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SSH into the Linux VPS, make sure the current MongoDB shell command mongosh is installed, and run mongosh. With MongoDB listening on the local default endpoint, that opens a shell connected to localhost:27017. The equivalent explicit command is mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017".

Use a connection string or command-line options when the server uses another port, a different hostname, authentication, TLS, a specific database, Atlas, or a replica set. This guide shows each form, how to verify the session, and how to diagnose the most common connection mistakes.

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What you need before connecting

The connection procedures below assume that you already have an SSH session on the VPS and that mongosh is installed. mongosh is the current MongoDB shell command used for these connection flows; older instructions that refer only to the legacy mongo executable do not describe the command shown here.

Access to the VPS

Connect to the server with your normal SSH client and account. Run the shell command from that SSH session, not from your own computer, when MongoDB is running on the VPS itself. The shell process then runs on the same Linux host as the database service.

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The shell executable

Confirm that the command is available before troubleshooting MongoDB networking. A missing command means the client is not installed or is not on the account’s executable path; it is different from a database authentication failure or an unavailable server.

mongosh --version

The exact version output is not required for the connection syntax in this guide. If the command is not found, install the MongoDB Shell using the instructions appropriate for your Linux distribution and then repeat the version check.

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The endpoint details

Decide which deployment you intend to reach before choosing a command. The endpoint determines the hostname, port, security options, and (optionally) the database selected when the shell starts.

Situation Connection target Typical form
MongoDB on this VPS, default port localhost:27017 mongosh
MongoDB on this VPS, custom port localhost:28015 in this example mongosh --port 28015
Named host, custom port mongodb0.example.com:28015 in this example mongosh --host mongodb0.example.com --port 28015
Authenticated deployment Host and port plus a user and authentication database mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin
TLS connection Any compatible endpoint with TLS enabled mongosh --tls or a URI containing ?tls=true

The hostnames and ports in the examples are illustrative connection values. Replace them with the endpoint configured for your deployment.

Open a local MongoDB shell with the default settings

When MongoDB is running on the VPS and accepts its default local endpoint, the shortest documented command is:

mongosh

That command connects to localhost on port 27017. MongoDB documents it as equivalent to:

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mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017"

The unadorned command is convenient for routine administration because it leaves the host, port, and database at their defaults. The URI form is useful when you want the endpoint to be visible in a script, runbook, or copied command.

What you should see

After a successful connection, mongosh displays its startup information and presents an interactive prompt. The prompt means the client has established a session; it does not by itself tell you which application database you meant to use. Confirm the actual connection with db.getMongo() before running an operation against a production deployment.

Use a non-default port

If MongoDB listens on another port, specify that port explicitly. The following examples use port 28015:

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mongosh "mongodb://localhost:28015"

MongoDB’s shell also accepts the port as an option:

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mongosh --port 28015

These forms describe the same local-host destination. The URI is generally easier to extend with a database name or additional connection options; the option form is easy to read when only the port differs from the default.

Do not silently rely on 27017

If you omit --port while connecting to a host, mongosh uses port 27017. A service configured on 28015, or any other custom port, will not be reached by a command that leaves the port unspecified. Make the non-default port part of the command every time.

Connect to another host

Use a hostname or IP address when the MongoDB deployment is not on the VPS where you launched the shell. For a named host and custom port, either of these commands is valid:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015"
mongosh --host mongodb0.example.com --port 28015

If the remote service uses its default port, you can omit the port and let mongosh use 27017:

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mongosh --host mongodb0.example.com

Alternatively, put the host alone in a URI:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com"

Use the URI that matches the endpoint you were given. A correct hostname with the wrong port is still a failed connection, and a correct port on the wrong host reaches a different service or no service at all.

Single host versus service URI

A URI such as mongodb://hostname:port identifies a host and port directly. A mongodb+srv:// URI represents a service-discovery form commonly used by hosted MongoDB deployments. When you use mongodb+srv://, TLS is enabled automatically, so do not treat it as an unencrypted equivalent of a basic mongodb:// URI.

Authenticate with a username and password

When access control is enabled, provide the username and the database against which that user’s credentials are authenticated. This example authenticates user alice against the admin database while connecting to a host on port 28015:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin

mongosh prompts for the password interactively and hides the characters as you type. This is preferable to placing a password directly in a command line that may be saved in shell history or exposed while processes are inspected.

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Authentication database is not necessarily the working database

The --authenticationDatabase value tells MongoDB where the user’s credentials are stored. It does not select the database in which you intend to work. You can authenticate against admin and then start in another database by adding that database to the URI:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015/qa" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin

Keep those two concepts separate: the authentication database validates the account, while the path after the host and port selects the initial working database.

Why an interactive password prompt matters

  • The password is not visible while it is entered.
  • The secret is not included in the command text you copy and paste.
  • You reduce the chance that shell history records the credential.

If the prompt rejects the password, verify the username, authentication database, and endpoint together. A valid account on one MongoDB deployment will not authenticate against a different host merely because the username has the same spelling.

Enable TLS when the deployment requires encrypted transport

Add the --tls option when the server requires TLS:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" --tls

You can express the same requirement in the URI with the tls=true query option:

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mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015/?tls=true"

Use one clear form that matches the connection details supplied for your deployment. TLS is a transport setting; it does not replace username/password authentication when access control is enabled. A connection can require both TLS and credentials:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015/?tls=true" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin

For a service-discovery URI beginning with mongodb+srv://, TLS is enabled automatically. Do not remove that behavior by changing the URI scheme without confirming that the deployment supports the replacement form.

TLS troubleshooting choices

If a deployment expects TLS and the client is started without it, the connection can fail before authentication is attempted. Conversely, adding TLS to a server that is configured for plain connections can also prevent a session. Confirm whether the endpoint requires TLS and then apply --tls or ?tls=true consistently with the endpoint’s documented settings.

