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To connect Navicat to a remote MySQL server, you need four matching details in Navicat’s General tab—server host, listening TCP port, username, and password—and a MySQL account that permits connections from your client’s public IP. The server firewall and security groups must allow the path. If the database port is intentionally closed, configure Navicat’s SSH tunnel instead; the database host then only needs to be reachable from the SSH server.

What a remote Navicat connection requires

A successful connection has two independent parts:

  • Network reachability: your computer must be able to reach the server name or IP on the MySQL listening port, or reach an SSH server that can forward the database connection.
  • MySQL authorization: the server must have an account whose host pattern matches your source address and whose privileges include the database operations you need.

MySQL checks the source host before it evaluates database privileges. Therefore, a reachable server can still return an access-denied error when the account is restricted to another host or lacks permission on the requested schema.

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Navicat 17 documents the connection fields and workflow in its official manual. The labels can vary slightly by operating system, but the required values are the same.

Step 1: Collect the connection details

Ask the database administrator or hosting team for the exact values below. Do not assume that a familiar hostname or the default port is correct.

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  • Database host: a DNS name or IP address for the MySQL server. If you will use an SSH tunnel, this is the database host as seen from the SSH server, not necessarily the address that is publicly reachable from your desktop.
  • TCP/IP port: MySQL’s default is 3306, but administrators and hosting companies may use a different port.
  • Database username and password: credentials for an account authorized for remote use.
  • Allowed source address: the public IP address or approved range from which your client will connect.
  • Tunnel details, when required: SSH server host, SSH port (commonly 22), SSH username, and either an SSH password or private key.
  • TLS requirements: whether the server requires a CA certificate, client certificate, or other SSL/TLS settings.

Your public IP can change when an ISP renews a connection, when you move networks, or when a VPN is enabled. Record the address that the administrator actually allowlisted, and verify it again if the connection suddenly stops working.

Step 2: Create the MySQL connection in Navicat

  1. Open Navicat and choose the command to create a new MySQL connection.
  2. In the General tab, enter a descriptive connection name, such as Production reporting. This name is local to Navicat and does not affect authentication.
  3. Enter the remote database host name or IP address.
  4. Enter the server’s actual TCP/IP port. Use 3306 only when the administrator confirms that the server listens there.
  5. Enter the MySQL user name and password.
  6. Save the connection and use Navicat’s test or connect command.

If the server is configured for direct access and the firewall permits it, this is all the client-side configuration required. A successful login should show the server’s databases in Navicat’s connection pane, subject to the account’s privileges.

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Step 3: Permit the client on the MySQL server

Match the account’s host pattern

MySQL accounts include both a user name and a host pattern. An account created only for localhost is not automatically valid for a connection arriving from your desktop’s public IP. Create or update an account whose host component matches the public IP or approved range used by the client.

Navicat’s help documentation shows this broad syntax example:

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GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'YourUserName'@'YourPublicIP' IDENTIFIED BY 'YourPassword';

The statement illustrates the user-and-host format; it is not a recommendation to grant unrestricted production access. Scope permissions to the required schema and operations, and follow the SQL syntax supported by your MySQL version. A least-privilege grant uses a database-specific target such as appdb.* and only the required actions (for example, read-only reporting versus application writes). Avoid a wildcard host such as '%' unless your security policy explicitly requires it and compensating controls are in place.

After changing an account, verify that the account is permitted from the same public IP that Navicat will use. If your ISP or VPN changes that address, the existing host pattern may no longer match even though the username and password are unchanged.

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Grant only the operations the connection needs

  • For reporting, use read privileges on the reporting schema rather than global privileges.
  • For an application maintenance account, grant only the tables and actions required by the maintenance task.
  • Keep administrative accounts separate from routine Navicat connections.
  • Remove obsolete host entries and rotate passwords according to your organization’s policy.

