Minecraft Servers allow players to connect to one another and play together online. They also give the server administrator a great deal of control over the in-game experience, from weather changes to monster spawning and beyond. Server administrators can even install plugins that allow players to engage in different game modes and enhance the gameplay.

If you don’t want to pay for a third party to host your Minecraft server, it’s possible to run the server on your local computer. This requires setting up port forwarding on your router (instructions vary depending on the brand and model of your network equipment). It also requires learning about configuration files and a certain level of technical expertise, but it can save you from paying a monthly fee and gives you full control over the server at all times.

Minecraft Server Hosting: Tips for Setting Up Your Own Online Gaming Haven

Once you’ve done this, open the Minecraft server window and wait for it to finish preparing. Once the server is ready, click Play Multiplayer. Enter your server address in the field Server address and choose a name for your server in the drop-down menu. If you want to make your server only accessible on your home or work network, check the box for Private networks.

To make your server available to friends on the same Wi-Fi network, they can use the Multiplayer tab in the Main menu and then select your server from the list. If your friends are using a different version of Minecraft, they’ll need to know the IP address and port number of your server, which you can find in the Server information section of the Minecraft Server window.