Start in a particular database

Append a database name to the MongoDB URI when the shell should open in a specific database. This command starts in the qa database:

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mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017/qa"

If no database is specified in the URI, the default database is test. That default affects the initial shell context; it does not change which MongoDB server you connect to.

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Combine database selection with other options

A database path can be combined with a remote endpoint, authentication, and TLS. For example:

mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015/qa?tls=true" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin

Read the command from left to right: the URI selects the host, port, starting database, and TLS setting; the options provide the username and the database used to authenticate that username.

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Verify the active connection

Once the prompt appears, run:

db.getMongo()

This verifies which MongoDB connection the current shell is using. It is a useful check after switching between local and remote hosts, changing ports, or testing a TLS URI. Run it before administrative work when the destination matters, especially if you have several shell sessions open.

A practical verification sequence

  1. Connect with the command that matches the host and port.
  2. Complete the password prompt if access control is enabled.
  3. Run db.getMongo() and inspect the connection target shown by the shell.
  4. Confirm that the starting database in your prompt or commands is the one you intended; a URI without a database starts in test.
  5. Only then run queries or administrative operations.

This sequence separates endpoint mistakes from database-context mistakes. Reaching the right server while starting in the wrong database can still produce confusing results.

Choose the right command form

The following matrix maps common requirements to a command pattern. Replace example names with your actual values.

Requirement Command pattern Important detail
Local deployment, default port mongosh Connects to localhost:27017.
Local deployment, custom port mongosh --port 28015 Do not omit the custom port.
Remote host, custom port mongosh --host mongodb0.example.com --port 28015 Both host and port identify the endpoint.
Remote host as a URI mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" Convenient for adding a database or URI option.
Username with prompted password mongosh "mongodb://host:port" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin Password is requested interactively.
TLS on a standard URI mongosh "mongodb://host:port/?tls=true" The URI enables TLS.
TLS with an option mongosh "mongodb://host:port" --tls The command-line option enables TLS.
Specific starting database mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017/qa" Starts in qa instead of the default test.
Atlas or another service-discovery URI mongosh "mongodb+srv://..." The mongodb+srv:// form automatically enables TLS.

Leave the MongoDB shell safely

At the mongosh prompt, any of these methods exits the shell:

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  • Enter .exit.
  • Enter exit().
  • Enter quit().
  • Press Ctrl-D.
  • Press Ctrl-C twice.

These commands leave the MongoDB client and return you to the Linux shell. They do not shut down the MongoDB server.

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Troubleshoot a failed connection

Diagnose failures in the order the connection is established: client command, endpoint, transport security, authentication, and database context.

“Command not found” or an unavailable executable

Run mongosh --version. If Linux cannot find the command, the shell is not installed or is not on the current user’s executable path. Resolve that client-side issue before changing host, port, or credentials.

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The shell connects to the wrong place

Run db.getMongo() after connecting. Compare the displayed target with the intended hostname and port. Check for a missing --port, because an omitted port defaults to 27017, and check that a copied URI does not contain a stale hostname.

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The endpoint is not reachable

Confirm that the MongoDB deployment is actually the service you intend to reach and that the host and port are correct. A local command such as mongosh targets localhost; it will not reach a separate machine. A remote command must name the remote host, and a custom-port deployment must include its custom port.

Authentication fails

Use the username expected by the deployment and specify the database where that account is authenticated with --authenticationDatabase. Let mongosh prompt for the password rather than embedding it in the command. If the same credentials work nowhere, recheck the selected host and port before assuming the account is invalid.

TLS negotiation fails

Match the transport option to the endpoint. Add --tls or ?tls=true when TLS is required. Remember that mongodb+srv:// enables TLS automatically. If a plain endpoint is being tested, remove an accidentally added TLS option and retry only when the deployment’s connection requirements permit it.

The shell starts in an unexpected database

Inspect the URI path. A URI ending at the host and port does not name a working database, so mongosh starts in test. Add /qa, /production, or the intended database name to the URI; keep the authentication database option separate if credentials are stored in admin.

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Operational habits for VPS administrators

Make the destination explicit for high-impact work

The short command mongosh is appropriate when you intentionally administer the local default deployment. For destructive, production, or incident-response work, use an explicit URI containing the hostname, port, and intended database so the destination is visible in the terminal and in your runbook.

Keep secrets out of copied commands

Use --username and let the interactive prompt request the password. Avoid placing credentials directly in a URI that may be saved in shell history, pasted into a ticket, or retained in a script. The connection syntax remains useful without exposing the secret.

Record the connection assumptions

Document whether the deployment is local or remote, which port it uses, whether TLS is mandatory, which authentication database stores the account, and which application database should be selected at startup. Those details determine the command; leaving one out encourages an accidental fallback to localhost, port 27017, or the test database.

Command reference

Keep this compact reference available when you already know the deployment details:

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# Local MongoDB, default endpoint
mongosh

# Equivalent explicit local URI
mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017"

# Local custom port
mongosh "mongodb://localhost:28015"
mongosh --port 28015

# Remote host and custom port
mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015"
mongosh --host mongodb0.example.com --port 28015

# Username; mongosh prompts for the password
mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" --username alice --authenticationDatabase admin

# TLS with an option
mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015" --tls

# TLS in the URI
mongosh "mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:28015/?tls=true"

# Start in a named database
mongosh "mongodb://localhost:27017/qa"

# Verify the active connection after startup
db.getMongo()

# Exit from the shell
.exit
exit()
quit()

Use only the lines that match your deployment. The essential decisions are locality, port, authentication, TLS, topology or URI scheme, and starting database. Once the shell is open, db.getMongo() confirms the connection before you proceed.

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