Connect to your database from your computer (safely)

On OrbixPanel, database users are created for localhost access and the database port isn’t open to the internet. That’s a deliberate security choice — an internet-exposed database is one of the fastest ways to get breached. But you can still connect a desktop tool from your laptop, safely, with an SSH tunnel.

Why not just open the port?

Opening MySQL (3306) or PostgreSQL (5432) to the world invites automated attacks and credential stuffing against your data directly. Don’t — see the firewall guide.

The safe way: SSH tunnel

An SSH tunnel forwards a local port on your laptop to the database through your existing SSH connection — encrypted, authenticated, nothing new exposed.

Command line:

# forward local 3307 → server's MySQL on localhost:3306
ssh -L 3307:127.0.0.1:3306 youruser@yourserver
# then point your tool at 127.0.0.1:3307

For PostgreSQL swap 3306→5432.

Desktop tools (TablePlus, DBeaver, Sequel Ace, pgAdmin): They have a built-in “Connect over SSH” option — fill in:

Field	Value
SSH host / user	your server + SSH login (use SSH keys)
Database host	127.0.0.1
Database port	3306 (MySQL) or 5432 (PostgreSQL)
DB user / password	your database user

The tool opens the tunnel for you.

For MySQL in the browser

If you just need quick table edits, skip the tunnel and use phpMyAdmin from the panel.

Never change a DB user to allow % (any host) just to connect remotely — that’s the insecure shortcut the tunnel exists to avoid.

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Running OrbixPanel? Databases stay private by default; tunnel in when you need a GUI. OrbixPanel.com → — the free, self-hosted, AI-powered hosting control panel.