This simple guide will show you how to create a world that is perfect for you and your friends in just 10 minutes.

Today, I will be showing you the easiest way to set up a public vanilla Minecraft server for you and your friends, without spending a single dollar. Let's get started!

#1-Create a server folder

Create a new folder in whatever directory you choose. This folder will house all server files.

#2-Download JAR files

You can download the official Minecraft Server .jar file here. It should be saved to your newly created server folder.

#3-Create the Run Script

To host the server, you will need to create a script to run.jar files. Free Forums Copy the following command to a new text document.

The minecraft_server.1.16.4.jar is the current Minecraft server version available at the time of writing this. You can simply replace the name of the.jar files that you have previously downloaded with the new version if it is available.

The flags -Xmx/-Xms allocating memory for the server. If you want to increase these values, you can (in muliples of 1024).

If you are on Windows, save this file as run.bat. If you're on Linux, save the file as run.sh. You must change the extension to.txt in order for the file to be properly executed.

#4-Run the script

Windows users can simply double-click on the newly created run.bat.

If you are on Linux, you will first have to make the file executable. First, type the command: chmod+x run.sh. This will make the script you have just created executable. You can then run the script by using./run.sh

#5-Accept EULA

After running the script, you will see warning about accepting the EULA agreement. You can close this window and look in the server folder to see a number new files. Open the file eula.txt, change the line eula=false to eula=true, and then save and close the file.

#6-Test the server locally

Once the EULA agreement has been accepted, you can now run the script to restart the server (run.bat/run.sh). You should see the new files that were created in the server directory. Once you have set up the world and configured the server, you can test it to make sure it works.

Open Minecraft and click on multiplayer. In the server address field, type localhost and click on connect.

Congratulations, you now own your very own Minecraft server! But now, you want to be able to play with friends, so you will have to open up the server to incoming connections.

#7 - Find internal and external IP addresses

To port forward, you will need to locate your internal (private IP address). You will also need your external (public IP) IP to allow other people to connect with your server.

To find your internal IP, first:

Type cmd into the search field and hit enter to open a command prompt. Type the command ipconfig and you will see the list of Wi-Fi cards and Ethernet adapters.

If you are on Linux, open a terminal with ctrl + alt + t. Type the command ifconfig and you will see the list of Wi-Fi cards and Ethernet adapters.

Depending on your internet connection type (WiFi or Ethernet), you will find the IPv4 address (which starts at 192.168) under the internet connection type. This is your private IP address.

To find your external IP

You can simply type "my IP" in Google and it will provide your public IP address. Alternatively, you can go to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ and it will also tell you your public IP address.

#8- Port Forwarding

Port forwarding refers to the process of opening a port on your local network so that incoming traffic can connect with a service. In this example, we will be opening the default Minecraft port (25565).

To port forward, you need admin access to your network. Many home routers can be accessed by typing 192.168.1.1 in a web browser. Enter the admin credentials, and look for the "port forwarding" settings. This can be found under the "advanced setting", "advanced configuration", or "networking” tab.

For example, port forwarding on a NetGear router can be found under "Advanced",-> "Advanced Setup",-> "Port Forwarding/Port Triggering".

Click on "Add Custom service" here. Give the service name anything recognizable, like "Minecraft Server". Make sure TCP/UDP is selected under the service category. Enter the default Minecraft port "25565" for the internal and exterior port ranges. Next, enter your private IP address from step #7 for the interal Internet address. Click Apply and your changes are saved.

#9 - Edit the server configuration files

Open the server.properties folder with the text editor you prefer, and scroll down until you see server-port. Make sure you set the server port to the port that was opened for port forwarding. The server-ip value is your internal (private), IP address.

These two fields should look similar:

(192.168.1.88) is whatever your private IP number is.

Other settings can be modified in this file as well, including difficultly, game mode and PvP. Once you have made all of your changes, save this file and close it.

#10-Test the public IP address of the server

Now that the port has been opened for communication, and the settings are correct, you can run the server again by clicking the run.bat (Windows) or the command./run.sh(Linux). After the server has finished loading, you will be able to test if your server is working via the public IP address you have found in step 7. Voila! Voila! Your friends and you can now play on this server by entering the exact same public IP address into your Minecraft clients.

Thank you

Minecraft has been a huge part of my gaming history, and I get so much nostalgia every time I create a new world. This guide was created to allow everyone to enjoy the same experience. There are so many ways to create a Minecraft server, but I wanted to write a guide to provide the simplest and quickest way to help you get started. If this if your first time creating your own Minecraft server, or you've done it a hundred times before, I hope this guide was easy to follow, and I wish you the best of luck.