Hey everyone,
I'm facing an issue and I hope someone can help me out. I keep getting the following error: "SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused". I am completely clueless about what's causing it and how to fix it.
Here's a bit of context: I'm currently working on a web application that involves connecting to a MySQL database. I'm using PHP to handle the database operations. However, whenever I try to establish a connection to the database using the necessary credentials (host, port, username, password), I receive the mentioned error.
I have double-checked all the connection details and they seem to be correct. I even tried connecting to the database using a different client and it worked perfectly fine. This makes me think that there might be an issue with my code or configuration.
I'm using a local development environment on my macOS machine with XAMPP installed. The MySQL server is running on the same machine. I've tried restarting the server, as well as restarting my machine, but the error persists.
I would greatly appreciate any guidance or suggestions on how to troubleshoot and resolve this error. If there's any additional information or specific logs you need to assist me better, please let me know.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey folks,
I had encountered a similar problem a while back, and I wanted to share my experience in tackling the "SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused" error. I hope it proves useful to those facing the same issue.
When I faced this error, it turned out that my MySQL service was not running. To verify this, you can open your command prompt or terminal and enter the command "service mysql status" (for Linux) or "net start mysql" (for Windows) to check the status or start the service, if necessary.
If the service is running but you're still unable to connect, it could be due to an incorrectly configured MySQL server or issues with your MySQL client settings. Ensure that the host, port, username, and password you are using to connect are accurate.
Sometimes, the issue can also be related to server load or resource constraints. In my case, restarting the MySQL service helped alleviate this problem. You can try executing the command "service mysql restart" (Linux) or "net stop mysql" followed by "net start mysql" (Windows) to restart the service.
Another aspect to consider is network connectivity. Make sure that your machine can reach the MySQL server. Try pinging the server's IP address to verify connectivity.
Furthermore, verify if your MySQL server allows remote connections. By default, MySQL may listen to connections only on the local loopback interface. You might need to update the MySQL configuration file (usually "my.cnf" or "my.ini") to allow remote connections by modifying the "bind-address" parameter.
Lastly, don't forget to check your firewall settings. The firewall might be blocking the connections to the MySQL server. Ensure that the necessary ports (typically 3306 for MySQL) are open or add an exception for the MySQL service.
I hope these suggestions help you in resolving the "Connection refused" error. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!
Best regards,
[Your Name]