How to Connect to a MySQL Database

Connecting to a remote managed MySQL database allows you to work with its contents similarly to local databases. You can edit and read information over the Internet from any computer, regardless of your location. 

In this article, we will consider how to connect to MySQL in several ways. For this purpose, we will use Hostman SQL cloud databases. Launching a database will take a couple of minutes.

Connection Methods

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There are several options to connect; which one to choose is up to you:

• MySQL command line. Included with the MySQL server.

• GUIs like phpMyAdmin, Sequel Pro, MySQL Workbench, etc.

In all of the above methods, you can connect via a secure channel thanks to an SSL certificate.

Host IP address

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If you use a cloud database, you can find the required IP address in your control panel in the "Databases" section. 

If the database is hosted on a server (i.e. it is not a cloud database), the required IP is the IP address of your server. 

Number of database connections available

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The allocated amount of RAM limits the number of users or applications working simultaneously with the database. You can change your Hostman database plan to scale it according to your requirements.

Connecting from different operating systems

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Let's consider how to connect to the MySQL database from different operating systems. The commands will look like this:

Windows

mysql --host=<host> \
      --port=3306 \
      --user=<user_name> \
      --password \
      --database=<database_name> \
      --ssl-mode=disabled

Linux

mysql --host=<host> \
      --port=3306 \
      --user=<user_name> \
      --password \
      --database=<database_name> \
      --ssl-mode=disabled

For handling real‑time data safely, explore How to Secure MySQL Server tutorial—it walks through SSL/TLS configuration, enforcing password policies, and securing data transmission, so your connections (CLI or GUI) remain encrypted and protected against unauthorized access.

Connecting with program code

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Python

import mysql.connector
cnx = mysql.connector.connect(user='<user_name>', password='<password>',
                              host='<host>',
                              database='<database_name>')
cnx.close()

PHP

<?php 

 $dbh = new PDO('mysql:host=<host>; port=3306; dbname=<database_name>', '<user_name>', '<password>');

Node.JS

const mysql = require("mysql2");
const connection = mysql.createConnection({
     port: "3306",
     user: "<user_name>",
     host: "<host>",
     database: "<database_name>",
     password: "<password>"
});

Connecting via phpMyAdmin

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Let's see how to connect to MySQL Server through the phpMyAdmin GUI. You only need to enter a few new lines in the configuration file located at /etc/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php:

     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['host'] = '<host>';
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['connect_type'] = 'tcp';
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['port'] = '3306';
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['compress'] = false;
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['extension'] = 'mysqli';
     $cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowNoPassword'] = false;

The Hostman platform has ready-made instances of phpMyAdmin and Adminer. All you have to do when using them is to enter connection details. Note that they work only with white IP addresses.

Conclusion

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You can work with a remote database with or without cryptographic data protection. It depends on your task. Connection is possible both manually from Linux and Windows operating systems and automatically if the application has the appropriate code. The question of how to connect to a local MySQL server has the same solution. The only difference is the address that you need to specify in the commands.

Hostman can help you deploy NoSQL or SQL cloud database on one of the most popular engines in just seconds. With an intuitive interface and around-the-clock free support, deploying MySQL cloud or Postgres cloud becomes much easier.

Don't forget to check our free cloud databases.