Medium severitygateway
Power BI Refresh Error:
The server name provided doesn't match the server name on the SQL Server SSL certificate
What does this error mean?
SSL cert mismatch: the hostname in the connection string doesn't match the SQL Server certificate CN or SAN. Fix by using the correct FQDN in Power BI.
Common causes
- 1The connection string uses an IP address, but the SSL certificate was issued for a hostname (or vice versa)
- 2The SQL Server was migrated to a new host but the connection string was not updated
- 3The SSL certificate was issued for a short name (e.g., 'sql01') but the connection uses the FQDN
- 4A load balancer or alias is being used that doesn't match the certificate CN/SAN
- 5Self-signed certificate installed on SQL Server uses a different name than expected
How to fix it
- 1Verify the exact hostname in the connection string matches the certificate's Common Name (CN) or Subject Alternative Name (SAN).
- 2Update the data source connection in Power BI Desktop to use the FQDN that matches the certificate.
Beyond the docs
Common practitioner solutions not covered in the official documentation.
- 1If the certificate is self-signed and trusted internally, add it to the gateway machine's Trusted Root Certification Authorities store
- 2Ask your DBA to reissue the SQL Server SSL certificate with the correct hostname or add a SAN entry
- 3As a temporary workaround, you can disable SSL encryption in the gateway data source settings (not recommended for production)