The account’s privileges determine what appears usable after login. A connection can succeed while a database, table, or statement is refused because the account does not have permission for it.

Step 4: Open the correct network path

Confirm the MySQL listener and firewall rules

MySQL’s conventional port is 3306, but the configured listener may be different. The server firewall, cloud security group, and any upstream network firewall must allow inbound traffic from your approved source address to that port. A rule that allows the wrong port, the wrong source range, or only an internal network will produce a transport failure before MySQL can evaluate credentials.

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Navicat’s troubleshooting guidance recommends checking the hostname, port, firewall and security-group rules, source IP, and whether the server is restricted to localhost. Use the administrator’s supplied hostname rather than substituting an address from an unrelated environment. Confirm that DNS resolves to the intended server before changing any account settings.

Check for localhost-only configuration

A MySQL instance bound only to the loopback interface accepts local connections on the server but cannot accept a direct connection from your computer. The administrator must configure an appropriate listening interface and firewall policy, or provide an SSH tunnel. Do not expose a database listener publicly merely to work around a localhost-only setting without reviewing the security design.

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When direct TCP is blocked: configure an SSH tunnel

Hosting companies and network administrators commonly permit SSH while blocking outside access to the MySQL port. Navicat describes SSH tunneling as a way to connect when the database port is blocked by a firewall. The tunnel carries Navicat’s database traffic through an SSH session; the database port does not need to be publicly reachable from your desktop.

  1. Open the saved MySQL connection’s settings and enable Use SSH tunnel.
  2. Enter the SSH server host and SSH port. Port 22 is common, but use the port supplied by the administrator.
  3. Enter the SSH username.
  4. Choose password authentication or private-key authentication and provide the required credential. Keep private keys protected and use the key format accepted by your Navicat edition.
  5. In the MySQL connection’s General tab, set the database host to a name or address that the SSH server can reach. For many installations this is an internal hostname or 127.0.0.1 from the SSH server’s perspective; use the value supplied by the administrator.
  6. Keep the MySQL port set to the database listener’s actual port as reached from the SSH server.
  7. Save and test the connection. Navicat should establish SSH first and then open the MySQL session through the forward.

The key distinction is routing: with a tunnel, the database sees the SSH server as the network origin. The MySQL account’s host rule therefore has to match the source address used by that server or by the forwarding arrangement, not necessarily your home or office public IP. Confirm this detail with the database administrator.

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Navicat’s hosting guidance explains the SSH-tunnel workflow here: Navicat Help Center: accessing a hosted remote database.

Choose the connection method that fits the server

Direct TCP, SSH tunneling, HTTP tunneling, and SSL/TLS solve different problems. SSH and HTTP tunneling change how traffic reaches the server; SSL/TLS encrypts and authenticates the database protocol and can be combined with a reachable TCP path or a tunnel.

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Method Database port publicly reachable? Server-side requirement Credentials used Firewall compatibility
Direct TCP/IP Yes, from the approved client network MySQL listener, firewall/security-group rule, and account host pattern must allow the client MySQL username and password Works when the MySQL port is allowed end to end
SSH tunnel No; the SSH server forwards the connection SSH access and a database host reachable from that SSH server SSH password or private key, plus MySQL credentials Useful when SSH is allowed but outside MySQL access is blocked
HTTP tunnel No direct MySQL exposure is required An HTTP-tunnel service or endpoint supported by the server and Navicat setup Method-specific tunnel credentials plus MySQL credentials Can fit environments that permit HTTP while restricting database ports
SSL/TLS over the selected path Depends on the underlying TCP or tunnel path Server certificate/CA policy and matching Navicat SSL/TLS settings MySQL credentials, with certificates when required Protects the database session but does not by itself open a blocked port

Navicat for MySQL lists SSH, HTTP Tunnel, and SSL/TLS among its secure connection methods. Select the option supported by the server’s policy rather than enabling an option that has no corresponding server configuration. Feature details are summarized in Navicat’s MySQL feature matrix.

