- If one server fails, it's usually that server or its address. Check its status on Is it down?
- If every server fails, it's your network, your account or Mojang's login service.
- Version, whitelist and mod errors aren't network problems. The message names the fix.
- Lag with good ping is usually the server's TPS, not your connection.
If you can't connect to a Minecraft server, the error text on the disconnect screen is your best clue, and the fastest first test is simple: can you join any other server? If other servers work, the problem sits with that one server or the address you typed. If nothing works, look at your network, your account or Mojang's login service.
Below is the three-question triage we use ourselves, a decoder table for the messages you'll actually see, and fixes for servers that don't show up, LAN games that stay invisible, and lag that seems to come from nowhere.
Is it you, the server, or Mojang?
- Is the server up? Look it up on Is it down? or on its page here. Our pinger checks every listed server every few minutes, so if we see it offline too, it's not you. Wait, or check the server's Discord for news.
- Can you join a different server? Pick any busy server from our hot list. If that works, your connection and account are fine, and the first server (or its address) is the problem.
- Does nothing work at all? Then it's on your side or Mojang's. Restart the launcher, sign out and back in, and try again on a different network, such as a phone hotspot. If the hotspot works, your home network or router is blocking something.
The error decoder
Match the first words of your message. Java messages are on top, Bedrock at the bottom.
| Message | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Connection timed out: getsockopt | Your game knocked and nothing answered. Server offline, wrong port, or a firewall dropping traffic. | Recheck address and port, check status, then see our timed-out guide. |
| Connection refused: getsockopt / no further information | The machine answered but nothing is listening on that port. | Wrong port, or the server process is stopped. Owners: is it running? |
| Unknown host | The name didn't resolve. Typo, or the domain doesn't exist anymore. | Copy the address fresh. Try the numeric IP if the server publishes one. |
| Incompatible client! Please use ... | You're on a different version than the server allows. | Pick the named version in the launcher. See outdated client fixes. |
| You are not white-listed on this server! | Only approved names can join. | Apply for the whitelist. |
| Failed to log in: Invalid session | Your login token expired. | Close the game and launcher completely, reopen, sign in again. |
| Failed to verify username! | The server couldn't confirm your account with Mojang. | Usually temporary. Wait a few minutes, restart the launcher. |
| Multiplayer is disabled | Your Microsoft account settings block online play. | A parent can change "join multiplayer games" in Xbox Family Settings. |
| You are banned from this server | A ban, often with a reason and an appeal link. | Follow the appeal link, or ask on the server's Discord. |
| Mismatched mod channel list / mod rejections | The server needs mods you don't have, or different versions. | Install the exact modpack. See modded servers. |
| Unable to connect to world (Bedrock) | Wrong port, a Java-only server, or your network blocking UDP. | Confirm a Bedrock address and port exist. Try another network. |
| Outdated client! / Outdated server! (Bedrock) | Version gap between your game and the server. | Update the game from your store. If you're current, the server has to update. |
Why can't I join any Minecraft servers?
When every single server fails, run down this list in order. Each step takes a minute.
- Restart the launcher and sign in again. Fixes expired sessions, the most common cause.
- Check your account's multiplayer setting. Child accounts need a parent's permission for servers and Realms. It's in Xbox Family Settings under "join multiplayer games."
- Turn off your VPN or proxy. Some servers block VPN addresses; some VPNs break the connection.
- Allow Java or Minecraft through your firewall. Antivirus suites with their own firewall are frequent culprits.
- Try a phone hotspot. Works there? Your router, school network or ISP is blocking game ports.
- Reboot the router. Old, but DNS caches and full connection tables really do clear this way.
Minecraft server not showing up in your list
A saved server with a red X or "Can't connect to server" means the list ping failed. The ping is a quick status check, separate from joining, and it fails for the same reasons: server offline, wrong address, or network blocks. Press Refresh after a minute. If you see the server fine on our page but not in your list, re-add it by copying the address fresh.
