> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Restricting MySQL port access

> Discover two methods to restrict MySQL port 3306 access on an unmanaged server.

On some Linux distributions, port 3306 is open after you install MySQL. This article describes two methods for restricting or blocking access to port 3306 on an unmanaged server.

<Warning>
  **Important**

  The information in this article only applies to unmanaged products. You must have root access to the server to follow the procedures described below.
</Warning>

## Method #1: Disable MySQL networking

If you do not need to access MySQL from an external computer, you can disable MySQL networking.

Follow the appropriate procedure below for your Linux distribution.

<Tip>
  Even with MySQL networking disabled, you can still access MySQL securely from a remote computer if you need to. To do this, you can configure an SSH tunnel. For information about how to do this, please see [this article](/docs/remote-mysql-connections).
</Tip>

### AlmaLinux and Fedora

To disable MySQL networking on AlmaLinux and Fedora, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your server [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell).

2. At the command prompt, use your preferred text editor to open the */etc/my.cnf* file.

3. Locate the following line in the *my.cnf* file:

   ```
   #skip-networking
   ```

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > If this line is not in the *my.cnf* file, add it.

4. Delete the **#** sign at the beginning of the line so the line looks like the following:

   ```
   skip-networking
   ```

5. Save your changes to the */etc/my.cnf* file, and then exit the text editor.

6. Type the following command to restart the MySQL service:

   ```bash theme={null}
   service mysqld restart
   ```

   Port 3306 is now closed on the server.

### Debian and Ubuntu

By default, MySQL on Debian and Ubuntu is configured to only use the *localhost* interface (IP address 127.0.0.1) for networking. This means that port 3306 is closed to external connections. To confirm that this is the configuration on your server, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your server [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell).

2. At the command prompt, use your preferred text editor to open the */etc/mysql/my.cnf* file.

3. Locate the **bind-address** line in the *my.cnf* file. It should look like the following:

   ```
   bind-address = 127.0.0.1
   ```

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > If the **bind-address** line is set to **0.0.0.0** (or no address at all), then connections are open on all interfaces.

4. If you made any changes to the */etc/my.cnf* file, save them and then exit the text editor.

5. To restart the MySQL service, type the following command:

   ```bash theme={null}
   service mysql restart
   ```

   Port 3306 is now closed on the server.

## Method #2: Configure firewall rules

You can use iptables to create firewall rules that restrict access to port 3306. The advantage of this method is that you can selectively grant or deny access to port 3306 based on IP addresses or other criteria.

For example, to block external access to port 3306 completely, type the following command:

```bash theme={null}
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j DROP
```

Similarly, to grant access to a specific IP address and block all others, type the following commands. Replace ***xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx*** with the IP address for which you want to grant access:

```bash theme={null}
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -s xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j DROP
```

<Tip>
  You can grant MySQL access to additional IP addresses by inserting rules in the **INPUT** chain before the **DROP** rule. For example:
</Tip>

```bash theme={null}
iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --dport 3306 -s xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -j ACCEPT
```

## Related articles

* [Securing an unmanaged server](/docs/securing-an-unmanaged-server)

* [Configuring a firewall using iptables](/docs/configuring-a-firewall-using-iptables)

* [Resetting the MySQL root password](/docs/reset-mysql-root-password)

* [Managing MySQL databases, users, and tables from the command line](/docs/managing-mysql-databases-and-users-from-the-command-line)