How to Fix "Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused" Error with Homebrew?

To fix the “Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused” error when we use Homebrew, we need to make sure that the Redis service is started and set up correctly. This error often happens when the Redis server is not running or is not set up right. This stops our application from connecting to Redis on port 6379. By following the steps in this guide, we can get access to our Redis server back quickly.

In this article, we will look at why the “Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused” error happens. We will give step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot and fix the issue. We will check if Redis is installed, start the Redis service using Homebrew, set up Redis to accept connections, and check if Redis is running correctly. The solutions we will talk about are:

How to Fix Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379 Connection Refused Error with Homebrew
What Causes the Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379 Connection Refused Error
How to Check if Redis is Installed with Homebrew
How to Start Redis Service with Homebrew
How to Configure Redis to Accept Connections
How to Verify Redis is Running Properly
Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s get started with fixing the error.

What Causes the Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379 Connection Refused Error

The “Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused” error usually means that Redis is not running or it has wrong settings. Here are the main reasons why this can happen:

Redis Server Not Running: We need the Redis server to be running so it can accept connections. If it is not started, it will refuse our connection.
```
brew services list
```
We should check the status of Redis. If it is not running, we must start it.
Incorrect Host or Port: We must make sure we connect to the right host and port. The default Redis port is 6379, and the default host is 127.0.0.1.
Firewall or Security Settings: Sometimes, local firewall rules or security settings can block the connection to Redis. We need to check that our firewall allows traffic on port 6379.
```
sudo ufw allow 6379
```
Redis Configuration Issues: The Redis configuration file (redis.conf) may have settings that stop connections. We should look for the bind line. It should list 127.0.0.1 or be commented out to let connections from all interfaces.
```
bind 127.0.0.1
```
Insufficient Permissions: If we installed Redis in a place with restrictions or under a different user, it may not have the right permissions to use the port.
Resource Limitations: System limits (like memory or file descriptors) may stop Redis from starting correctly. We should check system logs for any errors about resources.
Corrupted Redis Instance: Sometimes, a broken Redis instance can stop it from working well. We need to check the Redis logs for any error messages that show a problem.

We should check these points to fix the connection issue. For more help, we can look at the Redis documentation for more details.

How to Check if Redis is Installed with Homebrew

To check if we have Redis on our system using Homebrew, we can use this command in the terminal:

brew list | grep redis

If Redis is installed, we will see the Redis package name. If we see no output, it means Redis is not installed.

To get more details about the Redis installation, like its version, we can run:

brew info redis

This command shows us the version of Redis installed, the installation path, and other useful information. If Redis is not installed, it will say that Redis is not installed.

If we need to install Redis, we can do it with this command:

brew install redis

After we install it, we should check again with the brew list or brew info commands to make sure it installed correctly.

How to Start Redis Service with Homebrew

To start the Redis service with Homebrew on macOS, we can follow these steps:

Open Terminal: We need to open the terminal application.
Check Redis Installation: We should make sure Redis is installed correctly. We can check this by running:
```
brew list | grep redis
```
If Redis is installed, we will see it in the output.
Start Redis Service: We can start the Redis service by using this command:
```
brew services start redis
```
This command starts Redis and sets it to launch automatically when we log in.
Check Service Status: To see if Redis is running, we can check the service status with:
```
brew services list
```
We should look for “redis” in the list and make sure its status is “started”.
Access Redis CLI: After Redis is running, we can connect to it using the Redis command-line interface:
```
redis-cli
```
This command connects us to the Redis server running on 127.0.0.1:6379.

By following these steps, we can start the Redis service with Homebrew. If we have problems, we need to check if other apps are using port 6379. We can also look at the Redis installation guide for help.

How to Configure Redis to Accept Connections

To set up Redis so it can accept connections, we need to change the Redis configuration file. This file is often named redis.conf. On macOS, when we install with Homebrew, we usually find it at /usr/local/etc/redis.conf. Let’s follow these steps to make sure Redis is set up right.

