Minecraft: Java Edition: Proxies

Minecraft Proxies are servers that will redirect a player to a “backend” server on which they can play normally, acting as a middleman for the client>server connection. They’ll stay connected through the proxy the whole time, and that connection can be used to “switch” the player between other servers also connected to the proxy.

Which Proxy Should I Use?

• Velocity is the recommended proxy for new networks. The Paper Team develops it, and it has secure forwarding to backend servers built in.
• BungeeCord is still under active development by the Spigot Team. If you use it, secure your backend servers with BungeeGuard. See BungeeCord below.
• Waterfall, the Paper Team’s fork of BungeeCord, has reached end of life. The Paper Team recommends moving to Velocity.

How Proxies Work

When talking about systems, we use a term called “topology”, which refers to the structure or shape of the system and its various elements. For example, the basic topology of a standard server with no proxy would be:

Client -> Server

In the case of a proxy however, the topology changes a bit.

             Client
               V
             Proxy
               V
[Server 1 | Server 2 | Server 3]

With the proxy, the “Client”, or player, connects to the proxy which can then connect them to one of the servers it’s connected to. As mentioned, this allows the player to switch between each server, but it also grants the proxy some control over each of the servers. That means that plugins running on the proxy can affect all of the servers it’s connected to through things like chat, the tab menu, server authorization, etc.

Proxy Limitations

While proxies can be connected to by players and run plugins, they do not have their own playable world and they have their own plugin system. They require a separate server for players to play on, often referred to as a “backend” server, that will only be connected to through the proxy. Their plugins are also different than the plugins you’d run on server software like Spigot/Paper in that they’re primarily limited to controlling the player’s connection and the information sent over it.

For more information on the types of proxies, their specific limitations, and how to set them up, check out the other pages in this category.

BungeeCord

BungeeCord, commonly called Bungee, is proxy software developed by the Spigot Team. It’s still under active development, and you can download it from its Jenkins page. Waterfall was a fork of BungeeCord and is now end of life.

BungeeCord Plugins

Plugins for Spigot/Paper won’t work on BungeeCord, but you can still use them on your backend servers. Find plugins for the BungeeCord proxy itself on:

• Modrinth
• Spigot Resources

Setting Up BungeeCord

Spigot keeps up-to-date documentation in its Post-Installation advice and Configuration Guide. These tips help with the WinterNode side:

• Install BungeeCord from the panel: under Advanced > Server Actions > Install Different Edition, choose BungeeCord as the EDITION, then click Install Different Edition. See How to Use the Minecraft Edition Installer.
• Find each server’s IP and port in your Allocations.
• We don’t offer IP whitelisting or firewalls for our game hosting packages, so secure your backend servers with BungeeGuard, or move to Velocity, which has similar protection built in.