How To Make A Minecraft Server

How To Run Your Own Minecraft Server

Your one-stop guide for making your own Minecraft server ;and why it matters.

With over 200M copies sold, its safe to say Minecraft is a game with a passionate fanbase that has captured the adoration of many. Its 3D worldbuilding, various gameplay modes, and unlimited creative options have made it a firm favorite earning acclaim and a place in pop culture reserved for only the biggest gaming hits.

For some dedicated fans, running their own Minecraft server is a way to take their fandom even further. Although it may appear complicated at first, running your own Minecraft server can be a fun and simple way to elevate your Minecraft experience. If youve got questions on how and why to set up your own Minecraft server, weve got answers check out our rundown:;

Minecraft Yourcraft Ourcraftbuilding Is More Fun With Your Buddies

by Lee Hutchinson – Sep 11, 2012 12:30 am UTC

Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox-type game where you gather materials and use them to create things, which is about as understated a description as “the sun is a big bright light in the sky.” The poster child for indie gaming success, Minecraft began as a basement coding project by hat-wearing Swede Markus Persson in 2010; it has since become a bona fide phenomenon.

In Minecraft, you play a mute protagonist in an unending retro-blocky landscape populated by lots and lots of NPCs, with no traditional adventure game-type goal other than survival. This seems easy at first. When the game begins, you invariably find yourself on a sandy beach somewhere, and a bit of experimentation quickly yields the knowledge that you can affect your environment by punching things. You can punch trees to break them apart and collect wood, for instance, which you can use to make tools, which you can use to gather more materials, which you can use to make more things. You’ll just be getting the hang of the basic mechanics when night fallsand the zombies and skeletons and spiders and creepers come out to collect your soul.

As the game grew more popular, Persson hired staff and eventually turned over daily programming duties to other folks. These days, Notch spends his days developing other games and being interviewed by famous Internet journalists, while Minecraft thrives on multiple platforms including PC, Mac, Linux, and XBox 360.

Minecrafts Servers Are All Community

But the real reason why Minecraft thrived and still keeps at it is the community. As you probably know, Minecraft never had any official servers, everything was run by its community.

So there was no place where everything was readily available to you. You had to soldier on through tears and frustration to build the perfect world for you and your friends.

However, all of this couldnt be possible without servers, the backbone of every single Minecraft world ever built. With that in mind, lets see how you can build your own Minecraft server that your friends can join.

Since most of the servers are community-made, it would be a wise idea to protect your online privacy using a VPN. You can find a list of our best 5 VPNs for Minecraft on Windows and Mac.

You May Like: How Do Mushrooms Grow In Minecraft

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:

• How to change your IP address

Getting The Info You Need

Go to start, then type in ‘cmd’ without the quotes. this should bring up a window like so. Then type ipconfig into that window and press enter. Look for the line that says IPV4 address. next to it should be a number like 192.168.0.7. Save that number somewhere, and on the the next prep.

Now rename the file you downloaded to ‘server’ and move it to an easy to get to folder that your server files will go into.

Open up notepad, and type in:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui

Go to file>save as and save it as run.bat in the same folder as your server.jar.

How To Share Your Minecraft Server With External Users

You may like to play games with friends who are not on your local network, i.e., friends or gamers who are living in other regions. There are 2 popular and easier ways of sharing your Minecraft server with such users:

Standard Method

• Open the command prompt and generate your IP address by typing ipconfig
• Note down your IP address
• Open Minecraft server and provide your IP address
• Go back to the server
• Open the command prompt and type ipconfig to generate your IP address.
• To get the admin controls on your server
• Open the Minecraft server and at the end type op followed by your username
• It will give you extended controls like whitelisting people, banning people changing game mode, etc.

Port forwarding

• Open command prompt and type ipconfig
• Copy the default gateway
• In your folder open for the file server properties and click port forwarding
• Go back to the Minecraft
• In the IP address enter IPV4 address that you got in the command prompt
• In the start port and end port fields type 25565
• This is the ID that you would need to give out to the people who wish to join your network.

