Remote MySQL Access

By default your database only accepts connections from the server it lives on. Remote MySQL lets you authorize specific outside hosts — such as your home computer or an external reporting tool — to connect over the network.

Why Use Remote MySQL

Most sites never need this: an application on your account connects to the database using localhost. You only need Remote MySQL when something outside the server has to reach the database, for example:

Running a desktop client like MySQL Workbench, HeidiSQL, or DBeaver from your home machine.
Connecting a business intelligence or reporting tool hosted elsewhere.
Allowing another server to read from or write to the database.

Adding an Access Host

Log into cPanel.
In the Databases section, click Remote MySQL.
Under Add Access Host, enter the IP address that should be allowed to connect.
Optionally add a comment describing what the host is for.
Click Add Host.

Finding Your IP Address

The access host is the public IP address of the machine that will connect, not the server's address. To find your current public IP, visit a site such as tools.ultrawebhosting.com or search the web for "what is my IP". Enter that address exactly in the Add Access Host field.

Note Many home and office internet connections use a dynamic IP that changes over time. If your connection stops working after a day or two, check whether your IP has changed and add the new one.

Using a Hostname

If the connecting machine has a stable hostname, you can enter that instead of an IP address. This is useful when a provider gives you a domain name rather than a fixed IP for an external server. You can also use a partial address with a wildcard, but read the warning below before you do.

Warning Do not add % as an access host. The % wildcard allows connections from any IP address on the internet, exposing your database to the entire world and dramatically increasing the risk of a breach. Always list specific IP addresses or hostnames instead.

Connecting from Outside

Once the access host is authorized, point your external client at the server using these settings:

Host — your server's hostname or your own domain name (not localhost, since you are connecting from outside).
Port — 3306, the standard MySQL port.
Username — a database user on your account, for example cpuser_wpuser.
Password — that user's password.
Database — the database you want to work with, for example cpuser_wp.

Note The database user you connect with must already have privileges on the database. If you have not done this yet, see Creating a MySQL Database for how to add a user and grant ALL PRIVILEGES.

Firewall Considerations

Our servers run a firewall that also protects the MySQL port. Adding an access host in Remote MySQL is the supported way to open access for your IP. If you have authorized the correct IP and still cannot connect, the firewall may be blocking the connection or your local network may restrict outbound traffic on port 3306. Open a support ticket with the IP address you are connecting from and we will confirm the firewall is not the cause.