Local VB.NET App Connection To Remote SQL Server

I know this is strickly not a website question, but dunno where else to post...

To remotely admin and monitor some functions of the website, I wish to use a local application to connect to the MSSQL DB which is held on the remote webhosting server

I have the following code:
 Dim StrSQLUN As String = "[UN]"
Dim StrSQLPW As String = "[PW]"
Dim StrServer As String = "[IP][INSTANCE]"
Dim StrDB As String = "[DB]"
Dim strTimeOut As String = "Connection Timeout=0;"
Dim pStrSQLConn As String = "Server=" & StrServer & ";Database=" & StrDB & ";User Id=" & StrSQLUN & ";Password=" & StrSQLPW & ";" & strTimeOut

Dim sqlConn As New SqlClient.SqlConnection(pStrSQLConn)
If sqlConn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then sqlConn.Open()

This has basically been take from the existing code on the website, but changing to the server details. I had just started dev'ing this app when the admins decided to move the SQL server over to a different server. It was working on the old one, but the new one doesn't. It just times out after whatever time you put in the timeout variable. 0=unlimited, and so just sits there.

I am also using the MSSQL Server Management Studio locally to connect to the same database, and although slow, does connect after about a minute or so. I thought they would be using the same type of underlying connection to access the server and database? Is this correct?

Can they put restrictions in place for this specific sort of data access?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to resolve this issue??

Thanks for any help

Adam.