The creation of Minecraft servers has become quite popular over the years, with more than 100 servers being launched per month. But to launch a Minecraft server, you will need to meet some requirements.
One of these requirements is having a static IP address, and the ability to open ports. Since some of the players cannot open ports due to legal, reasons, they are unable to create a public Minecraft server. But these days are now over!
In this article, we will show you how to open a Minecraft server without port forwarding or having a static IP address.
What is port forwarding in Minecraft?
Port forwarding is a process, which allows connections to come in and go to your router’s IP address. These addresses are also known as IPv4.
It is also known as being one of the steps for creating your own Minecraft server.
By opening your ports (port forwarding), you will be allowing connections from your public IP address. To make it more simple, imagine you have a Minecraft server, that you wish to open for your friends outside of your network.
To make this happen, you will need to acquire your IPv4 address, and use it for opening ports. The next step usually is including the port and IPv4 address inside your Minecraft server config file, so it can respond to the information.
However, some servers aren’t responding to outside connections, even though you have followed all the steps correctly.
The reason behind this is not your fault. It’s your ISP who has blocked the ports, so they cannot be opened or accessed due to their own reasons.
Most of the time when you call them, they may open the ports, but it will cost you. However, if they decline, they may also turn you down by giving you information, as to why they do not want to allow port forwarding in your case.
Can I run a Minecraft server without port forwarding?
Back in the day, without port forwarding, you had only a few options for creating a Minecraft server. It was possible by using Hamachi or NOIP.
Both of these were very limited and had some annoying requirements, which turned players down.
For example, Hamachi was allowing player connections for 5 people on their free plan. If you wanted to increase the number of players, you would have to pay for a plan, which makes no sense. It would be more beneficial to overpay for an internet plan, rather than software, which does the same.
And on top of that, for a player to connect to your Hamachi Minecraft server, he would have to enter credentials, to connect to your network, and if it went through, only then they would be able to go to your Minecraft server.
As these were the only options available, lesser Minecraft servers could be published, and the hype of having your own server was drastically decreasing.
But since a new company called PlayIt, things became a bit better.
What is PlayItGG
PlayItGG is a networking service, which allows you to host game servers on your own machine, without the need for static IP addresses, or port forwarding.
The creator behind PlayIt has created a small but simple Minecraft application, which will take the server information, and assign it its own address and port, which other players can access.
It may sound impossible, but PlayIt application, lets you create a new static IP, through the Anycast network.
And if you are scared about the internet speed or that your server may be slower with PlayItGG, you don’t need to worry. Their software searches for the nearest to your location data center, so you can get the best speed for free.
How to Open a Minecraft server without port forwarding
To open your Minecraft server without port forwarding or having a static IP address, all you need to do is go to the PlayItGG website.
Once you do that, download the application for Minecraft, and choose the correct operating system that your computer uses.
Make sure to start the program you had just downloaded, and proceed to the step, where you have to register your account. If you don’t want to register for an account, but just test it out, use the “guest account” option. It will give you a temporary guest account, which can be used for a small amount of time.
If you wish to use the application, make sure to register, so you can keep your server’s IP address, and all information, without the need to change it later.
Now while the application is running, you can go to your account tab, choose the option “tunnel”, and “add new tunnel”. Choose Minecraft Java or Bedrock depending on the type of server you wish to host.
The next step is to check and confirm your IPv4 address. If the IP is not correct, you can simply hit the “no” button, and correct the information. If the information is true, just proceed further.
After all, settings have been confirmed, you should be able to use the IP address, that PlayItGG has created for you. However, you will need to add the port and your IPv4 address to your Minecraft server file, or the tunneling will not work for you.
The tunnel IP address you receive from PlayItGG should be given to other players, so they can join your Minecraft server. Make sure to include the port as well.
Conclusion
PlayItGG is one of the biggest problem solvers for the community, which can’t create a Minecraft server. Their services are free and can host unlimited addresses for players, along with a ton of premium features at the price of nothing.
Compared to other similar services, most of the players are limited to a few players, have to reconnect after a certain amount of time or pay high prices to run their server properly.
If you don’t have a Minecraft server, or wish to start ahead of the game, you can get a free Minecraft server, and customize it to your liking.
