--- title: "Mysql remote connection · Appnovation" url: "https://www.appnovation.com/insights/mysql-remote-connection" description: "How to configure Drupal's settings.php and MySQL permissions to connect your Drupal project to a remote database instead of localhost." --- Article # Mysql remote connection [![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/36eb314260fb474cacc1b3a473d7e8402d997898-68x68.png?w=68&auto=format) Appno Blogger Appnovation Coop](/people/appno-blogger.md) Feb 03, 2010 2 min read ![Appnovation Blog Default Header](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/9efe1c26d9584ecfb3dfef5a63e698bf4567d305-1440x600.jpg?w=1400&auto=format) Most often we work on our local database for Drupal projects and thus mysql host in settings.php would likely be 'localhost' as in the line: `$db_url = 'mysql://db_user:db_password@localhost/db_name';` However, occasionally we may want to connect to a remote mysql server directly (eg. on a dev server). If you have full control over the remote mysql server, here's what you can do to achieve that: **1) Log onto the remote server and edit mysql server configuration file** Suppose the remote server is Fedora with IP address 192.168.1.150. `vim /etc/my.cnf` Comment or remove the line 'skip-networking' if it exists and add a new 'bind-address' line like the following: `#skip-networking bind-address=192.168.1.150` Then restart mysql server. `service mysqld restart` **2) Grant relevant user and database permissions** Suppose you're connecting to the mysql server from IP 192.168.1.100. You can do the following in mysql prompt on server 192.168.1.150: `GRANT ALL ON db_name.* TO 'db_user'@'192.168.1.100' IDENTIFIED BY 'db_password';` or if you want to allow connection from anywhere: `GRANT ALL ON db_name.* TO 'db_user'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'db_password';` **3) Check and configure firewall on remote server** Check current firewall rules: `iptables --list` You may need to add a new rule to iptables (suppose mysql server uses the default port 3306). `iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.1.100 -p tcp --dport 3306 -j ACCEPT` Save the iptables rules. `service iptables save` **4) Edit local settings.php file in Drupal** The relevant line in settings.php should look like: `$db_url = 'mysql://db_user:db_password@192.168.1.150/db_name';` **5) Test to see if you can view the web pages in Drupal** [![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/36eb314260fb474cacc1b3a473d7e8402d997898-68x68.png?w=68&auto=format) Appno Blogger Appnovation Coop · Appnovation](/people/appno-blogger.md) ## Keep reading [![What is Sovereign AI](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/a5889abdd5e80376912546622e046e3fbef234b4-2496x1664.png?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/what-is-open-source-sovereign-ai.md) Article · 7 min AI ### [What Is Open Source, Sovereign AI?](/insights/what-is-open-source-sovereign-ai.md) Every company is encouraging more AI, and almost every AI bill is climbing. Sovereign AI is about two kinds of control: over your data and over your costs. Here's why open source sits at its foundation. [Iain MacNeil](/people/iain-macneil.md) Article [![AI-first experience design](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/8bbc2418e87924ef10f36115478a2e10d5bed95e-1584x624.jpg?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/how-build-ai-first-experience-without-throwing-out-everything-youve-already-built.md) Article · 6 min AI Sep 10, 2026 ### [How to Build an AI-First Experience Without Throwing Out Everything You've Already Built](/insights/how-build-ai-first-experience-without-throwing-out-everything-youve-already-built.md) Users now expect a direct answer, not a list of links to click through. Here's how organizations can layer an AI-First experience onto their existing website or app, in weeks rather than years. [Andrew Douglas](/people/andrew-douglas.md) Article [![What Becomes Possible When AI Can Read All the Data](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/c28ab0bd26753421ee42937e13adc7a7f19b47f0-1296x510.jpg?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/what-becomes-possible-when-ai-can-read-all-data.md) Article · 4 min AI Sep 09, 2026 ### [What Becomes Possible When AI Can Read All the Data](/insights/what-becomes-possible-when-ai-can-read-all-data.md) Most of the world's data has never been analyzed, only sampled. AI changes that. How AI-ready data platforms unlock questions no one could ask before. [Appnovation](/people/appnovation.md) Article ## Get the thinking, *before everyone else.* One considered email a month. New essays, field notes from live engagements, and the occasional strong opinion. No noise.