Get The Latest Version Of Java
The first step in setting up a Minecraft server is making sure you have the latest version of Java installed. Minecraft requires Java to run the game and having the latest version will help us run our server without issues.
You can install the latest version of Java here. Once there, click the red Java Download button as you can see below:
Then, read and accept the terms by clicking the red Agree and Start Free Download button.
The Java setup run file should now be in the download folder of your computer. If you need help with finding the download folder, type in downloads into your computer search bar and open the Downloads folder.
Once in the downloads folder find the JavaSetup executable file and run this application. A popup window may appear asking if the application can make changes to your computer. Click to allow access, you may be asked to provide a password for these permissions.
Once the application loads click to install Java.
You may be asked to uninstall a previous Java version, do so as keeping an older version does not help with our server setup.
Once any previous versions are removed continue through the window prompts until Java is downloaded and up to date.
The first step in setting up a Minecraft server should now be complete. The following step we must take is downloading and setting up the actual Minecraft server folder.
Setting Up Server Properties
Now lets look at some server properties we can change to customize what kind of Minecraft game you want to play in your server. Open the server properties file.
Once here, you will see a lot of text sections. Lets cover the most important ones and look at the properties you will most likely want to change.
The properties highlighted in the above image are some of the most important ones you should be familiar with. The first gamemode=survival property determines the gamemode you and your players will play in the server by default. This is set to survival meaning you will have hunger and health you will have to manage in game. Setting this to gamemode=creative lets the players build, break, and fly as they are untouchable and unkillable in this gamemode.
The next spawn-monsters=true is a property that tells the server monsters and dangerous enemies will appear. Changing this to spawn-monsters=false will stop monsters from spawning even in survival mode.
One of the more important properties in our experience with minecraft servers is the next highlighted pvp=true line. PvP stands for player vs play so this controls whether or not players can damage each other. By default this is set to true meaning players can hurt and damage one another in game. Setting this to pvp=false will disable and ability for players to damage each other.
Minecraft: Java Edition Enable Remote Play
Keep in mind that for remote gamers to connect to your server, youll need to know two things: Your public-facing IP address assigned to your modem and the IP address of the local PC running your server. For the latter, we suggest going into the router and assigning a static IP address so the PCs address never changes.
You will also need to use port forwarding so the Minecraft packets know exactly where to go. Again, the ideal scenario is to assign a static IP address to the server PC. The port Minecraft requires is: 25565.
Essentially, the path will look something like this: incoming > modem > router > static IP address via port 25565.
Here are a few guides to help you along:
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Creating A Server Your Community Will Love
Having your own Minecraft server can help you take more control over how you play the game and with whom you play. However, now that you have a general idea of how to set up a Minecraft server, you can see that it does take some resources from your computer and does require some know-how. Not to mention, there are security issues your system might not be able to handle.
If you want to rid yourself of the pain points of setting up a Minecraft server, like server resources and DDoS mitigation, using a premium dedicated server is the way to go. Learn all about how Liquid Webâs Managed Dedicated Hosting can be your best solution, and how Liquid Webâs DDoS Protection can help keep your server safe from trolls and malicious players.
Download The Minecraft Server Files
Within the Minecraft directory, run the wget command to download the Minecraft server files:
wget -O minecraft_server.jar https://s3.amazonaws.com/Minecraft.Download/versions/1.12.2/minecraft_server.1.12.2.jar
Next, well need to install and run screen, so that your server continues to run even when youre not connected:
yum install screen
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Check You Have The Right Hardware And Requirements
Before you start setting up your own Minecraft server, check to make sure your hardware meets at least these minimum requirements:
- RAM:
- 1GB , or up to 35GB on most operating systems
- 2GB on Windows Vista/7/8/10
These minimum requirements are for the server only. If youâre also planning to play on the same computer, youâll need to account for the gameâs minimum requirements.
Enable Port Forwarding On Your Router
Note: Port forwarding can be a security risk.
If youre just hosting a server for players on your local network, you dont need to worry about port forwarding. If, however, you want to make your server accessible to the world, youll need to enable port forwarding on your router.
