Home Assistant Local 8123: How to Open homeassistant.local:8123
Type http://homeassistant.local:8123 into a browser on the same network. If that page does not load, use your Home Assistant device's IP address with port 8123, then work through the checks in this guide.
Three addresses to try, in order
Each address opens the same Home Assistant web interface. Try them in this order.
| Address | Use it when | Why it can work |
|---|---|---|
http://homeassistant.local:8123 | You are on the same local network and the default name loads | The .local name is resolved on your local network through mDNS. |
http://<IP address>:8123 | The .local name does not load | The browser connects directly to the device's address. Replace <IP address> with the address from the next section. |
http://homeassistant:8123 | Your router or DNS setup resolves the short name to Home Assistant | The short name works only when your network maps it to the device. |
Find your Home Assistant IP address
Use one of these methods to find the address. The examples below use 192.168.1.50 as a placeholder; your address will differ.
Open your router's admin page, look through the connected devices or DHCP client list, and find the entry for the device running Home Assistant.
On the device running Home Assistant, run ip addr on Linux and read the inet address on the active network connection, or run ipconfig on Windows and read the IPv4 Address.
Reserve that address in your router's DHCP settings so it stays the same after a restart.
Check the connection in this order
Work through these checks in order. Each step narrows down the cause.
1. Network
Confirm that Home Assistant is running and that your browser device is on the same local network.
2. Network mode
If Home Assistant runs in a virtual machine or container, confirm that its network mode lets other devices on your LAN reach it. The next section lists the common setups.
3. Firewall
Confirm that the device running Home Assistant allows inbound TCP connections on port 8123.
4. mDNS
Confirm that your network passes mDNS traffic for the homeassistant.local name. Some routers, guest networks, and mesh Wi-Fi systems block it. If the name fails, use the IP address instead.
Container and virtual machine network differences
The address that works depends on how Home Assistant is hosted.
| Setup | Address to try | Common cause of failure |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Device | http://homeassistant.local:8123 | Router isolation or blocked mDNS |
| VM (Bridged) | http://<VM IP address>:8123 | Rarely a problem; VM has its own IP |
| VM (NAT) | http://<host IP>:8123 | Only works from host unless port-forwarded |
| Docker (Port) | http://<host IP>:8123 | Port 8123 not published (-p 8123:8123) |
| Docker (Host) | http://<host IP>:8123 | Shares host network; check host firewall |
Verify the connection from a browser or terminal
Use these checks to confirm that Home Assistant answers on port 8123. Replace <IP address> with your Home Assistant address.
Open
http://<IP address>:8123in a private browser window to rule out cached redirects.Test port acceptance in terminal:
nc -zv <IP address> 8123Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <IP address> -Port 8123
If the port check succeeds but the browser still fails, the network path is working and the problem is in the browser or a redirect.
Why the default address uses port 8123
Home Assistant serves its web interface on port 8123 by default. Browsers use port 80 for plain http when no port is typed, so :8123 is required for a direct connection.
Home Assistant's official onboarding documentation lists http://homeassistant.local:8123 as the address to try first, and gives http://<host>:8123 for Home Assistant Container.
Default addresses and port behavior can change between Home Assistant releases. Confirm the current version's documentation if your setup differs from this guide.
Common follow-up questions
Q. Why does http://homeassistant.local:8123 not load?
The most common causes are that the device is off or on a different network, the network does not pass mDNS traffic, or a virtual machine or container is not reachable from your LAN. Use the IP address while you check each cause.
Q. Is homeassistant:8123 the same as homeassistant.local:8123?
No. homeassistant:8123 depends on your router or DNS resolving the short name. homeassistant.local:8123 depends on mDNS. Either can fail, and the IP address works when both fail.
Q. Will my Home Assistant IP address change?
It can, if your router assigns addresses dynamically. Reserve the address in your router's DHCP settings to keep it stable.
Q. Can I open Home Assistant from outside my home network?
Remote access, reverse proxies, and external access setups are outside the scope of this guide.
Still installing Home Assistant?
If Home Assistant is not running yet, start with the Raspberry Pi setup guide, then return here to open the web interface.