Open the Redis Configuration File:

Open the Redis config file using your favorite text editor.
```
nano /usr/local/etc/redis.conf
```
Bind to the Desired Interface:

By default, Redis binds to 127.0.0.1. This means only localhost can connect. If we want to allow connections from other computers, we need to change the bind line.
```
bind 0.0.0.0
```
This change lets Redis accept connections from any IP address. Be careful with this in production. Make sure you have good firewall rules and authentication set up.
Enable or Disable Protected Mode:

Redis runs in protected mode by default. If we want to let external connections, we have to turn off protected mode unless we use a password.
```
protected-mode no
```
If we want to keep protected mode on, we need to set a strong password in the next step.
Set a Password for Security (Optional but Recommended):

To keep our Redis instance safe, we should set a password. Change this line in the config:
```
requirepass your_secure_password
```
Adjust the Port Setting (If Needed):

The default port for Redis is 6379. If we want to use a different port, change the port line:
```
port 6379
```
Save Changes and Exit:

After we make the changes, we save the file and exit the editor. In nano, we press CTRL + X, then Y, and Enter.
Restart the Redis Service:

To apply our changes, we need to restart the Redis service with Homebrew:
```
brew services restart redis
```
Verify the Configuration:

We can check if Redis accepts connections by using the Redis CLI. Connect to our Redis instance like this:
```
redis-cli -h your_ip_address -p 6379 -a your_secure_password
```

By following these steps, we can configure Redis to accept connections from outside clients securely. For more information about installing and setting up Redis, check this installation guide.

How to Verify Redis is Running Properly

We can check if Redis is running well using a few methods. Here are the steps to see the status of our Redis server:

Check Redis Service Status: If we installed Redis with Homebrew, we can check if the service is running by using this command:
```
brew services list
```
We need to find redis in the list and make sure it says started.
Use Redis CLI: We can connect to the Redis server using the Redis command-line interface (CLI). We can run this command:
```
redis-cli ping
```
If Redis is working fine, it should reply with:
```
PONG
```
Check Redis Logs: If we see problems, we should look at the Redis logs for error messages. The log file is usually at /usr/local/var/log/redis.log. We can see the logs with this command:
```
tail -f /usr/local/var/log/redis.log
```
Inspect Redis Configuration: We should check that the configuration file (redis.conf) is set up right. We need to look for these important settings:
- bind 127.0.0.1 (this makes sure Redis listens on the right IP)
- port 6379 (this is the default port for Redis)
The configuration file is often at /usr/local/etc/redis.conf. We should check this file for any mistakes.
Check Memory Usage: We can use this command to check memory usage and make sure Redis is working as expected:
```
redis-cli info memory
```
This command gives us details about memory use. It shows used memory, peak memory, and memory fragmentation.
Test Data Persistence: To make sure data is saved correctly, we can set a key and then get it back:
```
redis-cli set testkey "Hello Redis"
redis-cli get testkey
```
The answer should be:
```
"Hello Redis"
```

These steps will help us know if our Redis server is working well and set up correctly. For more details on how to install and use Redis, we can check this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does the “Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused” error mean?

The error “Could Not Connect to Redis at 127.0.0.1:6379: Connection Refused” means that the Redis server is not running. It also means that we cannot access it on the default port 6379. This can happen for many reasons. The Redis service might not be started. The firewall settings could block the connection. Or there might be mistakes in the configuration settings. To fix this, we need to check that the Redis service is running and is set up correctly.

2. How can I check if Redis is running on my machine?

To see if Redis is running on your machine, we can use this command in the terminal:

redis-cli ping

If Redis is active, we will get a reply of “PONG.” If we see an error message, it might mean Redis is not running or is not reachable. For more detailed steps on how to install Redis, we can look at How do I install Redis?.

3. How do I start the Redis service using Homebrew?

If we installed Redis with Homebrew, we can start the service using this command in the terminal:

brew services start redis

This command will start the Redis service. After that, we can connect to it at 127.0.0.1:6379. If we have problems, we should check the logs for any errors that explain what happened.

4. What common configuration issues can cause the Redis connection refused error?

Some common configuration problems that can cause the “connection refused” error include wrong binding addresses in the Redis configuration file (redis.conf). We need to make sure the bind line includes 127.0.0.1 and that protected-mode is set right. Also, check that the port number is correct and that no other services are using port 6379.

5. How can I verify that Redis is configured correctly?

To check if Redis is set up correctly, we can look at the Redis logs for any error messages. We can also run this command:

redis-cli info

This command shows us the server configuration and stats on how it is running. If Redis works well, we should see important details about the server’s status and performance.

For more on Redis features, we can read about Redis data types or how to work with Redis strings.