Studi Eksperimental terhadap Permasalahan Akses Localhost pada Docker Desktop Berbasis Windows

Abstract

Docker has become a widely adopted containerization platform due to its ability to provide consistency, portability, and efficiency in application development and deployment processes. Despite its advantages, the implementation of Docker on Windows-based environments frequently encounters technical challenges, particularly related to the inability to access containerized applications through localhost, even when containers are running properly. This issue often leads to confusion among developers and hinders local testing and debugging activities. Therefore, this study aims to experimentally investigate the underlying causes and effective solutions for localhost access failures in Docker Desktop running on the Windows operating system. This research employs an experimental method by deploying a containerized web server as a case study and systematically observing the behavior of localhost access under various configuration scenarios. The experimental stages include container execution, port mapping configuration, localhost access testing via web browsers, log observation, and iterative troubleshooting. Several technical factors were examined, including port mapping conflicts, firewall restrictions, Docker daemon stability, and the behavior of Docker’s internal networking in a Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) environment. The experimental results indicate that localhost access failures are not caused by a single factor but arise from the interaction of multiple system components. Incorrect or conflicting port usage, restrictive firewall settings, and instability in Docker daemon services were identified as dominant factors contributing to access failure. Furthermore, the additional virtualization layer introduced by Docker Desktop and WSL2 increases network complexity, which can disrupt request forwarding from the host system to containers. The study demonstrates that applying a structured troubleshooting approach—such as using alternative ports, adjusting firewall permissions, and restarting Docker services—effectively restores stable localhost access. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive technical understanding of localhost access issues in Docker Desktop on Windows and offers practical insights that can serve as a reference for developers, students, and practitioners in optimizing container-based development environments.