Refer to your routers documentation to find specific instructions on how to configure port forwarding for your device. For Minecraft, youll need to forward TCP port 25565.
Youll also need to enter your servers local IP address as the Output IP or Server IP for the forwarded port. This tells the router which device to point at. To find your servers local IP, open a command prompt and enter ipconfig.
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How To Add Mods
To add mods to your server you will need to ensure that its version is set to Forge. After downloading the mods you would like log into your server panel, then FTP File Access, and get into the mods/ folder. Once there, simply click “Upload” to upload them. The mods will load after restarting the server.
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The Best Way To Host Your Minecraft Server
Instead of dealing with troublesome and confusing dedicated servers, you can use a hosting platform like Hostman.
Hostman features a marketplace with loads of software products that you can deploy with just one click. This includes Minecraft servers. With just a few clicks, you can create your very own private server, avoiding part of the limitations imposed by Microsoft.
Visit the Hostman Marketplace
Done!
Youâre now ready to enjoy your own unique instance of Minecraft virtual world, supported by a reliable and swift hardware platform.
If youâre looking for a high-performance Minecraft server installation that offers a certain degree of freedom and that wonât break the bank, you have it all here.
How Does A Minecraft Server Work
A server on the popular game Minecraft works very much the same way as really any other server or computer that is connected to the internet and communicates with other devices. Essentially the internet is one huge network where computers communicate data. Web servers are huge computers that process a lot of requests and display web pages or multiplayer game content to anyone who makes a request.
However, just because servers typically involve a lot of computers and processing power, this doesn’t mean that you need to invest in a huge server computer to host your own amazing Minecraft multiplayer world. Since servers can process many requests at once, they make it possible for a world to be played on by numerous Minecraft players simultaneously and update automatically, making for an excellent experience.
Although most people who want to make Minecraft servers usually buy one from a specialized service provider who owns their own server computers, which servers can be hosted on, it is not uncommon for amateurs to host servers on their own devices. For example, if you have a spare laptop or PC lying around that is relatively fast and has decent memory , you can configure it to act as a server and hold a Minecraft world that many other people can connect to.
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How To Host A Minecraft Server For Free
The process of creating and setting up a free Minecraft server is almost the same as for the paid version.
First, you have to find a free hosting provider that will allow you to host your data on its hardware. This isnât exactly easy, as not many people like sharing their property with others for free.
Moreover, youâll be forced to use a non-official Minecraft server application created by a third party. The same goes for the game client, since the original game isnât free and thereâs no way to override this.
If youâre ok with all of the above, you just need to download the Bukkit-server and launch it via the Forge Minecraft server app on your free hosting. The method is identical to the one we explained above for the non-free options.
Three Possible Minecraft Server Options At Ionos
Whichever server model you choose, at IONOS youll find various tariffs that differ in terms of the performance offered. Which of these tariffs is suitable for your purposes depends on how large the Minecraft world is and how many players are going to be active on your Minecraft server at the same time. In the following table, we present three possible scenarios for your gaming server including the appropriate rates within the three server models to help you decide.
Rent your Dedicated Server at IONOS to enjoy the world of Minecraft together with friends and acquaintances at any time!
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Now You Can Enjoy Minecraft With Friends
It is great you can get your own private server for playing Minecraft without spending any extra bucks. Online services like Aternos and Minehut are inclusive of some limitations though. First of all, there’s a cap on the number of players that can join the game. You also get limited memory, which might not be enough if you’re planning to establish a full-fledged community server.
Apart from private servers, you also have the choice to join realms, play on a public server, or start a new single-player world in Minecraft.
Configuring The Minecraft Server
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Why Do You Need Your Own Minecraft Server
When creating your own Minecraft world, it’s natural to want your own set of rules. The best way to do this is to have Minecraft on your own personal Minecraft Multiplayer server. You can set it up exactly the way you want it, invite the players you want to play with, and change anything at any moment.
Having your personal Minecraft Multiplayer server gives you control over many elements of the game such as:
Changing characteristics of the vanilla Minecraft world â the creatures inhabiting it, the materials it contains, etc.
