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Sequel Pro Can’t Connect to MySQL? Fix It With an SSH Tunnel

Learn why Sequel Pro’s SSH tab fails, what MySQL Host should contain, how to configure the tunnel, and how to recover with a manual port forward.
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Sequel Pro’s SSH connection works only when two separate connections succeed: Sequel Pro must log in to the SSH server, and that server must be able to open a normal TCP connection to MySQL. In the SSH tab, put the bastion or hosting server in SSH Host, but put 127.0.0.1 in MySQL Host only when MySQL is running on that SSH server. Use the database port—normally 3306—in the MySQL fields, and the SSH port—normally 22—in the SSH fields.

If SSH works in Terminal but Sequel Pro still fails, create the tunnel manually and connect Sequel Pro with a Standard profile to the local forwarded port. This separates macOS client problems from server and credential problems.

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How Sequel Pro’s SSH connection actually works

Sequel Pro does not turn an SSH login into a MySQL login. Its SSH mode builds a local port forward first, then uses that tunnel for an ordinary MySQL TCP connection.

Mac running Sequel Pro
│ encrypted SSH connection
▼
SSH host (bastion or hosting server)
│ ordinary TCP connection to MySQL
▼
MySQL host and port

That architecture explains the most common configuration mistake. SSH Host identifies the machine that accepts your SSH login. MySQL Host identifies the database destination as seen from that SSH machine. The value 127.0.0.1 means “the SSH server itself,” not “my Mac.”

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For a database installed on the same hosting server, the usual values are:

  • MySQL Host: 127.0.0.1
  • MySQL Port: 3306, unless the server administrator changed it
  • SSH Host: your hosting server or bastion hostname
  • SSH User: the operating-system account permitted to log in
  • SSH Port: 22, unless your provider specifies another port

When MySQL is on a different private machine, replace 127.0.0.1 with that private hostname or address. The SSH server must be able to resolve and reach it.

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Check these prerequisites before changing Sequel Pro

Test the same SSH route and credentials outside the GUI. This prevents you from troubleshooting MySQL when the real failure is an SSH hostname, account, port, or key.

  1. Confirm the provider has enabled SSH for your account and note the exact SSH hostname and port.
  2. Confirm the operating-system username. It may differ from the MySQL username.
  3. Confirm whether authentication uses a private key, a key protected by a passphrase, or an SSH password.
  4. Determine where MySQL runs: on the SSH server itself or on another private host.
  5. Determine the MySQL listener port. The conventional value is 3306, but it is not guaranteed.
  6. Obtain the MySQL username, database password, and any required TLS settings from the database administrator.
  7. Check that the MySQL account is permitted to connect from the relevant host and that the server accepts TCP connections.

Remote MySQL access may be disabled by a hosting provider. That does not necessarily prevent an SSH tunnel: the database can remain private while the SSH server connects to it locally. You still need an SSH account and permission for the SSH host to reach the MySQL listener.

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Configure the SSH tab in Sequel Pro

Use the correct field for each credential

Sequel Pro field What it means Typical value
MySQL Host Database destination from the SSH server 127.0.0.1 when MySQL is on that server; otherwise a private database hostname or address
MySQL User Account inside MySQL The database username
MySQL Password Password for the MySQL account Database password, not the SSH password unless they happen to be identical
MySQL Port TCP port listened to by MySQL 3306 unless configured otherwise
SSH Host Machine that accepts the tunnel Hosting server or bastion hostname
SSH User Operating-system account on the SSH host Your shell-login account
SSH Key or Password Authentication for the SSH account The private key and optional passphrase, or SSH password
SSH Port Port on which the SSH daemon listens 22 unless the provider specifies another port

Enter the connection details

  1. Open Sequel Pro and select the SSH connection tab.
  2. Fill in the MySQL username and password. These authenticate to MySQL after the tunnel is established.
  3. Set MySQL Host to 127.0.0.1 if the database is on the SSH server. If the database is on another private machine, enter that machine’s private hostname or address.
  4. Enter the MySQL TCP port, normally 3306.
  5. Enter the bastion or hosting machine under SSH Host, then enter the operating-system account under SSH User.
  6. Select the private key Sequel Pro should use, or enter the SSH password if password authentication is enabled. If the key has a passphrase, provide it when prompted rather than replacing it with the MySQL password.
  7. Enter the SSH port, normally 22, and test the connection.

