Minecraft getting-started

How to Connect to Your Minecraft Java Server

Connect to Minecraft Java servers by finding your IP or sub-domain, adding servers in the client, and enabling Bedrock cross-play with Geyser support.

Last updated: July 21, 2026

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Your server’s address is the IP and port of its Primary allocation, found in the Game Panel under Management > Allocations. Share it with your players as IP:Port, and they add it on the Minecraft multiplayer screen.

Quick answer

  • Find the address: open Management > Allocations and use the allocation marked Primary. Full walkthrough in locating your IP address.
  • Share it as IP:Port, for example 123.45.67.89:25565. A missing or wrong port is the most common reason players cannot join.
  • Add it in Minecraft: Multiplayer > Add Server, paste the address into the Address box, name it in Server Name, then save and join.
  • Prefer a friendlier address? The Sub-domain Manager gives you something like play.yourname.com in place of the numbers.
  • Bedrock players joining a Java server need Geyser installed, then they connect to your IP with the Geyser port.
  • Getting an error? Jump to connection troubleshooting.

Finding the IP and port

Java edition servers are connected to by locating the IP address and port of your server and sharing them with your players. By default this is a numerical IP, but the Sub-domain Manager can give you a sub-domain to hand out instead.

For players

With the IP or domain in hand, open the Minecraft client, go to the multiplayer screen, and click Add Server at the bottom left. Type or paste the address into the Address box, and give the server a name in the Server Name box, which is what shows above it in your server list.

Geyser

Geyser is a third-party, community developed packet translator that lets Bedrock clients connect to Java Edition servers. It runs on most server platforms, including Spigot, Paper, NeoForge, Fabric, BungeeCord, and Velocity, so Java and Bedrock players can share one server.

Sharing the Geyser address

After setting up Geyser, make note of the port you configured. Pair it with your server’s IP address, or a domain from our Sub-domain Manager or your own, and hand that out to your Bedrock players.

For Bedrock players

On Windows, Android, or iOS, players add the server the same way as the For players steps above, entering your IP and the Geyser port.

Consoles are trickier. Geyser has a wiki article of their own that walks through using Geyser with consoles.

Connection troubleshooting

Connection refused

If Minecraft shows Connection refused: no further information or Connection refused: getsockopt, the server is not accepting connections on the address you entered.

  1. Open the Game Panel and check that your server’s status shows Online. If it is offline or still starting, wait for it to finish or click Start
  2. Verify you are using the correct IP and port from Management > Allocations. The Primary allocation is the one players use to connect
  3. Make sure you entered the port correctly. A missing or wrong port is the most common cause
  4. If you recently changed the server-port value in server.properties, reset it to match your Primary allocation port and restart your server

Connection timed out

If Minecraft shows Connection timed out, the connection attempt could not reach the server at all.

  1. Check that your server is Online in the Game Panel
  2. Confirm you are using the correct IP and port
  3. Try connecting with the raw IP:Port instead of a subdomain to rule out DNS issues
  4. If the problem only affects some players, the issue is likely on their network. Ask them to try a different network or run a network test to check for packet loss between their location and the server

Server not showing in server list

If you added the server but it shows as offline or doesn’t appear in your server list:

  1. Confirm the server is Online in the Game Panel
  2. Double-check the IP and port in your Minecraft server list entry
  3. Click Refresh in the Minecraft multiplayer screen
  4. If the server uses a non-default port, make sure you included it after the IP (e.g. 123.45.67.89:25565)

Still can’t connect?

If none of the above resolves the issue, contact our support team with:

  • Your Server UUID
  • The exact error message you see
  • Whether the issue affects all players or only some

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. WinterNode does not restrict offline mode. You can enable it via your server's configuration files.

It means the server is not accepting connections on the IP and port you entered. Check that your server is online in the Game Panel, and verify the IP and port match your Primary allocation.

In the Game Panel under Management > Allocations. The allocation marked Primary is the address your players connect to. Share it as IP:Port, for example 123.45.67.89:25565.

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