Failed to connect to server MRM-DT-002\SQLEXPRESS

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VB

I have two PCs. My Windows 8 system is where I'm writing my application. Also on the Windows 8 machine is a local instance of SQL Server. My other PC is running Windows XP and it has an instance of SQL Server Express on it.

I researched the Internet and came up with this code to list every instance of SQL Server on the network.

Private Sub cboSvrName_DropDown(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                    ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                                    Handles cboSvrName.DropDown
        'List all servers both local and non-local
        Dim dt = SmoApplication.EnumAvailableSqlServers(False)
        Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor
        cboSvrName.ValueMember = "Name"
        cboSvrName.DataSource = dt
        Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default
End Sub

This works just fine. It calls up the instances of SQL Server on both my PCs. However when I select my Win XP PC's instance of SQL Server Express I want this code to list into another combobox all SQL Databases on the selected PC's instance of SQL Server Express.

Private Sub cboSvrName_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                               ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                                               Handles _
                                               cboSvrName.SelectedIndexChanged
       'Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor
       If cboSvrName.SelectedIndex <> -1 Then
           Dim serverName As String = cboSvrName.SelectedValue.ToString()
           Dim server As Server = New Server(serverName)
           Try
               For Each database As Database In server.Databases
                   cboDB.Items.Add(database.Name)
               Next
           Catch ex As Exception
               Dim exception As String = ex.Message
               MessageBox.Show(exception)
           End Try
       End If
       'Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default
   End Sub

This is where my problem occurs: As soon as I select the server name after about 30 seconds(Connection failed timeout) I get this message: "Failed to connect to server MRM-DT-002\SQLEXPRESS."

Obviously I must first establish a connection to this non-local instance of SQL Server Express before I can get any information from it and I don't know how to do this. Every connection string I have seen assumes the programmer will know which SQL Server and which database he needs. In my application I trying to make them user selectable.

Does anyone know how to just establish a connection to a non-local SQL server so I can retrieve the names of the databases from it?

Thanks in advance,
MRM256