How to Port Forward for Minecraft Java or Bedrock

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Plus, troubleshooting tips if your Minecraft port didn’t work

Written by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: September 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Gathering Info & Setting Up
|
• Assigning a Static IP Address
|
• Forwarding Your Minecraft Port
|
• Troubleshooting
|
• Is it safe to port forward for a Minecraft server?
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Port forwarding allows people who aren't on your Wi-Fi network to join a Minecraft server that you're hosting, so it’s a great option if you want to let friends join your private server. The setup might seem a little complicated at first, but we’re here to break it all down for you, from getting set up to configuring your router and forwarding your Minecraft port.

How to Make a Minecraft Port

1. Set up a Minecraft server.
2. Type your router’s IP address into a browser to open the settings.
3. Create a dynamic IP address in your router settings.
4. Create a new rule in your router’s Port Forwarding settings.
5. Type the Minecraft port number into the inbound and outbound boxes.
6. Enter your static IP address in the Address bar.
7. Choose TCP/UDP under “Ports.”
8. Save and reboot your router.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Gathering Info & Setting Up

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1. 
   1
   Start a Minecraft server if you don’t have one yet. If you haven't yet installed and configured a Minecraft server on your computer, click one of the following links for instructions on doing so for your specific operating system:

   • Windows
   • Mac
2. 
   2
   Find your router's IP address. To access your router's page, you'll need to know the router address as specified by your computer's settings:

   • Windows — Open Start
     
     , click Settings
     
     , click Network & Internet, click View your network properties, scroll down to the "Wi-Fi" heading, and note the address next to the "Default gateway" section.
   • Mac — Open the Apple menu , click System Preferences..., click Network, click your Wi-Fi connection on the left side, click Advanced..., click the TCP/IP tab, and note the address next to the "Router" heading.
   • Linux — Open a terminal and type in "ip r". The last set of numbers is the router's IP address.
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3. 
   3
   Find your computer's IP address. You should see this to the right of the "IPv4" heading in the menu in which you found your router's IP address. This is the address which identifies your computer.

   • If you see a slash and another number at the end of the IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.12/32), your computer may be identified by two addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.12 and 192.168.1.32).
   • If you see two different addresses, use the one that most closely matches the examples above—4 groups of numbers separated by 3 dots.
4. 
   4
   Close your Minecraft server and the Minecraft app if they’re open. Closing the Minecraft server should shut the port, which could help prevent errors when you set up the port forwarding. The Minecraft app should be shut down. Once Minecraft and your server are both shut down, you can proceed with accessing your router's page to assign a static IP address to your router..

   • While doing this isn't strictly necessary, it can help prevent errors down the road.
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Section 2 of 5:

Assigning a Static IP Address

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1. 
   1
   Open a web browser. Click or double-click the app icon for your preferred web browser to do so.
2. 
   2
   Click the address bar. It's at the top of the web browser window.

   • If there's any text in the address bar, remove it before proceeding.
3. 
   3
   Enter your router's address. Type in the address you found next to the "Default gateway" (Windows), "Router" (Mac), or the "ip r" ending numbers (Linux).

   • For example, you might type something like 192.168.1.1 here.
4. 
   4
   Press ↵ Enter. Doing so takes you to your router's page if the router is online.
5. 
   5
   Log into your router's page. Type in the username if asked, then type in the password and press ↵ Enter.

   • If you don't know the login information, don't panic—most routers require you to log in using factory-default credentials (e.g., "admin" for the username and "password" for the password). You can usually find these credentials on the back/side of the router or in the router's manual.
   • If you can't find the router's sticker or its manual, look up the router's model number online to see common login credentials. If you still can’t find it, contact your internet provider.
6. 
   6
   Wait for your router's page to load. Especially if this is your first time accessing your router's page, it may take a few seconds for the page to finish loading. Once you're logged in, you can assign a static IP address to your computer.

   • You may need to navigate through some on-screen setup prompts or a tutorial if this is your first time opening the router's page.
7. 
   7
   Find your router's list of connected items. The exact location and contents of the list will vary depending on your router. Try looking in the following places or menus:

   • Connected Devices
   • Settings
   • Advanced Settings
   • Network
   • Devices
   • Parental Controls
8. 
   8
   Find your computer's IP address. Scroll through the list of connected items until you find the IP address that matches your computer.

   • This should be the "IPv4" address you found in the same menu as the router's address.
9. 
   9
   Lock the IP address. Again, the exact way you do this will vary depending on your router page. You may need to click a lock icon next to your IP address, click a settings gear icon and then click Reserve next to the address, or check a "Reserve" box near the address.