A successful SSH login followed by a MySQL authentication error means the tunnel exists and the remaining problem is on the database side. A forwarding error or connection refusal means Sequel Pro could not make the second leg from the SSH host to the configured MySQL destination.

Verify SSH independently in Terminal

Use the exact host, user, port, and key that you entered in Sequel Pro. For a nonstandard SSH port, substitute the provider’s value for 22:

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ssh -p 22 -i /path/to/private_key [email protected]

If the command cannot establish a shell session, fix the SSH hostname, port, account, key permissions, passphrase, or provider-side access before debugging MySQL. Do not infer that a MySQL password is correct from a successful SSH login; they are independent authentication systems.

Once logged in, test the database destination from the SSH server. Ask the administrator which utility is approved for the host. A TCP check to the selected database host and port can show whether routing and firewall rules permit the connection; a successful TCP check still does not prove that the MySQL username or authentication plugin is valid.

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Troubleshoot the specific failure

“SSH port forwarding failed” or “connection refused”

Check the problem in this order:

  • Verify SSH Host and SSH Port. A web address, control-panel URL, or MySQL hostname is not automatically the SSH endpoint.
  • Verify that the SSH account is allowed to create forwarding channels. Some administrators restrict forwarding even when interactive shell access works.
  • From the SSH server, verify that the configured MySQL host resolves and that the selected TCP port is reachable.
  • Confirm that mysqld is listening on TCP, not only on a local Unix socket, and that a firewall allows the SSH server to reach it.
  • Check the MySQL account’s host privileges. A correct password can still be rejected when the account is not permitted from the connection source.

Sequel Pro support guidance specifically points to TCP/IP support, the selected port, and privileges when an SSH forwarding attempt is refused.

The MySQL Host value is wrong

127.0.0.1 is evaluated on the SSH server. It is right for a MySQL instance installed on that server, but wrong for a database on a separate private host. For example, if the SSH server can reach db.internal.example on port 3306, use that private name in MySQL Host. Do not use the private database address merely because it works from another machine; it must be reachable from the SSH host.

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MySQL uses skip-networking

When MySQL is configured with skip-networking, it accepts local socket connections but does not listen for TCP. Sequel Pro’s normal SSH feature forwards TCP, so it cannot reach a socket-only instance. A Sequel Pro support discussion states that SSH tunneling does not work in this configuration.

An administrator must enable an appropriate TCP listener and secure it with firewall and account rules, or build a specialized socket bridge. Do not attempt to solve this by changing the client’s host field; no TCP endpoint exists for the tunnel to use.

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SSH succeeds, but MySQL authentication fails

Separate the two credential sets:

  • SSH credentials: SSH host, operating-system user, key or SSH password, and SSH port.
  • MySQL credentials: MySQL host, database user, database password, port, authentication plugin, and any TLS requirement.

Recheck the database username and password, then ask the administrator which authentication plugin the server requires and whether the Sequel Pro client supports it. A successful tunnel does not bypass MySQL authentication. If the server requires encrypted MySQL traffic, configure TLS as well as SSH; SSH alone may not encrypt the onward segment.

SSH works in Terminal, but Sequel Pro cannot use the key

Older macOS clients can fail while reading keys, invoking an agent, or opening files under newer sandbox rules. Confirm that Sequel Pro can access the selected private-key file and that the key format and passphrase are supported. If the GUI still fails, use the manual tunnel procedure below and connect through a Standard profile.

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Local socket errors appear in the client

A Unix socket is not the same as a TCP connection through SSH. Socket paths on macOS can also be inaccessible to sandboxed applications. Prefer TCP with 127.0.0.1 and the forwarded port when the server provides a TCP listener. If MySQL is intentionally socket-only, the administrator must provide a supported bridge or enable TCP.

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Use a manual tunnel when the built-in SSH mode fails

A manual tunnel lets Terminal handle SSH while Sequel Pro handles only MySQL. Choose an unused local port, such as 13306, rather than assuming local port 3306 is free.

Database on the SSH server

ssh -N -L 13306:127.0.0.1:3306 -p 22 [email protected]

The command stays open while the tunnel is active. Leave that Terminal window running. The left side, 13306, is the port on your Mac. The destination 127.0.0.1:3306 is evaluated on the SSH server.