Providing individual collections of accessible materials that players can use for crafting.
Choosing the most convenient way to create and maintain a virtual Minecraft realm as an administrator or game master.
Having the opportunity to make money from your Minecraft server.
Playing exclusively with your closest friends without being disturbed by strangers.
Building your very own private and cozy Minecraft world.
If the above sounds like a lot of fun, then you definitely should consider creating your private server.
How To Connect To Your Minecraft Server
Connection to your virtual Minecraft worlds is usually established via the game client:
Open the game.
Go to the Multiplayer menu.
Choose the Direct Connect option.
Type the IP address of the server.
Within a few seconds, you should be connected to the server hosted on the address you specified.
But whatâs the Minecraft serverâs address?
If the server is up and running on your local machine, then the IP address of the server is the same as the IP address of the PC itself. To discover your IP address, you can use a site like Speedtest. If youâre using remote hosting, you can find the IP address in the control panel of the service provider.
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Minecraft: Java Edition Lan Play
Playing multiplayer on this version isnt quite so cut and dry. You can host a world on a local network using the integrated multiplayer component. For online multiplayer, however, youll need Mojangs standalone server software.
Heres how to enable multiplayer within Minecraft: Java Edition:
Step 1: Select Singleplayer.
Step 2: Create a new world or open an existing world.
Step 3: Press the Esc key.
Step 4: Select Open to LAN on the menu.
Step 5: Select the game mode, enable or disable cheats, and then select Start LAN World.
Other players on the network can now select Multiplayer and join your world. However, keep in mind that you need a decent PC to host a multiplayer Minecraft world. Not only is the game rendering the world on your screen, but its sending the world to all other players and synchronizing all player input. This can be taxing on PCs with low hardware specs.
Where To Host Your Server
For your server to be accessible, it needs a place to live.
If youâve downloaded a server and launched it on your computer, your server will only be online for as long as your computer is running it. Turn the computer off , and bye-bye custom Minecraft world.
So you need a computer that will remain online and accessible for the players 24/7.
For this, you can use a generic hosting provider and rent a dedicated server to host your game world.
Once you have remote access to your rented server:
Start the server via the Java command java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraftserver.1.17.1.jar nogui
Set up your connection parameters, find the IP-address and ports to connect, etc.
While this is a very popular method for setting up your own Minecraft Multiplayer server, we agree that it involves a bit of work.
So letâs look at some other solutions.
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Download And Start The Minecraft Server Software
It comes as a Java .jar file. Save it to the location you chose in the previous step.
Double-click the .jar file to start the server. Itll create the server configuration files, which need to be modified before the server is ready to use.
Accept the EULA: A text file called eula.txt was created. Open the file in a text editor and change eula=false to eula=true. Failing to accept the EULA will prevent you from starting the Minecraft server.
What if you see a Cant save server properties error? Run the Minecraft server as an administrator by right clicking the .jar file and selecting Run as administrator.
Minecraft Server: Own Home Server Or Rent A Server
If you want to create and run your own Minecraft server, you will first need the appropriate hardware. In theory, a home PC is adequate for this but this also depends on the desired number of players and server setting. For three to five players, for example, the Minecraft team recommends three gigabytes of RAM, 18 gigabytes of hard drive space, and broadband resources of at least 12 MBit for the game. In addition, there are the requirements of the operating system for Windows 10, this would be another one or two gigabytes of RAM and 16 or 32 gigabytes of hard drive space .
These key numbers already make it clear that you cannot run other programs in parallel to the Minecraft server on the respective PC, so it functions exclusively as a host. The purchase of a second PC in addition to your normal device not only takes up the home broadband quota, but also means additional running costs in terms of power consumption. It is probably only an option for very few Minecraft enthusiasts.
What actually is a server? In our article on the term Server we answer this, and many more questions, addressing, among other things, the ambiguous use of the term in computer science!
Rentable server resources are also referred to as Infrastructure-as-a-Service , which is IT infrastructure provided to users by a provider as part of a service.
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