What Are The Benefits Of Running Your Own Minecraft Server

Aside from creating your own Minecraft world, one top advantage of running your own Minecraft server is the ultimate freedom to create your own rules and influence the overall gaming experience for players who join your server.

Youre not just doing so to exercise your kingly ambitions: setting specific rules is a great way to foster a thriving community of like-minded players. Finding a group of people who all have the same gaming tastes is an exciting way to build genuine connections and enhance your Minecraft experience.

Another great reason to set up a server: you can make a buck. Monetizing your server by creating a web store or including in-game advertising can offset the costs associated with hosting your Minecraft server.

Lastly, for parents with children who love Minecraft, running your own server lets you provide a safe and kid-friendly experience of the game without exposure to more mature themes that some older players explore on larger servers.;

How To Setup Minecraft Server In A Local Pc

Step 1 Download and install Java;

Go to and download Java

Step 2 Install Java

Double click the downloaded file and follow the screen to install;

Step 3 Download the Minecraft Game;

Go to and download minecraft_server.x.x.x.jar file

Step 4 Create a Game folder

Create a new folder under D driver or any folder for the game file.;;

D:\Minecraft\;

Copy and paste the downloaded file server.jar to the created folder.

Step 5 Run the game

Start the server by double-clicking the .jar file which will generate configuration files. Make necessary modifications before the server gets ready for use

Open eula.txt file and replace eula=false with eula=true which is mandatory to start the Minecraft server.

You might encounter an error alerting that the server properties cant be saved. In that instance, right-click .jar file Run as an administrator that will enable you to run the Minecraft server as an administrator.

Step 6 Play the game and Enjoy;

Run the Game and go to multiplayer mode.

Add Server;

Install/Update your Java Version

Installation;

• The user who hasnt yet installed the Java or is using the outdated version can download it from the website

Updating

• Open Programs tab in your Windows Control Panel and search Java. Click Update Now
• Open Command Prompt and get the Java version number by typing Java-version.

Note: After installation, you would need to restart the computer

Hard Disk Space And Broadband Requirements

Of course, you also need to store the Minecraft server installation as well as user and game world data on your server. The following approximate values can be used here:

• 1 to 2 players: at least 2 gigabytes of free disk space
• 3 to 5 players: at least 18 gigabytes of free disk space
• 6 players or more: at least 35 gigabytes of free space

However, size is not the only factor you should pay attention to when it comes to storage units. Relying on SSD storage for your server can speed up the startup process. However, for a smooth gaming experience on a Minecraft server, classic HDD storage is perfectly suitable, too.

For more on the differences between the two major types of memory, see our article SSD vs. HDD: What are the differences?.

The required broadband capacities also result from the number of active players on the Minecraft server. In terms of memory, Minecraft isnt too demanding: Majongs recommendations from 5 Mbps for 1 to 2 players to 45 Mbps for 6 or more players – are not a problem if you rent the hardware and hosting for your Minecraft server. In case you have your own server at home, you will of course have to keep an eye on the key figures and order a larger broadband package if necessary.

Choose An Appropriate Location For Minecraft Server Files

• Before downloading, set the system location from which the server should run
• The server would produce prerequisite configuration files during the first instance. They all are vitally important and should be collectively stored in a separate folder to ensure quick access.
• ;For the sake of access, you might assign a shortcut key to the folder and save it on your desktop. It is not mandatory though. You can save it at any location of your choice.

• Go to the Minecraft website and download the Java.jar file which is the server software. It should be stored in the same location where you saved the installation files.
• Start the server by double-clicking the .jar file which will generate configuration files. Make necessary modifications before the server gets ready for use
• Open eula.txt file and replace eula=false with eula=true which is mandatory to start the Minecraft server.
• You might encounter an error alerting that the server properties cant be saved. In that instance, right-click .jar file Run as an administrator that will enable you to run the Minecraft server as an administrator.