Database on another private host

ssh -N -L 13306:db.internal.example:3306 -p 22 [email protected]

Here the SSH server connects onward to db.internal.example. It must be able to resolve and reach that private name.

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Point Sequel Pro at the local end

  1. Create or select a Standard connection profile in Sequel Pro.
  2. Set Host to 127.0.0.1.
  3. Set Port to 13306, or the local port you selected.
  4. Enter the MySQL username and password, not the SSH account credentials.
  5. Keep the Terminal tunnel running while testing and using the connection.
  6. When finished, stop the tunnel with Ctrl-C in Terminal.

If this works, the server route and MySQL credentials are valid; the original failure is in Sequel Pro’s SSH integration, key access, or macOS compatibility. If it fails in the same way, investigate the destination host, port, MySQL listener, privileges, or authentication settings instead.

Understand the security boundary

SSH encrypts the connection from your Mac to the SSH host. It does not automatically encrypt the onward connection from that SSH host to MySQL. On a single server, that second leg may remain inside the machine. If the SSH host reaches a separate database over an untrusted or shared network, configure MySQL TLS as well.

  • Verify the SSH host key fingerprint before accepting a new server, especially on a first connection or after a provider migration.
  • Protect private keys with appropriate filesystem permissions and a passphrase. Do not email unencrypted keys or place them in shared folders.
  • Use the narrowest SSH account and forwarding permissions that meet the task.
  • Restrict MySQL accounts to the required database and source hosts rather than granting broad access.
  • Do not embed passwords in command lines, connection strings, shell history, or saved URLs. Oracle’s MySQL documentation explicitly warns that specifying an explicit password in a connection specification is insecure and not recommended.
  • Close manual tunnels when they are no longer needed.

Choose the connection method that fits your network

Method Network reachability Encryption boundary Host and port entered in the client Authentication and compatibility
Standard connection MySQL must be reachable directly from the Mac, usually through a public or permitted network address. Not encrypted by SSH; use MySQL TLS when required. The actual MySQL host and port. Simplest client setup, but exposes a database endpoint to the network.
Sequel Pro SSH tab Only the SSH host must be reachable from the Mac; the SSH host must reach MySQL. Mac-to-SSH traffic is encrypted; SSH-host-to-MySQL traffic is separate. MySQL fields contain the destination as seen from the SSH host; SSH fields contain the bastion. Convenient when the client can read the key and operate correctly on the installed macOS version.
Manual SSH tunnel plus Standard profile Same private-routing requirements as SSH mode. Same encryption boundary as SSH mode. Sequel Pro uses 127.0.0.1 and the chosen local forwarded port. Useful when GUI key handling, agents, sockets, or sandbox permissions break built-in SSH.

When to move from Sequel Pro to a maintained client

Sequel Pro is an older open-source macOS client whose repository centers on the 2019 project era. Newer macOS releases can expose problems with sandbox access, SSH agents, key formats, and socket files even when the server is configured correctly.

Sequel Ace documents migration from Sequel Pro, SSH behavior, and workarounds for newer macOS sandboxing. Consider a maintained successor when Sequel Pro cannot authenticate a key that works in Terminal, cannot access a required socket, or repeatedly fails on the macOS version you use. Migrating the client does not change the underlying distinction between SSH credentials and MySQL credentials, nor does it remove the need for TCP reachability from the SSH host.

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A concise recovery checklist

  1. Log in with Terminal using the exact SSH host, user, port, and key planned for Sequel Pro.
  2. Identify whether MySQL is on that SSH host or on another private machine.
  3. Set MySQL Host to the database destination as seen from the SSH host—not automatically the public hostname.
  4. Use the actual MySQL listener port, normally 3306, and the actual SSH port, normally 22.
  5. Confirm MySQL is listening on TCP and that firewalls, routing, and account privileges permit the SSH host to connect.
  6. Keep MySQL and SSH credentials separate while testing.
  7. If the SSH tab fails but Terminal works, create a local ssh -N -L tunnel and use a Standard profile pointed at 127.0.0.1 and its local port.
  8. If the server uses skip-networking, involve the administrator; the normal Sequel Pro SSH feature cannot forward a socket-only MySQL service.
  9. Enable MySQL TLS when the SSH-host-to-database segment crosses a network you do not trust.

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