Allowing external connections to the PostgreSQL DBMS

The file should be edited to allow external connections to the data base server pg_hba.conf and restart the PostgreSQL Database Server service.

The file pg_hba.conf is located in C:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\<version number>\data. You can edit it in any text editor or with the pgAdmin utility.

To configure external connections using the pgAdmin utility:

  1. Run the pgAdmin utility.
  2. In the File menu, select Open pg_hba.conf....

  3. Select pg_hba.conf to configure the external connections.
  4. In the window that opens, double-click in the empty checkbox for adding a new authorized connection.

  5. Specify the connection parameters:
    • Enabled - Set the checkbox. If the checkbox is cleared, the connection will be preserved in pg_hba.conf as a comment, i.e. it will be inactive.
    • Type - Select "Host" from the dropdown list (authorization at the host level).
    • Database - Select "All" from the dropdown list (the connection is authorized to all databases).
    • User - Select "All" from the dropdown list (the connection is authorized for all users).
    • IP Address - Specify the range of IP addresses (given as [IP address/Mask]) from which the connection will be made. For example: "192.168.1.112/32".
    • Method - Select "md5" (the type of encryption for data transmission).

    Tip

    All addresses correspond to a "zero" subnet mask (signified by /0). A specific IPv4 address corresponds to a subnet mask with a 32-bit prefix (signified by /32).

  6. If needed, add other connections in a similar manner (see step 5).
  7. Press CTRL+S to save pg_hba.conf , and close the pgAdmin utility.

To configure external connections using a text editor:

  1. Open pg_hba.conf using a text editor (for example, Notepad).
  2. Find the following line in the file:

    # Ipv4 local connections

  3. In the list that follows, at a record that corresponds to the range of IP addresses of the computers from which the connection will be made.

    For example:

    host all all 192.168.0.7/32 md5

    where:

    • "host" means authorization at the host level.
    • "all all" means access is available for all users to all databases.
    • "192.168.0.7/32" is the range of IP addresses of the computers from which the connection will be made, given as [IP address/Mask]; in this case, it represents a single IP address.
    • "md5" is the type of encryption for data transmission.

See also