Enable port forwarding

Go to the file named Server Properties. Make the required changes in key server settings and then save it. Its default server port is Port 25565

Start the Minecraft server

Open windows command prompt to start the Minecraft server.

• Go to the folder that is containing the Minecraft server file and give the following command

Java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar nogui;

Optional: Add Your Save Files To The Server

If you are interested in bringing a Minecraft world you have been working on privately onto the server, find the location where the game is currently stored. Next, locate a folder titled world and make a copy of the folder anywhere on your computer as a backup. Replace the world folder stored in the same location as the .jar server file with the original games world folder.;

Make sure the name of this folder is still World, and not something like world-copy or world . Before replacing the world file in the server folder, consider creating a copy of the servers world file so that you can access the servers original version later if needed.;

How To Connect To Your Minecraft Server

If you’re hosting your own Minecraft server, the server window must remain open for others to access it.

Execute Minecraft Server On Linux

When the download of the Minecraft server finishes, browse the directory and locate the file. This method will be executable for both Debina and Fedora Linux distributions. First, run the following chmod command to grant the execution permission to the Minecraft server file.

sudo chmod +x minecraft_server.jar

Now, we need to edit the End-user license agreement file to agree with the license file. Again, you can use your favorite notepad editor with root permission to do this task.

sudo nano eula.txt

When the script file opens, write the following line inside the script the save and close the file.

eula=true

Finally, run the following command on your terminal shell to start the Minecraft server on your Ubuntu Linux. As you can see, the command is defined as a NoGUI ; it will continue loading the server in CLI mode.

sudo java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui

Weve allocated the total memory amount of 1024M to load the server in the above command. You could change the Xmx value if you changed the memory amount.

How Do I Make A Minecraft Server

With Hostinger, you can set up your Minecraft server in one step. Its as easy as selecting and purchasing your ideal Minecraft hosting plan.

Once youve purchased your hosting plan, your server will be ready, and you can configure it further using the Control Panel. Just like that, youre prepared to create your own Minecraft world and take others on the journey with you. Check out Hostingers instructional video for a full rundown, and get started today.

Real-time photo capture of Minecraft server hosting on Hostinger.

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Connect To The Server And Create A World

Playing Minecraft on the same machine running your server isnt a good idea given the resources needed to run both. Doing so will likely create a laggy experience for everyone. We suggest running Minecraft on another PC if possible.

Step 1: Select Multiplayer.

Step 2: Check the box next to Do Not Show This Screen Again, and then select Proceed if this is the first time youre nagged about multiplayer.

Step 3: Select Add Server.

Step 4: Enter the server name.

Step 5: To allow remote players, enter the public-facing address assigned to your modem, along with the port. For example, the IP address would be something like 177.98.119.228:25565.

For local network play, enter the server PCs network address. You likely dont need to add the port.

Step 6: Select Done to complete.

Setting Up Port Forwarding

If you just plan to play with friends on a local network, you can disregard this section; however, for the rest of the world to access your server, you must enable port forwarding on your router. Since every router is different, consult your router’s manual for more specific guidance on setting up port forwarding. Nonetheless, you can follow the same steps regardless of which OS you are using.

Setting up port forwarding opens your network to outside security risks.

Getting Started: Download The Latest Version Of Java

Still here? Great! Lets begin making our own Minecraft server.;

We can start by creating a new folder that will hold all of our downloads. You can put this anywhere youd like, but I find it easiest to create a new folder on your desktop.;

In our examples, we will be placing everything inside a folder called My Awesome Server directly on the desktop. To create a folder on your desktop right-click on any open space on your desktop and click New Folder. Then you can rename the folder to something of your choosing.;

After creating your folder, youll need to start downloading the necessary files needed to host your own server. Lets start by ensuring you have the latest version of Java on your machine. You can do that by clicking here or going to . That link should take you to the proper download regardless of if you are using a Mac or PC.;

Add the installer to the folder we created in the previous step. Once you download the installer, double-click it and follow along with the prompts.