It is no secret that Minecraft's appeal lies in the fact that users can play online with their friends. From user-generated content to seasonal events, there's no limit to the amount of fun to be had in Minecraft, though sometimes the experience is best enjoyed with a smaller group of people. It's for this reason that private servers exist, as they allow for friends to get together in the comfort of their own digital home without having to worry about strangers or other factors affecting you and your buddies' enjoyment of the game.

You'll need to ensure you have the most recent versions of Java and Minecraft installed before you can host your friends on your personal server. You can do this by clicking on the game's launcher and then waiting for it update itself. Java is available in Internet Explorer. Click here. Click "Agree and Continue" and follow the onscreen prompts. If nothing happens then your Java is updated.

Next, create a folder on your computer's desktop so as to easily find all the files you're about to download. Go here and click on "minecraft_server.1.12.2.jar" to begin downloading the file. Make sure that you place it into the desktop folder you just created.

Once the JAR file exists, create a new text file within the folder. If you don't know how to do this, click "Home" on the folder window and "New Item" in the "New" section of the toolbar. You should be able to create your text document via the drop-down menu.

Go back to the website where you downloaded the JAR file and copy the red highlighted text. Copy the following command and paste it into your newly created text file. Once you are satisfied that the red text is visible in the file, you can save it as a BAT file by clicking on "File" then "Save as".
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You will now see an image with a few gears beside your JAR file. Double-click on the newly created BAT File to initiate the creation of your Minecraft private servers. Once the server has finished manifesting itself, you will see several files.

There should be one text file named "eula" now. Click on this to bring up Notepad. Change the "eula=false” portion to "eula=true" and you will be asked to agree to the End User License Agreement. Save the document and close it. Double-click your BAT file to allow your server setup resume. If prompted, click "Allow access" to complete the process.

After that, you can now connect to your server and begin playing Minecraft! Click "Play" and open Minecraft as usual. Click "Multiplayer," then "Direct Connect" near the bottom of the window. A text field will appear and you can enter "localhost". To open the server you are hosting, click "Join Server".

It would be even better if you had friends along. To invite them to your private server you have to first make sure that port forwarding is enabled on your router, or that an exception is made in your computer's firewall. To do this, go to your router's homepage and click the "Port Forwarding” section. Make a new rule that you can remember, such as "Minecraft". Make sure you have your protocol set to "TCP" as well as the entry and expiration ports set to 25565. If necessary, save your router and restart it.

Click here to get your public IP address. Make sure that you're giving out this line of text only to trusted people, as anyone with this address can join your game. For your friends to join your private game server, you can send their IP information. If they aren’t sure how to do that, have them click “Multiplayer,” then “Direct Connect,” then enter the IP address. Soon, they should be able connect to you in-game.

There you have it. Again, be sure to only give that IP address to people you know you can trust. Enjoy your new private server now with your friends! For more helpful guides, be sure to search for Twinfinite.