# Problems accessing Neo4j Server

**URL:** https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102
**Category:** Server
**Created:** [August 12, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102 "2025-08-12T15:54:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![joost.rehder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/joost.rehder/32/35780_2.png) [@joost.rehder](https://community.neo4j.com/u/joost.rehder)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102/1 "2025-08-12T15:54:21Z")

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Im running an instance of neo4j community installed via apt on my headless server. I managed to get a browser instance running on \<my\_server\_ip\>:7474 by adding the lines server.default\_listen\_address=0.0.0.0 and server.default\_advertised\_address=\<my\_server\_ip\>.  
However i cannot connect through neo4j-desktop.  
I dont know if i actually need to get it working through neo4j-desktop, but it would be nice. Im overwhelmed by the number of unhelpful (because not enough info) or outdated docs. If anyone could give me a direction, that would be nice.

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### Author: ![joost.rehder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/joost.rehder/32/35780_2.png) [@joost.rehder](https://community.neo4j.com/u/joost.rehder)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102/2 "2025-08-12T16:07:28Z")

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Running the server with `sudo runuser -l neo4j -c 'neo4j start’` instead of `sudo runuser -l neo4j -c 'neo4j console'` worked. Now it is suddenly accesible through neo4j-desktop.

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### Author: ![dana\_canzano](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/dana_canzano/32/27392_2.png) [@dana\_canzano](https://community.neo4j.com/u/dana_canzano)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102/3 "2025-08-12T17:43:16Z")

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@joost.rehder

just a point of clarification. `neo4j console` is a foreground process, whereas `neo4j start` is a background process. If you start as console and you then terminate the connection from where neo4j console was run then you can no longer connect. However if you start as `neo4j start` and then terminate the connection from where `neo4j start` was run, you will still be able to connect

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### Author: ![joost.rehder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/joost.rehder/32/35780_2.png) [@joost.rehder](https://community.neo4j.com/u/joost.rehder)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2025, 8:14am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/problems-accessing-neo4j-server/75102/4 "2025-08-13T08:14:52Z")

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Obviously. But running `neo4j console`, I was able to connect via \<my\_server\_ip\>:7474 as I said, just not with the neo4j desktop aplication. Running now with `neo4j start` I am able to connect via neo4j desktop.  
And since I dont think I changed any config between running console and start, it could be that start uses the config slightly different.