Resolving the ECONNREFUSED MySQL Connection Error in Node.js

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Understanding the Error

When you see an error message like this:

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ECONNREFUSED: This means the connection was actively refused by the server on the specified address and port.

Address ::1: This is the IPv6 loopback address equivalent to 127.0.0.1 in IPv4.

Port 3306: This is the default port for MySQL database connections.

Step-by-Step Solutions

Step 1: Change the Host Setting

The first thing you should do is ensure that your connection settings are correct. Instead of using localhost, which can sometimes refer to ::1 in IPv6, try using 127.0.0.1 as the host. This forces the application to use the IPv4 address. Your connection code might look something like this:

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Step 2: Handle Authentication Protocol Issues

After modifying the host, you may encounter a new error like this:

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Solution:

You can fix this by changing the authentication method for your MySQL user. Here’s how to do it:

Open your MySQL command line or a database management tool.

Run the following commands to modify the root user settings:

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This sets your root user's authentication method to mysql_native_password, which is widely supported and should resolve the authentication issue.

Step 3: Restart the MySQL Server

After making these changes, it may be wise to restart your MySQL server to ensure that all configuration changes are applied. You can do this from the terminal or your system's service manager.

Final Thoughts