How to Connect to Postgres from WSL.txt

1. Ensure postgres-x86-14 service is running on Windows


2. 
In CMD, run:
ipconfig

In WSL2, run:
$ ip route | grep default

On Windows, look for the IP address under
the section Ethernet adapter vEthernet (WSL). 
This is usually the IP that your WSL 
instance can use to connect to the Windows host.

On Ubuntu instance, the IP address following
default via is typically the gateway IP that
WSL uses to access the Windows host. 
This is what you should use as the host IP
in your connection string.

They should be the same IP address...



3.
Open postgresql.conf in the PostgreSQL data directory, C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\<version>\data\postgresql.conf).
Confirm listen_addresses is set to '*' as in:

listen_addresses='*'



4.
Make sure that the Windows Firewall is not blocking connections to PostgreSQL:

Open the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
Create an inbound rule to allow TCP traffic on port 5432:
Inbound Rules > New Rule > Port > TCP > Specific local ports: 5432 > Allow the connection > Apply to all profiles (Domain, Private, Public) > Name the rule.
Ensure this rule is active and enabled.


5.Finally,
Replace <windows_ip> with the IP address you found via ipconfig or ip route,
<username> with your PostgreSQL username, and <database_name> with the name
of your database.

$ psql -h <windows_ip> -U <username> -d <database_name>





Troubleshooting Connection Issues


*Connection Timeout:

Ensure that the IP address is correct and that the firewall allows traffic on port 5432.
If using a specific IP does not work, try localhost or 127.0.0.1 from WSL,
as WSL's internal routing sometimes handles this differently.

*Network Conflicts:

If there’s a network conflict, consider disabling or reconfiguring the WSL
network adapter and retrying. 
ENSURE NO OTHER PROCESSES OR SERVICES ARE USING 5432 ON EITHER WSL OR WINDOWS.