Each Time You Start Your Server

This post is over one year old and may have outdated information. Setting up a Minecraft server on your home Windows computer is fairly easy. If you have a basic understanding of computers and networking, it is possible to play with friends over a local or international network (LAN), or the Internet in a matter of minutes.

Note: This guide is for the Java version of Minecraft, which is the original version for PC. Every player who wants to connect must have purchased Minecraft Java Edition from minecraft.net. The Java version is not compatible for mobile and console versions.

Computer Performance Requirements To reduce latency, I recommend a network that is wired. You might need more power depending upon how many players you have on your server. You can also stop as many background and running programs as possible.

If you plan to play Minecraft on the computer that hosts the server, I recommend 4GB of RAM minimum and a new processor or graphics card.

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Step 1: Download the latest Java Version

Java.com/en/download to download the latest version.

Step 2: Download the Minecraft Server

Download the latest version of the server from the official download page. It will be a server.jar. Put that downloaded file in a folder where you'd like to run the Minecraft server.

Step 3 - Run the server

Open a Windows Command Prompt in the folder containing the server.jar file. To make it easy, hold down shift and right-click on an empty space in the folder.

To start the server, type this command into the command prompt

java Xmx1024M.Xms1024M.jar nogui. You can paste your command into the command prompt using right-clicking on the command prompt and choosing paste. (Ctrl+v will not work in command prompts).

PowerShell is a better alternative to the command prompt. PowerShell should be open in directory where server.jar is. This may not work on all Windows versions. Search online if you're unsure how. Once you're in the correct directory, you can run the same command as above. You can copy the above command into PowerShell by right-clicking in the window.

Once ran, the Minecraft server will create some files in the folder it resides in and you should receive an error message about the EULA:

You will have to open the generated eula.txt file and set:

After you've done that, you can run the command again. Once you have created a new world, your server should now be running.

Step 4: Server Commands

The server can be controlled by server commands, which you enter at the command prompt. Here are some basic server commands to help you get to know them. You should know at the minimum how to use stop which shuts down the server and saves all the world.

Step 5: Connect with Your Server

Open the Minecraft regular game, click Multiplayer, and then click Direct Connect. Based on your current location relative to the server, you'll enter an IP address.

On the same computer If you're playing Minecraft on the same computer as the Minecraft server, enter 127.0.0.1:

You're on another network computer If you're connected to the same router from another network computer, enter the local IP address for the computer that's running this server. To find this, go to the computer that's running the server and type ipconfig into a command prompt. Although the IP address should be similar to 192.168.1.1 in appearance, the last two numbers might be different.

(The above is an example IP address only)

Over the Internet To connect to the Minecraft server over the Internet, you'll need to know the external IP address of the computer the Minecraft server is on. You can find it by browsing to whatismyip.com while on the Minecraft server PC. It will consist of 4 sets, separated by periods, just like your local IP address. It may look like 65.214.224.57. However, each set of numbers will be unique.

If the computer that the Minecraft server is on is connected via a router to the Internet modem, which it should be for security reasons, then you'll have to make sure the router is properly port forwarding Minecraft Internet traffic to the computer that has the Minecraft server on it (even if you only have the one computer).

Port forwarding is a feature your router uses to ensure it sends the correct type of traffic to the correct computer. Minecraft uses port 25565, so the router needs to be setup to send any traffic on port 25565 to the computer that has the Minecraft server.

Portforward.com is your best choice. Scroll down and choose your router model. The model number is usually listed on the front or back of your router.

Next, select the game you want to port forward for, which is "Minecraft Server" in this case. This may indicate that you need a static address. It is referring to your internal IP address. Each time a computer connects to your router or is turned on, it assigns it an IP address. It can sometimes change, but it usually stays the exact same. Screamyguy's Blog If you want to disconnect your computer from the router or turn it off, you may need to modify the settings. If you run Minecraft server a lot and shut down your computer often, you may want to look into giving your computers static local IP addresses.

Once you've forwarded port 25565 to the correct computer, you can test it at www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports. Make sure to check port 80 (default port for website traffic) For additional troubleshooting, see the Minecraft server install wiki.

When you restart your computer, or reset your modem, both your local and external IP addresses might change. Each time you start your server, be sure to double-check your internal and external IP address, and update settings accordingly.