Testing an SQL connection

follow these steps to explore data in an sql database step 1 install an sql client a sql client is a tool that lets you connect to and interact with a database popular options dbeaver (free, cross platform) tableplus (mac/windows, paid with free trial) azure data studio (free, good for sql server) install an sql client choosing one of the above or another client of your choice step 2 gather connection details before connecting, you’ll need some info (usually from your team or it) host / server – where the database lives port – often 5432 (postgresql) or 3306 (mysql) database name which database to use username & password your login credentials (if needed) step 3 browse sql tables/views open your sql client enter the connection details test the connection once connected, look for a tables or views section double click a table to preview the data troubleshooting connection timeout check host/port are correct, confirm you’re on the right network check if you would need a vpn to access the database invalid credentials check your credentials are correct request a reset for your credentials if needed no tables/views showing make sure your reader has the correct permissions/privileges to read data timezone differences data might look “off” (e g , today’s data seems an hour behind/ahead) confirm the database timezone vs your local timezone slow query results large tables can take time to load try using a limit or filter by date when previewing