What version Oracle SQL*Net client should be used with Toad?
That’s easy – generally speaking the latest and greatest will work best. For example, let’s assume you have Oracle 8i, 9i and 10g databases you need to connect to. While you could use an 8i or 9i client install on your Windows PC – some key newer features in Oracle 10g do not function properly unless you use a 10g client. And generally speaking – most newer clients are generally backwards compatible with most users’ needs. There is only one key exception – 9i and 10g clients will NOT permit access to Oracle 7.x databases. So if you need to connect to database versions from 7.x through 10g, then you’ll need two Oracle clients: one 10g for latest and greatest, and one 9i or 8i for connecting to older 7.x databases.