Local site intermittently can't connect to SQL Server while SSMS can - sql-server-2008

Question

I am having the strangest problem: Everything was working fine while I was coding a new site I'm working on one night when suddenly the site could not longer connect to SQL Server. I can connect happily using SQL Server Management Studio, but the site throws the following exception.
Firewalls on this machine are completely disabled.
One issue thought is that I have SQL Server running under a local user I created. Some times when I restart the SQL Server Service to see if that resolves the problem, the service complains that the Login failed. I then re-enter the same credentials that got the service running in the first place, and then it starts up after AGAIN stating that the account has been granted login as a service rights. I have however tried using NETWORK SERVICES and LOCAL SYSTEM, both of which prompts the same exception from my site.
From time to time, however, it does work though. I'm running this on a domain connected notebook, so I'm wondering if this has something to do with it not being able to talk to the domain while I'm at home. The service account I created is however a local account.
I'm running this on IIS Express on Windows 8 Enterprise though (Just in case it's some known issue with Win8).
adding Pooling=no to the connection string also has no effect. [Ref]
Here is my connection string: Data Source=.;Initial Catalog=NotesBoard;Integrated Security=SSPI;
I've also used my Machine name instead on "." with the same outcome. Even tried FQDN.
System.Web.HttpException was unhandled by user code
HResult=-2147467259 Message=Unable to connect to SQL Server
database. Source=System.Web ErrorCode=-2147467259 WebEventCode=0
StackTrace:
at System.Web.DataAccess.SqlConnectionHelper.CreateMdfFile(String
fullFileName, String dataDir, String connectionString)
at System.Web.DataAccess.SqlConnectionHelper.EnsureDBFile(String
connectionString)
at System.Web.DataAccess.SqlConnectionHelper.GetConnection(String
connectionString, Boolean revertImpersonation)
at System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider.GetRolesForUser(String username)
at WebMatrix.WebData.SimpleRoleProvider.GetRolesForUser(String username)
at System.Web.Security.RolePrincipal.IsInRole(String role)
at ASP._Page_Views_Shared__Layout_cshtml.Execute() in d:\dtaylor\Documents\Visual Studio
2012\Projects\NotesBoard\NotesBoard\Views\Shared_Layout.cshtml:line
28
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy()
at System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage.ExecutePageHierarchy()
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy(WebPageContext
pageContext, TextWriter writer, WebPageRenderingBase startPage)
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.<>c__DisplayClass7.b__6(TextWriter
writer)
at System.Web.WebPages.HelperResult.WriteTo(TextWriter writer)
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.Write(HelperResult result)
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.RenderSurrounding(String partialViewName, Action1 body)
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.PopContext()
at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy(WebPageContext
pageContext, TextWriter writer, WebPageRenderingBase startPage)
at System.Web.Mvc.RazorView.RenderView(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer, Object instance)
at System.Web.Mvc.BuildManagerCompiledView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer)
at System.Web.Mvc.ViewResultBase.ExecuteResult(ControllerContext context)
at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResult(ControllerContext
controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult)
at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass1a.<InvokeActionResultWithFilters>b__17()
at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilter(IResultFilter
filter, ResultExecutingContext preContext, Func1 continuation)
InnerException: System.Web.HttpException
HResult=-2147467259
Message=Unable to connect to SQL Server database.
Source=System.Web
ErrorCode=-2147467259
WebEventCode=0
StackTrace:
at System.Web.Management.SqlServices.GetSqlConnection(String server,
String user, String password, Boolean trusted, String
connectionString)
at System.Web.Management.SqlServices.SetupApplicationServices(String
server, String user, String password, Boolean trusted, String
connectionString, String database, String dbFileName, SqlFeatures
features, Boolean install)
at System.Web.Management.SqlServices.Install(String database, String dbFileName, String connectionString)
at System.Web.DataAccess.SqlConnectionHelper.CreateMdfFile(String
fullFileName, String dataDir, String connectionString)
InnerException: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException
HResult=-2146232060
Message=A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was
not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is
correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections.
(provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating
Server/Instance Specified)
Source=.Net SqlClient Data Provider
ErrorCode=-2146232060
Class=20
LineNumber=0
Number=-1
Server=""
State=0
StackTrace:
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException
exception, Boolean breakConnection, Action1 wrapCloseInAction)
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject
stateObj, Boolean callerHasConnectionLock, Boolean asyncClose)
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean
ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean
trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, Boolean withFailover)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo
serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword,
Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, Boolean
withFailover)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo
serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword,
Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions,
SqlCredential credential, TimeoutTimer timeout)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(TimeoutTimer
timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential
credential, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword,
Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity
identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential
credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString
newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString
userConnectionOptions)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions
options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo,
DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection,
DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateNonPooledConnection(DbConnection
owningConnection, DbConnectionPoolGroup poolGroup, DbConnectionOptions
userOptions)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection
owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource1 retry, DbConnectionOptions
userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection
outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory,
TaskCompletionSource1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource1
retry)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
at System.Web.Management.SqlServices.GetSqlConnection(String server,
String user, String password, Boolean trusted, String
connectionString)
InnerException:
Update:
This error is more clearly defined in a new post here

Answer 1

The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the
instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow
remote connections.
Looks like a network problem between the web server and the SQL server. Could be anything: firewall, DNS, ... Could also be intermittent problems with your SQL server.
Talk to your system administrator for more details. There's nothing wrong with your code.