Some servers turn off status replies (the enable-status setting), so they look dead in the list but still let you in. If the owner says the server is up, try joining anyway.
Bedrock server list not loading
If the Servers tab on Bedrock spins forever or the featured servers never appear, the problem is almost always sign-in or network, not the servers. Sign out of your Microsoft account in the game settings, sign back in, and restart. On consoles, check the platform's own network status too.
Local server not showing up on your local network
LAN worlds on Java appear under "Scanning for games on your local network." They don't show up when:
- The two devices are on different networks (a guest Wi-Fi and the main one count as different).
- The router has AP or client isolation turned on, which is common on school, hotel and mesh "guest" networks.
- Windows marked your network as Public, and the firewall blocks Java there.
- The host clicked Cancel on the Windows firewall prompt the first time.
The workaround: use Direct Connection with the host's local IP (like 192.168.1.23) and the port printed in the host's chat.
Minecraft server not showing up after port forwarding
This one's for people hosting at home. The port forward is set up, and friends still can't join. The usual reasons:
| Check | Why it breaks |
|---|---|
| Protocol | Java uses TCP 25565. Bedrock uses UDP 19132. Forwarding the wrong one does nothing. |
| Local IP changed | The forward points at an address your PC no longer has. Give the PC a reserved address in the router. |
| Firewall on the PC | The router passes traffic, then Windows drops it. Add an inbound rule for the port. |
| CGNAT | Some ISPs share one public address between many homes. Forwarding can't work; ask your ISP or use a host. |
| Testing from inside | Many routers can't loop back to your own public IP. Test from a phone on cellular data. |
server-ip filled in | Leave it blank in server.properties unless you know you need it. |
Once it works, our guide on making a server public covers domains and listing it.
Hamachi and other virtual LANs
Hamachi and similar tools pretend distant PCs are on one LAN. When it doesn't work, the cause is usually one of three things: the Hamachi network adapter is blocked by the Windows firewall, the friends are joining the host's normal IP instead of the virtual one Hamachi shows, or the Java LAN broadcast doesn't cross the virtual network. Use Direct Connection with the host's Hamachi address and the LAN port from chat. For regular play with friends, a small hosted server or a Realm is far less fiddly.
Server owners: the EULA file isn't showing up
A fresh Java server creates eula.txt on its first run and then stops. If you can't find it:
- Run the server once. Launch the server jar and wait for it to stop by itself.
- Look in the working folder. The file appears wherever the command ran from, which isn't always the jar's folder if you used a shortcut.
- Show file extensions. Windows may list it as just "eula." Open it in a text editor.
- Change
eula=falsetoeula=true. Only after reading the Minecraft EULA. Save and start again.
Minecraft server lagging for no reason?
There's always a reason, and it's one of two kinds. Tell them apart before you change anything.
Players rubber-band, but blocks break normally when you do get through. The ping bars in the list are low. Fix: wired connection, closer server region, no downloads running.
Everything slows for everyone: mobs freeze, furnaces crawl, blocks reappear. The server runs below 20 ticks per second. Fix is on the owner's side.
If everyone on the server feels it at once, it's TPS. Owners can find the cause with spark and the steps in our lag fix guide. If just you, try a server in your region: start with North American servers if you're in the US, since distance adds ping.
Quick questions
Do I need to download anything to fix a connection error?
Almost never. People searching "Minecraft servers download" often expect a special app, but joining uses the normal game. The only downloads a server legitimately needs are its resource pack (sent in-game) or a public modpack.
Why does the server list say online but I still can't join?
The list ping and the join are separate checks. Version, account and whitelist checks only happen when you join. Read the disconnect message and match it in the table above.
The server IP isn't working, but my friend can join. Why?
Compare your saved address with theirs character by character, including the port. If they match, the difference is your network: VPN, firewall, school Wi-Fi or a DNS cache. A phone hotspot test settles it.
How do I know when a server is back up?
Check its page here: the 7-day uptime chart shows when it was reachable, and the status updates every few minutes.