probably, there are alternatives) need the Oracle Client on your WinXP box. One of the files with the client is the tnsnames.ora file in which you will need an entry defining your Oracle database.

I recommend getting rid of the Microsoft Driver for Oracle and use the Oracle ODBC Driver for Windows, I find it more stable.

SQL*Net/Net8 is the proprietary comms protocol Oracle uses to communicate between servers and clients. Received on Thu Apr 06 2006 - 01:36:57 CDT