There are very few multiplayer games out there that are more popular thanMinecraft. The open-world survival sandbox game made entirely of blocks has given many players around the globe the ability to hang out with their friends and create something that is truly new and unique.Minecraftis inescapable.
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WhileMinecraftdoes have a major multiplayer aspect to it, it hasn’t always been easy to meet up with friends. In fact, some players on the Java Edition still have issues to this day with setting up a server for themselves and their friends. It’s worth looking at both versions ofMinecraftand how to host a game on both.
Hosting A Server On Java
There are a few options that players ofMinecraft’s Java version have in terms of setting up a server to host.The most complicated way is to set up a server locally.
Downloading Minecraft’s Server Software
To start, ensure thatJava andMinecraftare both fully updated on the device. Then, visit theMinecraftwebsite and go to the download page. It is here where individuals can scroll down to find theserver softwarethey need to download. The .jar file that is downloaded will be the application that runs the server.
How To Port Forward & Give Others Access To Server
Hosts will need to then learn how toport forwardin order for others to access the server. Unfortunately, this is not a straightforward explanation since each router is different. For more information, go toportforward.com. Once this is done, all the host will need to do is find theirIP address, which can be found by just searching “external IP address” on a search engine.
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Theaddress that will need to be shared is the IPv4 address with “:25565” at the end, as this is the port in which other players can access the server. From there, the host can launch the .jar file and then tweak the server properties however they see fit to start playing.
Other Hosting Options For Minecraft
If players don’t want to host the server locally, however, there are plenty of other hosting options. Mojang offersMinecraft Realms, which gives people the ability to own a server through them. There are also plenty of other third-party server hosting services that players can look into as well.
Hosting A Server On Bedrock
Those who want to playMinecraftmultiplayer on Windows 10 or console versions also have a few options.One of the options is starting a new world and inviting friends to join. All the host would need to do is set up a Microsoft account and become friends with someone else with a Microsoft account.
From there,whencreating or reentering a world, players can choose to invite friends. These worlds only run as long as the host is actively playing on the server, which may be an issue for friends who want to hop on when the host can’t.
TheBedrockedition also hasMinecraft Realms. While these need to be paid for, they stay open all the time for others to hop in whenever they want.Another option is theBedrockdedicated server softwarethat Mojang has put out. However, these are early in development and may be shut down at any time.
