[postgresql] Postgresql : Connection refused. Check that the hostname and port are correct and that the postmaster is accepting TCP/IP connections

I am trying to connect postgresql but I am getting this error.

org.postgresql.util.PSQLException: Connection refused. Check that the hostname and port are correct and that the postmaster is accepting TCP/IP connections.

My pg_hba.conf file is like this.

 TYPE  DATABASE        USER            CIDR-ADDRESS            METHOD

# IPv4 local connections:
host    all             all             127.0.0.1/32            md5
# IPv6 local connections:
host    all             all             ::1/128                 md5

I would be much obliged if anyone please be so kind enough to explain whats hoing on here and how should I correct it.

This question is related to postgresql

The answer is


The error you quote has nothing to do with pg_hba.conf; it's failing to connect, not failing to authorize the connection.

Do what the error message says:

Check that the hostname and port are correct and that the postmaster is accepting TCP/IP connections

You haven't shown the command that produces the error. Assuming you're connecting on localhost port 5432 (the defaults for a standard PostgreSQL install), then either:

  • PostgreSQL isn't running

  • PostgreSQL isn't listening for TCP/IP connections (listen_addresses in postgresql.conf)

  • PostgreSQL is only listening on IPv4 (0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1) and you're connecting on IPv6 (::1) or vice versa. This seems to be an issue on some older Mac OS X versions that have weird IPv6 socket behaviour, and on some older Windows versions.

  • PostgreSQL is listening on a different port to the one you're connecting on

  • (unlikely) there's an iptables rule blocking loopback connections

(If you are not connecting on localhost, it may also be a network firewall that's blocking TCP/IP connections, but I'm guessing you're using the defaults since you didn't say).

So ... check those:

  • ps -f -u postgres should list postgres processes

  • sudo lsof -n -u postgres |grep LISTEN or sudo netstat -ltnp | grep postgres should show the TCP/IP addresses and ports PostgreSQL is listening on

BTW, I think you must be on an old version. On my 9.3 install, the error is rather more detailed:

$ psql -h localhost -p 12345
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused
        Is the server running on host "localhost" (::1) and accepting
        TCP/IP connections on port 12345?