With millions of users, the simple yet inexhaustible game “Minecraft” is easy to locate people to play with. However, how to play multiplayer with your companions isn’t always obvious.
Whether you have the newer, console-friendly “Bedrock” edition or the original “Java” edition, how you play multiplayer “Minecraft” will differ. You can only play with friends that have the same version as you, regardless of the edition you have. If that version is “Java,” you have a few options for playing with your friends.
Hosting a multiplayer “Minecraft” game should only take a few minutes, whether you feel up to joining a public server or establishing your own , wish to run a local LAN server, or would prefer to use the premium “Realms” server-hosting option.
Make your own ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’ multiplayer server or join one run by a friend
Servers are the foundation of the multiplayer mode in “Minecraft.” Everyone who wants to play together must be on the same server.
There are currently hundreds of “Minecraft” servers available for you and your friends to join and play together in a matter of minutes. The main drawback is that you’ll be sharing these servers with a large number of strangers.
You may establish a Minecraft server for free if you and your buddies wish to play in a private game. Just be aware that it will take some time and effort, and that whomever creates the server will require a powerful computer with a high – speed internet connection.
How to join a friend’s or a public ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’ server
You only need the appropriate IP address to join a server that a friend has already created or that you found online – there are hundreds of public “Minecraft” servers. Joining a public server is the simplest way to play multiplayer “Minecraft,” but it will force you to share the server with anyone else who knows about it.
Once you have the IP address of the public server you wish to play on, or the IP address of a friend’s “Minecraft” server:-
- Launch ‘Java’ and choose the multiplayer option.
- “Add Server” should be selected.
- Enter the host server’s address in the “Server Address” field and click “Done.” This could be a URL or an IP address.
- Allow the server to connect, then click on it and select “Join Server” when it appears in the list.
That’s how you connect to a server that already exists.
Create your own ‘Minecraft: Java’ server
- To begin, make sure you have Java installed on your computer. If you don’t have it yet, you can get it for free from the Java website. You’ll also need to download the Java SE Development Kit if you’re using a Mac.
- Open your preferred web browser and go to minecraft.net/download. Scroll down to “Java Edition Server” and select it.
- Find and download the Minecraft server software on the following page, and save it somewhere you can find it. The for the file will be having a .jar extension.
- The next step is to make a simple text document. Select “New,” then “Text Document” from the context menu when right-clicking on the folder. Save the document under the name, “start.txt”.
- Return to the download page for the Minecraft server. Copy the following command text:
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.16.5.jar nogui
It’s worth noting that the figures at the end will vary depending on the version of “Minecraft” you’re using. Copy and paste the command string into your start.txt document.
- The phrase “minecraft server.1.16.5.jar” may be found within the command text string. That section of the text must be renamed “server.jar.” As a result, the new line of code will read:
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui
- For example, a five-player server needs have at least 2GB of RAM, which you may configure by modifying the code to : java -Xmx2048M -Xms2048M -jar server.jar nogui
- Pick “Save as type” from a drop-down menu, select “All Files (*.*), then name the file “start.bat”.
- Delete the file “start.txt.” To execute the “start.bat” file, double-click it. A black command prompt window will appear, which will close after the.bat program is complete.
- You’ll notice some new files, including a “eula.txt” document (short for “End User License Agreement”). Open the document and replace “eula=false” with “eula=true” in the line of code.
- Start the start.bat file once more. Since your server’s world is being created this time, the delay will be longer than usual.
- Your server is theoretically ready to start immediately, and you’ll notice a few new files, including the “server.properties” file, which allows you to customise your game.
- However, your server is currently only available to devices that share your internet connection. To make your Minecraft server accessible to users outside your local network, you’ll need to set up port forwarding.
How to join the Minecraft server created, using the device running the server – Select “Multiplayer” in Minecraft while your server is open and running. In the bottom-right corner, click “Add Server.” Simply type “0” in the “Server Address” field.
