Join a Minecraft serverConnect via IP and port - Java & Bedrock

Published on October 20, 2026

Find the IP address and port

Every server at MainHoster.de has a fixed address made of IP and port. After ordering, you will find both in our panel on the server overview - in the form IP:port (e.g. 12.34.56.78:25578). Minecraft's default ports (Java 25565/TCP, Bedrock 19132/UDP) are only a guide - your server runs on its own port shown in the panel. So always enter IP and port together.

The IP alone is not enough: it is shared by several servers, and your address only becomes unique through the port. So always pass on both together - exactly as written in the panel.

Most mistakes happen when passing it on: a space before or after the address, a leading http://, a slash at the end or a colon that becomes a dot when typed off. Minecraft expects only the form IP:port - without protocol, without spaces, without additions. If in doubt, copy the address directly from the panel instead of typing it.

Java Edition: add the server

1. Start Minecraft (Java Edition) and click Multiplayer in the main menu.
2. Choose Add Server.
3. Give it a server name and enter IP:port under server address (e.g. 12.34.56.78:25578) - always with the port shown in the panel.
4. Confirm with Done, select the server from the list and click Join Server.

Make sure your Minecraft version matches the server version - a 1.20 client cannot join a 1.21 server. You can see and change the server version in the panel; how is explained in Change the version.

Bedrock Edition: add the server

1. Open Minecraft (Bedrock) and go to Play > Servers tab.
2. Scroll down and choose Add Server.
3. Enter the server name, IP address and the port shown in the panel and save (the Bedrock default port 19132 is only a guide).
4. Select the server from your list and join.

If you want Java and Bedrock players to play together, set up Bedrock crossplay via Paper with Geyser/Floodgate.

Direct connection: join once without creating an entry

In the Java Edition, there is a Direct Connection button next to Add Server. There, you enter IP:port and connect immediately without adding the server to the list permanently.

This is the quickest way to test an address before passing it on to your group: if the direct connection works, address, port and version are correct. Nothing is saved - for everyday use, you then add the server to the list as usual so you can see icon, MOTD and player count at a glance.

Your own address instead of IP and port

Nobody remembers a string of numbers. With your own domain, it becomes a name you can share on Discord or in a forum. Two routes lead there:

• A record - the name points to the IP. The port still has to be specified, so 12.34.56.78:25578 becomes play.yourserver.com:25578.
• SRV record - it delivers target and port together. Your fellow players then only type play.yourserver.com.

The process step by step is described in Your own domain instead of IP:port; what you need for Java and Bedrock is summarized in Minecraft server with your own domain. After a DNS change, it takes a while, depending on caches, until all players reach the new address - the connection via IP and port keeps working unchanged during this time. So keep it as a fallback instead of forgetting it in the panel.

In the Bedrock Edition, you enter address and port in two separate fields anyway - so the port is always visible there, and the detour via an SRV entry brings no gain in convenience.

Connection does not work?

Check three things: (1) Is the server running in the panel? A stopped server does not accept connections. (2) Are IP and port exactly right? Typos are the most common cause. (3) Does the client version match the server version? If a whitelist is active, your name must be unlocked - see our guide Set up a whitelist.

The order matters: look at the console in the web interface first. If it shows a completed start, the server is ready and the cause lies with the address or the client. If it shows nothing or an error message, there is no need to keep searching at the address. Which error text points to which cause is sorted out in Fix connection errors; if the server does not come up at all, Server does not start helps.

When only individual players cannot get in

The most important dividing line in troubleshooting: if you get in yourself and others do not, the server is reachable. Then it is down to the respective player's side or a rule that your server deliberately enforces.

• Different version - the most common case. Everyone checks in their launcher profile which version actually starts.
• Whitelist - if the name is not on it, the server rejects it even though the address is right.
• Network block - in school, company and some guest networks, unknown ports are blocked. Cross-check via another network, such as a phone's hotspot.
• Address copied wrongly - a missing port or a typo always affects only that one player.

A Bedrock player who wants to join a Java server is a special case: without a crossplay bridge, they cannot get in, no matter how correct the address is. The setup is described in Set up crossplay, the differences between the editions in Java vs. Bedrock.

After the first join

Once the connection works, three steps make sense before the group grows:

1. Give yourself operator rights so you can run commands and manage players - see Become OP/admin.
2. Decide who may join. For private groups, the whitelist is the simplest tool; for open servers, protection against griefing is also worthwhile.
3. Make the entry look good: your own server icon and a short MOTD ensure that your group finds the right entry in a long server list.

Everything else - difficulty, game mode, view distance or the maximum number of players - is in server.properties. If you want to raise the version later, you will find the process in Change the version; afterwards, all fellow players have to set the same version in their launcher, otherwise they suddenly cannot get in with the same address.

Frequently asked questions