Connect from your computer
Turn on public access to reach a database from your laptop, a BI tool, or another cloud.
By default, a database is reachable only from your own projects, over the private network — there is no public port at all. Turn one on when you need to connect from outside DockHosting.
Turning on public access
- Open the database in your dashboard and go to Public access.
- Switch it on. A dedicated public port is assigned to this database — different databases get different ports, even on the same engine.
- Use the connection details shown there (host, port, username, password) in
psql, MySQL Workbench, a BI tool, or any client on your machine.
The connection is TLS-encrypted. It is not tied to your project's private network — it's a separate, explicit path in.
Restricting who can connect
Public doesn't have to mean open to everyone. Pair it with an IP firewall rule so only addresses you name — your office, your CI runner, your own IP — can complete a connection. Unlisted addresses are refused before they reach the database engine at all.
Turning it off
Flip the same switch off. Existing connections are dropped and the public port stops accepting new ones; your app's private-network connection is unaffected either way.
Why private is faster
A private-network connection skips the public internet entirely — no DNS lookup, no TLS handshake, no firewall traversal on every query. See the comparison in Private networking.