MineCraft Server Setup - Basics + Tips

Step 1: Buy MineCraft and download the server files. (or go find a server wrapper)

Now that we have that out of the way... You have a few questions to ask yourself before you setup a MineCraft server. Do you want people to type in a regular web address when they're joining your server (minecraft.irnothink.com)? Or do you want them to type in your PC's IP Address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)?

Step 2: Domain Name or IP? (getting to the server...)

FQDN - Das Fully Qualified Domain Name~

This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways I've found to accomplish this:

1. Identify the PC that will be hosting MineCraft (known now as your "Server")
2. Go to DynDNS and create an account (It's free)
3. Create your free domain name
4. Install the app on your Server

DynDNS will let you choose form a list of domains and create your own unique sub domain (ex: minecraft.dyndns.com).

"Well, I have Cable and my IP changes every once in a while," you might be saying. DynDNS thought of this and developed a little app that you can install. It will make sure your IP and new web address always match.

IP Address~

• Go to what's my IP before you want to log into your MineCraft Server.

Step 3: MineCraft_server.exe

Now that you have a means to reach the server... It would probably make sense to use those download server files and configure your router.

1. Drop minecraft_server.exe on your server in the location you'd like it to live. 
2. Open it.
3. It will run the server for the first time, generating a few extra files in the process
4. Close the server once it starts up all the way
5. Open the newly created 'server.properties' file with a text editor
6. Change 'server-port' or leave it as default (25565).
• Remember this port for later
7. Save and close the file

MineCraft files are now configured enough to get a server launched. Although, if you want others to be able to connect you'll need to configure your router.

Step 4: Router

1. Login to your router
2. Give your Server a static IP (ex: 192.168.1.10)
• This is so we can forward a port to this IP and it won't change.
3. Now go to your Port Forward configuraiton
4. Create an entry for the port that's listed in your server.properties file. 
• In my case, I would create an entry that forwards 25565 TCP/UDP to 192.168.1.10
5. Save and Exit

Open minecraft_server.exe again - Voila, you have an externally accessible MineCraft server. Anyone with the address from Step 2 will be able to connect to your MineCraft server.

Tips - I wish somebody told me this :(

Trying to enable your server to use more RAM but it keeps erroring on startup?

• In most cases everyone will have 32-bit Java installed on their machine, this will limit the amount of RAM you can make MineCraft use. Head over to the Java site and download 64-bit Java, make sure your MineCraft is pointing to this version.

• If a plugin is in "YAML" format, don't ever use a tab while typing. It won't allow the plugin to load and will give you errors.

• Don't use windows notepad when modifying plugin configuration files, some plugins will read the invisible garbage appended by notepad and it will cause your plugins to error even though they look perfect. Use Notepad++ or something.