web.config holding connection settings for SQL

Hi All,
Having some problems using the we.config file to hold sql connection information (ASP.NET 1.1 using Web Matrix)
Here is my web.config file....
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<configuration>

<appSettings>
<add key="PBL" value="server=localhost;uid=****;password=****;database=PlannedShutdown"/>
</appSettings>

<system.web>
<sessionState mode="InProc"
stateConnectionString="tcpip=127.0.0.1:42424"
sqlConnectionString="data source=127.0.0.1;trusted_connection=true"
cookieless="false"
timeout="20" />

<customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="GenericErrorPage.htm">
<error statusCode="403" redirect="NoAccess.htm"/>
<error statusCode="404" redirect="FileNotFound.htm"/>
<customErrors>

<authentication mode="Windows">

<forms name=".ASPXAUTH"
loginUrl="login.aspx"
protection="Validation"
timeout="999999" />

</authentication>

<authorization>
<allow users="joeuser" />
<allow roles="Admins" />
<deny users="*" />
</authorization>

</system.web>

</configuration>
When I run the page, all I get is the dreaderConnectionString is not Initialized...
I have imported the System.Configuration namespace in the code (all) :-
<%@dotnet.itags.org. Page Language="VB" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. Register TagPrefix="n1" Namespace="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages" Assembly="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages, Version=1.5.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=8f1b87f9edb00944" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. Register TagPrefix="n2" Namespace="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages" Assembly="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages, Version=1.5.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=8f1b87f9edb00944" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. Register TagPrefix="n3" Namespace="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages" Assembly="MetaBuilders.WebControls.MasterPages, Version=1.5.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=8f1b87f9edb00944" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. import Namespace="System.Data.SqlClient" %>
<%@dotnet.itags.org. import Namespace="System.Configuration" %>
<script runat="server">

Sub Page_Load(Sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
if Not Page.IsPostBack Then
ddl_ServerName.DataSource = ServerList()
ddl_ServerName.DataBind()
end if
End Sub

Function ServerList() As System.Data.DataSet

Dim strConnection As String

strConnection = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("PBL")

Dim dbConnection As System.Data.IDbConnection = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(strConnection)

Dim queryString As String = "SELECT DISTINCT [SuppressList].[ServerName] FROM [SuppressList]"
Dim dbCommand As System.Data.IDbCommand = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
dbCommand.CommandText = queryString
dbCommand.Connection = dbConnection

Dim dataAdapter As System.Data.IDbDataAdapter = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter
dataAdapter.SelectCommand = dbCommand
Dim dataSet As System.Data.DataSet = New System.Data.DataSet
dataAdapter.Fill(dataSet)

Return dataSet
End Function

Function GetServerEntry(ByVal serverName As String) As System.Data.IDataReader

Dim dbConnection As System.Data.IDbConnection = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("ConnectionString"))

Dim queryString As String = "SELECT [SuppressList].* FROM [SuppressList] WHERE ([SuppressList].[ServerName] = @dotnet.itags.org.ServerName)"
Dim dbCommand As System.Data.IDbCommand = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
dbCommand.CommandText = queryString
dbCommand.Connection = dbConnection

Dim dbParam_serverName As System.Data.IDataParameter = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter
dbParam_serverName.ParameterName = "@dotnet.itags.org.ServerName"
dbParam_serverName.Value = serverName
dbParam_serverName.DbType = System.Data.DbType.String
dbCommand.Parameters.Add(dbParam_serverName)

dbConnection.Open
Dim dataReader As System.Data.IDataReader = dbCommand.ExecuteReader(System.Data.CommandBehavior.CloseConnection)

Return dataReader
End Function

Sub Sddl_ServerName_SelectedIndexChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
dg_vbs.DataSource = GetServerEntry(ddl_ServerName.SelectedItem.Value)
dg_vbs.DataBind()
End Sub

</script>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<p>
<n2:ContentContainer id="ContentContainer1" MasterPageFile="~/siteMaster.ascx" runat="server">
<n3:Content id="mainRegion" runat="server">View By Server Name
<p>
<asp:Label id="lbl_ServerName" runat="server">Server Name</asp:Label>
<asp:DropDownList id="ddl_ServerName" runat="server"></asp:DropDownList>
</p>
<p>
<asp:DataGrid id="dg_vbs" runat="server" Width="817px"></asp:DataGrid>
</p>
</n3:Content>
</n2:ContentContainer>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
</body>
</html>

Any help would be appreciated as otherwise I will have to go back to coding each connection in every sub I need it to !

In your web.config, the connection string looks to be accessed via thekey PBL, and in one case you do access it withConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("PBL").
But you also access it a second time when creating a SqlConnection withConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("ConnectionString")which probably doesn't evaluate to anything, and thus gives you an error.

thanks for the reply... after I posted I saw this error and corrected it. Also removed all the junk from the web.config to just what was needed and hey presto all is working...
thanks again