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Configure SSL/TLS when the server requires it

Some organizations require encrypted MySQL sessions even on private networks. In Navicat, open the connection’s SSL/TLS settings and supply the certificate or CA information specified by the administrator. The server’s certificate policy controls whether Navicat must validate a CA, present a client certificate, or use another TLS setting.

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SSL/TLS is not a substitute for account permissions or firewall rules. A certificate can be valid while the account is still denied, and a correctly configured TLS client cannot connect when the underlying host and port are unreachable. Test the selected TLS mode against the same host and port that the administrator documented.

Troubleshoot a Navicat remote MySQL connection

Navicat cannot reach the server

  • Confirm DNS resolves the intended database hostname from the client network.
  • Verify the TCP port with the administrator; do not assume 3306.
  • Check local, server, cloud security-group, and upstream firewall rules for the client’s current public IP.
  • Confirm the server is listening on a reachable interface rather than localhost only.
  • If the database is hosted behind a provider firewall, ask whether direct access is blocked and whether SSH tunneling is supported.

These symptoms indicate a transport problem. Changing the MySQL password will not fix a blocked route, closed port, incorrect hostname, or failed SSH handshake.

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“Access denied” or error 1045

An access-denied response generally means the server was reached but rejected the authentication or authorization request. Check all of the following:

  • The username and password are exactly correct, including case where the server treats it as significant.
  • The account’s host pattern matches the source address seen by MySQL. With an SSH tunnel, that may be the SSH server’s address.
  • The account exists on the intended server and not only on another MySQL instance.
  • The requested database privileges were granted to the same user-and-host combination that Navicat is using.
  • A recent ISP, VPN, or network change did not alter the client’s public IP.

Do not respond to error 1045 by granting global privileges automatically. Correct the host entry or the narrowly required database grant, then test again.

The tunnel connects but MySQL does not

  • Verify that the database host in the General tab is reachable from the SSH server, not merely from your desktop.
  • Confirm the forwarded destination port is the server’s actual MySQL port.
  • Check whether the SSH account is allowed to forward connections.
  • Ensure the MySQL account’s host rule matches the address from which the SSH server reaches MySQL.
  • If TLS is enabled, confirm that certificate names and CA settings correspond to the host used inside the tunnel.

The connection worked and then stopped

Start by checking whether your public IP changed. A host-specific MySQL account can stop matching immediately after an ISP lease renewal or VPN change. Also verify that the administrator did not rotate the password, change the listener port, tighten a firewall rule, or remove the account grant. For an SSH setup, test the SSH login separately and confirm that the internal database hostname still resolves from that server.

Security checklist before using the connection

  • Allow only known public IP addresses or tightly controlled ranges.
  • Grant access to the required schema and operations, not every database on the server.
  • Prefer SSH tunneling when policy does not permit public MySQL exposure.
  • Use SSL/TLS when required by the server or organizational policy, and validate the supplied CA or certificates.
  • Protect Navicat-saved passwords and SSH private keys with the operating system’s access controls.
  • Remove temporary firewall rules and test accounts after troubleshooting.
  • Document the host, port, tunnel route, account host pattern, and certificate requirements so future network changes can be diagnosed without broadening access.

Reference configuration summary

For a direct connection, Navicat’s General tab contains a friendly name, remote host, actual MySQL TCP port, username, and password. The server must accept traffic from your client address and the MySQL account must authorize that host. For a tunneled connection, add SSH host, SSH port, SSH username, and password or private-key authentication; set the MySQL host to the address reachable from the SSH server. Use the server’s documented SSL/TLS settings when encryption or certificate validation is required.

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Navicat’s connection troubleshooting article covers the same failure boundaries—hostname and port, firewall rules, source IP, localhost-only listeners, and account permissions—at Why I cannot connect to my server. The product overview is available at Navicat for MySQL.

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