Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Answer: The easiest way to find your public IP address is to visit a specialized website from the computer that is hosting the server. This is the address you need to give to your friends.

Popular services include:

whatismyipaddress.com
icanhazip.com (shows only your IP, nothing else)

You can also simply search on Google for what is my ip.

Note: If you are playing on the same computer that the server is running on, you do not need a public IP. You can connect by entering “localhost” as the server address.

Answer: This error means your server could not verify your Minecraft account with Mojang’s official servers. This usually happens when a player with a non-premium (cracked) account tries to join a premium-only server.

Solution:

Stop your server.
Open the server.properties file in your server’s main folder.
Find the line online-mode=true and change it to online-mode=false.
Save the file and restart your server.

Important: When online-mode is false, players without a paid Minecraft account can join. However, player skins may not display correctly, and your server is less secure.

Answer: The amount of RAM depends on your player count and the number of plugins or mods you use.

Playing with friends (1-5 players): 2-3 GB is usually enough.
Small public server (10-20 players): 4-6 GB is recommended.
Large server (50+ players) or a server with many mods: You will need 8 GB or more.

It’s always better to have slightly more RAM than you think you need, as insufficient RAM is the most common cause of server lag.

Answer: This is a very common issue with several possible causes. Check these steps:

Correct IP Address: Make sure you gave your friends your public IP, not your local IP (which looks like 192.168.x.x).
Port Forwarding: The default Minecraft port is 25565. You must open this port in your router’s settings to allow outside traffic to reach your server. Look for a “Port Forwarding” section in your router’s admin panel.
Firewall: Your computer’s firewall (like Windows Defender Firewall) or antivirus software might be blocking incoming connections. Make sure to add an exception for java.exe.
Server is Running: A simple but common mistake—ensure the server console window is actually open and running without any critical errors.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Server Questions

How do I find my IP address for friends to join my server?

How do I fix the "Failed to verify username" error?

How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?

Why can't my friends connect to my server? ("Connection timed out")