Have you ever dreamed of having your very own Minecraft server that you and your friends can play on whenever you want? Well let me tell you something on how to make a minecraft server. It’s totally doable even if you’re not some computer whiz!
I remember when I first wanted to set up a server so I could play Minecraft with my buddies online. I googled stuff like “how to make a Minecraft server” and got totally overwhelmed by all the technical jargon. Port forwarding? Plugins? Permissions? Um what?! It seemed way too complicated.
But it’s actually not as hard as it seems once you break it down step-by-step. And since I’ve already gone through the learning curve, I can guide you through the whole process from start to finish.
By the end of this, you’ll have your very own Minecraft server up and running that you and your friends can enjoy together. Sound good? Then let’s get to it!
Step 1: Install Minecraft
You can’t make a Minecraft server if you don’t already have Minecraft on your computer in the first place!
So your first step is to buy and install Minecraft Java Edition. You should be able to find it easily in online stores like the official Minecraft.net website or STEAM.
Once you’ve bought and installed Minecraft, go ahead and load it up at least once to make sure it’s working properly on your machine. Have some fun starting a new world and trying things out if you want as well!
Step 2: Download and Install Java
Now here’s where things start to get a little technical – don’t worry though, I’ll walk you through it.
In order to run a Minecraft server on your computer, you need to have Java installed. Think of Java like an interpreter that allows your computer to understand and run the Minecraft server code.
Go ahead and download the latest Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from Oracle’s website. Make sure to get the Windows x64 version assuming you’re using a Windows machine.
Once the Java install file downloads, double click to run the install wizard. Keep clicking next/accept and it should only take a minute or two to complete. Easy enough right? Now your computer speaks Java!
Step 3: Create a Server Folder and Adjust Firewall Settings
Before we can download and launch the actual Minecraft server, we need to make a dedicated folder for it to live in.
Go ahead create a new folder somewhere easy like your main Documents folder. Give it a nice name like “My Minecraft Server” or whatever you want! This will be the main folder that contains all your server files.
Now normally running a server requires opening some ports on your firewall so outside connections can access it. Lucky for you though the Minecraft server only needs one port which most firewalls have open already!
But just in case, you should make sure port 25565 is open on your machine. Check your firewall settings to make sure that port allows inbound and outbound connections if you can. No worries if not – we can tweak this later if needed.
Alright folder made and firewall settings checked? Moving on then!
Step 4: Download the Minecraft Server Files and Launch It
Now for the fun part – let’s download the actual Minecraft server so we can fire this baby up!
Head over to the official Minecraft server download page and grab the server.jar file. Save it into that nifty folder you just made. This small file is literally all you need to host your server. Crazy right?
One quick note! Make sure the server file name stays simply “server” with the .jar file extension. Some browsers may try renaming it things like “server.jar.zip” during the download which will cause issues later.
Okay with the server .jar file chilling in your server folder, we’re ready to launch this thing!
Pull up a terminal window like command prompt or powershell on your machine, and navigate into your server folder path. Then run the command:
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui
This starts the Minecraft server and allocates enough system resources for decent performance.
You should see it generating a bunch of stuff on your first launch! Lots of text will go flying by as it sets everything up. Look at you go! Now you officially have a Minecraft server running locally on your machine. Woo!
Let it finish doing its thing – once you see text that says something like “Done” then you’re golden. Leave the terminal window open and we can now connect up to it.
On to the fun stuff!
Step 5: Join Your Brand New Minecraft Server!
Can you feel that excitement starting to bubble up? I sure can! Now comes the moment you’ve been waiting for: playing on your very own server!
Fire up good ol’ Minecraft again and when you get to the main menu click the “Multiplayer” button. Rather than hitting one of the public servers, choose “Direct Connect” instead.
In here you’ll want to enter your server’s address to connect to it which will likely be localhost or 127.0.0.1 along with the standard port 25565 formatted like:
localhost:25565
Hit enter/click Connect and boom! You should find yourself loading into a fresh new Minecraft server world! Amazing!
Have fun exploring the landscapes and be sure to send invites to all your friends too. Just have them connect using your public IP instead so they can join in from their own computers.
Now go and bask in the glory of your fully functioning Minecraft server!
