For Home Assistant Container in ordinary Docker bridge mode, publish the web server with 8123:8123 over TCP. The official Linux Container example instead uses network_mode: host, where the container shares the host network and a ports: section is unnecessary and rejected by Docker. HomeKit Bridge adds mDNS on UDP 5353 and a TCP bridge port of 21063 by default. Do not forward 8123 directly to the public internet; use Home Assistant Cloud or a VPN, or configure a reverse proxy and its trust settings correctly.
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The short answer: choose ports from your network mode
Home Assistant Container has one port that almost every installation needs: TCP 8123. It serves the frontend, REST API and WebSocket endpoint. In bridge networking, Docker keeps the container on an isolated network, so clients on your LAN cannot reach that service until you publish a host-to-container mapping. The normal mapping is 8123:8123; the first number is the host port and the second is the container port.
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Host networking works differently. With network_mode: host, the container uses the host’s network stack directly. Home Assistant listens on the host network, so there is no translation layer and no ports: block to add. Docker Compose treats host networking and published ports as mutually exclusive.
| Use case | Compose choice | Port or networking requirement | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web UI, REST and WebSocket API in bridge mode | Default bridge network with ports: |
TCP 8123:8123, or another host port mapped to container port 8123 |
Creates the host-to-container path clients need |
| Official Linux Container style | network_mode: host |
No ports: section |
The container already uses every host interface and port it listens on |
| HomeKit Bridge | Bridge networking with multicast support, or host networking | UDP 5353 and TCP 21063 by default | mDNS advertises the bridge; TCP carries HomeKit traffic |
| SSDP or UPnP discovery | Usually host networking or a correctly configured multicast relay | No single universal TCP port | Discovery depends on LAN broadcast and multicast visibility |
| Remote access from outside the home | VPN or Home Assistant Cloud preferred | Avoid direct public forwarding of 8123 | Reduces exposure of the Home Assistant service |
What TCP 8123 actually provides
TCP 8123 is Home Assistant Container’s default HTTP server port. Opening it on the local network gives browsers access to the dashboard and lets clients use the REST and WebSocket APIs. It is not a separate port for each dashboard, integration or device: the frontend and those APIs share this listener.
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The server port can be changed in Home Assistant at Settings > System > Network. If you change it, the number clients connect to must match the new value. In bridge mode, the container-side port in Compose must match Home Assistant’s configured listening port, while the host-side port may be different. For example, mapping 8080:8123 makes users browse to port 8080 on the Docker host while Home Assistant still listens on 8123 inside the container.
Bridge mode: publish the web interface correctly
Use bridge mode when you want explicit port publishing and are comfortable handling discovery requirements separately. A minimal Compose service for the web interface is:
services:
homeassistant:
image: ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable
ports:
- '8123:8123'After starting the service, connect to the Docker host’s address on port 8123, such as http://host-address:8123. The mapping does not change the container’s internal port; it tells Docker to listen on host port 8123 and forward TCP traffic to port 8123 in the container.
Map a different host port
A host port can be changed when 8123 is already occupied:
ports:
- '8080:8123'Clients then use http://host-address:8080. Keep the second number at the port Home Assistant is configured to use. Changing only the host-side number does not require a Home Assistant setting change; changing the container-side number does.
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Start and verify the service
- Save the Compose file and check its syntax with
docker compose config. - Start or recreate the service with
docker compose up -d. - Open the mapped host address and port from a device on the same LAN.
- If the page does not load, inspect the service logs with
docker compose logs homeassistantand verify that another process is not already using the host port.
A working browser connection proves only that TCP web traffic reaches Home Assistant. It does not prove that multicast discovery traffic can cross the Docker bridge.
Host networking: why there is no ports section
The official Linux Container example uses:
services:
homeassistant:
image: ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable
network_mode: hostIn this mode, Home Assistant binds directly to the host network stack. The host’s interfaces, routes and listening ports are visible to the container, which is why integrations that depend on local multicast or broadcast often work more reliably.
Do not add:
ports:
- '8123:8123'to that same service. Docker documents that host mode already exposes the container on the host network and that port mapping is unsupported. Compose may reject the configuration rather than starting the container. Remove ports: when using host mode, then connect to the host address and Home Assistant’s configured server port.
HomeKit Bridge requires two kinds of traffic
HomeKit Bridge is not just another client of the web interface. Its pairing and discovery path uses mDNS (also called Zeroconf) and a separate TCP listener.
| Traffic | Default value | Function |
|---|---|---|
| mDNS | UDP 5353 | Advertises the Home Assistant bridge on the local network; Home Assistant advertises _home-assistant._tcp.local. for instance discovery |
| HomeKit Bridge connection | TCP 21063 | Carries HomeKit traffic after discovery and pairing |
If the integration’s port option has been changed, use that configured TCP value instead of 21063 in firewall and network rules. The UDP 5353 requirement remains the mDNS discovery channel.
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When the bridge does not appear in the Home app
- Confirm Home Assistant itself is reachable at its normal web address.
- Check whether the Docker network can pass UDP multicast, not only TCP 8123.
