Connecting to ODBC Via Data Gateway

Hi  PHILAM2,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

Please check below things:

1. User DSN vs System DSN
Issue: Power BI Gateway runs as a Windows service (usually under a service account), and cannot access User DSNs only System DSNs.

Solution: Recreate your ODBC DSN as a System DSN, not a User DSN. Go to ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit). Under the System DSN tab, create the same DSN (abc123) with the same driver and data path. Make sure it is accessible system-wide.

2. Gateway Machine and DSN Match
Issue: The DSN (abc123) must exist on the same machine where the gateway is installed, and match exactly in spelling.

Solution: Verify that the gateway is installed on the same machine that has the abc123 DSN. If the gateway is remote, recreate the same abc123 System DSN on that machine.

3. Connection String Details
Issue: The connection string might need additional information, depending on the ODBC driver you're using (which isn’t specified in your post).

Solution: While dsn=abc123 is often enough, some drivers need more, e.g., a driver name, server address, or explicitly setting trusted connection, UID/PWD, etc.

Example:

Driver={YourDriverName};DSN=abc123;UID=your_user;PWD=your_password;

Note: Try adding Driver= if your ODBC connection requires more specificity.

4. Authentication Type and Credentials
Issue: The authentication used may differ when connecting via the gateway.

Solution: Confirm that the username/password being passed matches what the DSN expects. Some DSNs use Windows Authentication, others use Basic/SQL Auth. If your DSN uses integrated security, try setting the credential type to Windows, and provide valid domain credentials.

5. Driver Compatibility or Timeout
Issue: The ODBC driver may not behave identically under the gateway (especially older or non-Microsoft ones).

Solution: Try a test connection using another tool (e.g., Excel, Power BI Desktop on the gateway machine) using the same DSN. Confirm that the driver version is up-to-date and compatible with 64-bit systems.

Please refer community threads and articles.

Solved: Adding ODBC connection in Power BI service fails; ... - Microsoft Fabric Community

Solved: Adding ODBC datasource to gateway - Microsoft Fabric Community

Solved: ODBC Connection Error - Driver Error - Microsoft Fabric Community

Solved: Can't connect ODBC datasource to gateway - Microsoft Fabric Community

Solved: 32 Bit ODBC driver with 64 Bit Power BI - Microsoft Fabric Community

Power BI gateway and Report Builder support for ODBC data sources - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Troubleshoot the on-premises data gateway | Microsoft Learn

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Thank you