Step 6: Changing Server Settings with Server Properties
So your server is looking pretty neat already as a fresh blank canvas world right? Well guess what – we can customize a bunch of settings to make it really feel like your server.
Inside your main server folder you’ll see there’s now a new file called server.properties. Open this up in any text editor. This file contains a bunch of configs for tweaking all sorts of stuff on your server.
You can adjust things like:
- gamemode: Do you want to set it to survival? Or maybe peaceful or creative right from the start?
- difficulty: Set the mob spawn rates and other difficulty factors like in the base game.
- motd: This is the message-of-the-day players see when connecting! Make it fun 🙂
- spawn-animals: Toggle animal spawning on/off. Because who needs all those dang chickens anyway?
- And tons more settings – poke around and customize to your liking!
Just be careful when editing since the format is pretty strict. When in doubt, leave a value as the default that it has listed. Save the properties file when you finish tweaking your server layout.
Now every time you start your server up, all those customizations will load right up with it!
Onwards we go to installing super cool plugins!
Step 7 (Optional but Recommended!): Get Plugins and Customize Even More
Starting to realize just how much you can customize and add on to your server? Hold that thought because we’ve only just scratched the surface so far!
Plugins are pieces of software made by the amazing Minecraft community that add literally tons of extra functionality to your server. Want different minigames? Anti-griefing tools? Virtual pets following you around? Plugins make it happen!
Most plugins come packaged as simple .jar files similar to the main server file itself. To install them, just drop the plugin jars into a new folder aptly called plugins within your server folder. Restart the server and boom – new features added!
Some popular plugin recommendations:
- WorldEdit: Want to easily build huge renders and terraform giant landscapes? WorldEdit lets you edit massive areas with simple copy/paste and fill tools.
- AdvancedPortals: Create connected portals between various locations. So cool to step through and teleport around bases!
- mcMMO: RPG-style progression, with level-up abilities for skills like woodcutting, mining, archery, unarmed and more! Almost like a whole new game built on top of Minecraft.
Now are plugins required? Of course not! The base game itself offers plenty to do. But for me, getting creative with plugins was a huge part of the fun in running a server for my friends and I to enjoy together. Definitely look into them when you want even more possibilities!
Alright, let’s wrap this up…
Looking Good My Friend!
And there you have it – one fresh new Minecraft server ready for play! Seriously well done for making it this far.
I know that probably felt like a lot to digest at first. But now you’re an absolute pro! You can relaunch your server any time, customize your settings, add plugins for more features…the sky’s the limit!
Most importantly though: have an awesome time playing with your friends! At the end of the day, that’s what Minecraft and running your own server is all about.
Hope this guide on how to make a minecraft server served you well! Now get out there and start enjoying your new creation! Just don’t spend ALL night mining in caves and building giant pixel castles ok? We need some sleep too haha.
Catch you later server master – happy world creating!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to leave my computer on all the time to keep the server running?
A: Yes, the Minecraft server only runs when the computer hosting it is powered on. Consider keeping an old desktop on or running it from a cloud computing service if you don’t want your own system running 24/7.
Q: Can I make a Minecraft server on Mac or Linux instead of Windows?
A: Yes! The process is very similar. Just substitute the Java and server downloads for the Mac or Linux versions instead.
Q: I’m getting connection errors! What should I try?
A: Make sure your firewall port is definitely open, and check that you’re using your machine’s public IP address rather than localhost/127.0.0.1 from other devices. Also try restarting your router.
Q: Is there a size limit for my server world?
A: The default max map size is 60,000,000 x 60,000,000 blocks – so no need to worry about filling it up! The max viewing distance is 32 chunks.
Q: How do I update my server when new Minecraft versions release?
A: Just stop the server, replace the .jar file with the latest from Minecraft.net downloads, and restart! Easy! Plugins may need updating too though.
In Summary
Hosting your very own Minecraft server is not only totally possible for novice computer users, but also extremely fun! It does require installing some software like Minecraft, Java, the server files, and optionally plugins… but the process is very straightforward by just following step-by-step guides on how to make a minecraft server.
After mastering the art of crafting a shield in Minecraft, the end result is a customizable server for you and your friends to enjoy private Minecraft worlds on; and thanks to the awesome server plugins developed by the community, there are endless options for new games and tools to take your shield-bearing adventures to the next level.