- Allow UDP 5353 between the HomeKit controller and the host running Home Assistant.
- Allow the configured HomeKit Bridge TCP port, 21063 by default.
- If bridge networking still prevents discovery, switch the container to
network_mode: host, which the HomeKit documentation recommends for Docker pairing problems. - For an intentionally isolated Docker network, deploy an mDNS forwarder such as Avahi in reflector mode and configure it to relay between the relevant interfaces.
Publishing 8123 alone cannot make mDNS work. Discovery packets are multicast and are not reproduced by an ordinary one-to-one TCP port mapping.
SSDP, UPnP and other discovery integrations
SSDP/UPnP integrations discover devices through local broadcast or multicast announcements. There is no single extra TCP port that you can publish to substitute for that behavior. A browser request to http://host:8123 can succeed while SSDP discovery fails because the two paths use different network mechanisms.
Use host networking when an integration requires direct LAN visibility. If host mode is not suitable, use a correctly configured multicast relay that forwards discovery traffic between the Docker bridge and the LAN. The relay must preserve the multicast behavior the integration expects; adding arbitrary TCP mappings will not solve an SSDP problem.
Binding a published port safely
Compose’s short port syntax is [HOST:]CONTAINER[/PROTOCOL]. If you omit a host IP, Docker binds the published port to 0.0.0.0, meaning all host interfaces. That can include interfaces you did not intend to expose.
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ports:
- '192.168.1.10:8123:8123'This accepts connections on the host’s 192.168.1.10 interface rather than every interface. Keep the operating-system firewall aligned with the same policy: allow the LAN sources that need Home Assistant and block untrusted networks. If you bind to a loopback address such as 127.0.0.1, only software on the Docker host can connect directly; a reverse proxy on that host can still reach it, but other LAN devices cannot.
Why direct internet forwarding is a poor default
Forwarding TCP 8123 from a router to the Docker host makes the Home Assistant login service reachable from the public internet. Home Assistant’s remote-access guidance recommends Home Assistant Cloud or a VPN instead. Those approaches avoid turning the default web listener into a directly exposed endpoint.
A reverse proxy can be used when you understand the additional configuration. Home Assistant must be configured to trust the proxy correctly; otherwise forwarded client information and security checks can be wrong. The proxy should terminate external connections, enforce its own access policy and forward only the traffic you intend. Do not assume that changing 8123 to an obscure host port makes public exposure safe.
Changing ports without breaking the installation
Changing only the host port
Use a mapping such as 8080:8123 when you need a different external port on the Docker host. Home Assistant continues listening on 8123, and users connect to host port 8080. Update bookmarks, local firewall rules and any reverse proxy upstream address.
Changing Home Assistant’s server port
Change the value under Settings > System > Network, then make the container-side Compose mapping match it. If Home Assistant listens on 8124 inside the container, a corresponding mapping is 8124:8124, or 8080:8124 when you want host port 8080. A mismatch leaves Docker forwarding to a port on which no Home Assistant listener exists.
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Changing the HomeKit Bridge port
When the integration’s HomeKit port option is changed, update the firewall and any network policy to the new TCP value. mDNS still uses UDP 5353 for discovery. Re-pairing may be necessary if the bridge identity or advertised endpoint changes.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The browser cannot open Home Assistant
- In bridge mode, confirm a
ports:mapping exists and that its host port is the one in the URL. - Check that the container is running and that no other process owns the host port.
- Verify the host firewall allows the intended LAN source.
- Confirm the URL uses the Docker host address, not an address that exists only inside the container network.
- If you changed the server port, ensure the container-side mapping matches Home Assistant’s configured listener.
Compose reports an error about host mode and ports
Remove the entire ports: section when network_mode: host is present. Host networking exposes the service through the host stack and does not support Docker’s port-publishing mechanism.
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Check UDP 5353 multicast reachability and the HomeKit Bridge TCP port, 21063 by default. If the container is in bridge mode, try host networking or provide an mDNS reflector. A successful web request checks only unicast TCP, not discovery.
Devices are not found by SSDP or UPnP
Check multicast and broadcast visibility between the container and the LAN. Prefer host networking or deploy a suitable discovery relay. Do not spend time adding unrelated TCP mappings; SSDP has no universal published web port.
Remote access works only from inside the house
Do not solve this by forwarding 8123 publicly as a first step. Set up a VPN or Home Assistant Cloud. If you choose a reverse proxy, configure Home Assistant to trust that proxy and verify its external access controls.
Quick Recap
A practical port checklist
- Use TCP 8123 for the default Home Assistant web, REST and WebSocket service.
- In bridge mode, publish a host-to-container mapping such as
8123:8123. - In host mode, omit
ports:entirely. - For HomeKit Bridge, provide UDP 5353 and TCP 21063 unless the integration is configured with another bridge port.
- For SSDP, Zeroconf and similar integrations, provide multicast visibility through host networking or a correctly configured relay.
- Remember that an omitted host IP binds to all interfaces (
0.0.0.0); specify an interface when narrower exposure is required. - Use a VPN or Home Assistant Cloud for access from outside the home instead of directly forwarding 8123.
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