SQLException: Communications link failure

Error:

Code:

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SQLException: Communications link failure
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
SQLState: 08S01
VendorError: 0

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Relivant Code

Code:

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    public Main() {
        initComponents();
        setVisible(true);
       
        progress("Checking Files",true,0);
        if(!FileTest("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7-bin.jar"))
        {  UnZip unZip = new UnZip("C:/EPOS_SQL", "MySQL - EPOS.zip");}

        progress("Starting Database", true);
        try {
            JarFileLoader.addFile("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-mxj-gpl-5-0-9/mysql-connector-mxj-gpl-5-0-9.jar");
            JarFileLoader.addFile("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-mxj-gpl-5-0-9/mysql-connector-mxj-gpl-5-0-9-db-files.jar");
            JarFileLoader.addFile("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-mxj-gpl-5-0-9/lib/aspectjrt.jar");

            JarFileLoader.addFile("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7-bin.jar");


            int port = Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty("c-mxj_test_port", "3336"));
            Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver");
[COLOR="Red"]            conn = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:mysql:mxj:///test?"
                                                  +  "user=monty&password=greatsqldb")[/COLOR];

            progress("Starting Up", true, 0);
            open(new EPOS.Log_In(this), false);
            progress("", false, 0);
            } catch (IOException ex) { Logger.getLogger(Main.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
            } catch (SQLException ex) {
                System.out.println("SQLException: " + ex.getMessage());
                System.out.println("SQLState: " + ex.getSQLState());
                System.out.println("VendorError: " + ex.getErrorCode());
            dispose();
            } catch (Exception ex)  { Logger.getLogger(Main.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }

        ResultSet rs = Select("SELECT COUNT(*)FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'EPOS' AND table_name = 'LogIn';");
        if(!FileTest("C:/EPOS_SQL/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7/mysql-connector-java-5.1.7-bin.jar"))
            open(new EPOS.Log_In(this), false);
        else
            open(new EPOS.NewBusniess.Customer(this),false);
    }

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The line in red starts the databse connection. However it always throws an error and is null. Can't find out how to fix it >.<