How to Access Your phpMyAdmin Database on XAMPP Remotely from Another Computer

Accessing your phpMyAdmin database on XAMPP from another computer is a common requirement for managing databases in a networked environment. This comprehensive guide walks through the steps to configure your XAMPP installation and phpMyAdmin to allow remote access from any device on the same network. By the end of this guide, you will have the necessary knowledge to securely and effectively manage your databases from a distance.

Step 1: Configuring XAMPP

The first step involves modifying the Apache and MySQL configurations on the XAMPP machine to allow remote access.

1.1 Opening the XAMPP Control Panel

To access your database, you need to have the XAMPP Control Panel running. Launch the XAMPP Control Panel on the computer where XAMPP is installed.

Step 2: Configuring Apache to Allow Remote Access

In order to allow access to Apache from other computers, you need to modify the file. This configuration file is typically found in the C:/xampp/apache/conf/extra directory.

2.1 Editing the File

Open the file and look for the following line:

Directory "|Apache Src|htdocs"
   AllowOverride AuthConfig
   Require local
/Directory

Change the Require local directive to Require all granted. This allows any IP address to access the Apache server. The modified line should look like this:

Directory "|Apache Src|htdocs"
   AllowOverride AuthConfig
   Require all granted
/Directory

Step 3: Configuring MySQL to Accept Remote Connections

To enable remote connections to MySQL, you need to modify the MySQL configuration file, which can typically be found in Alternatively, if you are using XAMPP, the file might be located at

3.1 Editing the MySQL Configuration File

Open the MySQL configuration file and look for the line that starts with bind-address. By default, it may look like this:

bind-address  127.0.0.1

To accept connections from any IP address, you have two options. You can either comment out the line by adding a # at the beginning, or you can change the value to 0.0.0.0, which is shorthand for all interfaces.

Step 4: Restart XAMPP Services

After making these changes, restart the Apache and MySQL services in the XAMPP Control Panel. This ensures that the new configurations take effect.

Step 5: Finding Your Local IP Address

Now that the configurations are set, you need to find the local IP address of the XAMPP machine.

5.1 Getting the IP Address

Open Command Prompt on the XAMPP machine and type the command ipconfig. Look for the IPv4 address of your network connection, which might appear as 192.168.1.100 or a similar address.

Step 6: Accessing phpMyAdmin Remotely

Once you have the IP address of the XAMPP machine, you can access phpMyAdmin from another computer.

6.1 Opening a Web Browser

On the computer you wish to connect from, open a web browser.

6.2 Entering the URL

Enter the address of the phpMyAdmin interface using the local IP address of the XAMPP machine. For example, if your XAMPP machine has an IP address of 192.168.1.100, you would enter:

http://192.168.1.100/phpmyadmin

Step 7: Logging In to phpMyAdmin

Enter the username and password you use to log in to phpMyAdmin. By default, the username might be root with no password if none has been set.

Add Security Considerations for Remote Access

While the above steps will allow you to access your phpMyAdmin database remotely, it is important to consider additional security measures:

Security Measures

Firewall Settings

Ensure that the firewall on your XAMPP machine allows incoming connections on ports 80 (HTTP) and 3306 (MySQL).

Security Risks

Allowing access from any IP address can pose a security risk. Consider restricting access to specific IP addresses or set up a more secure authentication method. Additionally, always monitor your database for unauthorized access.

Following these steps, you should be able to remotely access your phpMyAdmin database from another computer within the same network.