   • For specific instructions regarding setting a static IP address on your model of router, read the router's manual or online documentation.
   • Assigning a static (instead of a dynamic) IP address to your computer will prevent the IP address from changing if your computer ever loses its connection to the router. This means that you won't have to update your IP address in the server's settings each time you turn back on your computer.
10. 
    10
    Save your changes. Click the Save or Apply button to do so. Now that your computer's IP address is reserved, you can finally forward the Minecraft port.

    • Your router may need to reboot before you can proceed. If so, it will reboot automatically.
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Section 3 of 5:

Forwarding Your Minecraft Port

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1. 
   1
   Find and open your router's "Port Forwarding" section. On most routers, this section is referred to as "Port Forwarding," and it should be a main tab or menu item on the router's home page.

   • If you don't see the "Port Forwarding" section on the main page, look in the Settings or Advanced Settings section.
   • “Port Forwarding” may also be called “Port Triggering,” “Firewall Settings,” “NAT forwarding,” or something similar.
   • Consult your router's specific documentation for the proper instructions on using your router's port forwarding feature.
2. 
   2
   Enter a name for your port forwarding rule. In the "Name" or "Rule" text box, type in a title (e.g, "Minecraft") that describes the port forward rule that you’re setting up. Optionally, type in a description.

   • Consider naming the rule based on the Minecraft edition you’re playing (e.g. “Minecraft Java Edition”).
3. 
   3
   Enter the Minecraft port number into the "Inbound" text box. Type 25565 into this text field.

   • The default Minecraft port number for Java is 25565. Unless you've somehow changed this number in your computer's Firewall settings, the default port number is the number you'll use.
   • If you’re playing Bedrock edition, use port 19132 or 19133.
4. 
   4
   Add the port number to the "Outbound" textbox. Again, you'll type in 25565 here for Java or 19132-19133 for Bedrock. This indicates to your router that only this port should be forwarded.

   • If you don't see this option, just look for a second "Port" text field on the right side of the list.
5. 
   5
   Enter your computer's static IP address. In the "Address" text box, type in the static IP address you set for your computer.
6. 
   6
   Select a type of port. Click the drop-down box in the "Type" column, then click TCP in the drop-down menu. Then, also enable UDP in the same menu.

   • You may instead need to check a box (e.g., click the "TCP" checkbox).
   • If the "Type" drop-down box already has TCP in it, skip this step.
   • If you can’t choose both options, make two port forwarding rules. Fill out everything identically, but on one, choose inbound, and on the other, choose outbound.
7. 
   7
   Save your changes. Click the Save or Apply button to do so. At this point, your port should be forwarded, meaning that you should be able to invite friends to use port 25565 on your computer's public IP address in order to access your Minecraft server.

   • You may need to reboot your router for the changes to take effect.
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Section 4 of 5:

Troubleshooting

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1. Try these troubleshooting tips if your friends can’t join your server. If you’re sure you set everything up correctly but your Minecraft port isn’t working, you may need to tweak a few settings. Here’s what to check:

   • Use an online port checker tool like YouGetSignal or PortChecker to see if the port is accessible to people outside of your home network.
   • Allow port forwarding in your firewall settings. You may need to create a new rule allowing port forwarding on the port you used, similar to how you set it up in the router.
   • Check that the correct port is set in your Minecraft server configuration file.
   • Check whether your internet carrier allows port forwarding. Some internet carriers, like T-Mobile and AT&T, may block port forwarding or require you to have an advanced firewall.

Section 5 of 5:

Is it safe to port forward for a Minecraft server?

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1. Opening a port on your computer creates a vulnerability. If your computer is protected by a strong password and firewall, and you only open a port that’s exclusively used by Minecraft, your risk is relatively low. But it’s not zero, which is worth keeping in mind.

   • Hackers or other people with malicious intent can theoretically access your computer via the open port, and if they were able to crack your passwords, could exploit that to gain access to your personal information.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How do I know my IP address?

  

  Community Answer

  Your IP address is displayed when you google "IP" or "What is my IP."

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
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• Question

  How do I add plugins to the Minecraft server if I portforward?

  

  Community Answer

  It is possible to host local Bukkit or Spigot servers, both of which allow plugins to be added. There are plenty of tutorials explaining in detail how to do this.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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• Question

  Can I have a bit more explanation about step 12 regarding where to paste the address?

  

  Community Answer

  On the Minecraft main menu screen, there should be a button that says "Multiplayer." Click it. Click "Add Server" at the bottom. The IP Address slot of the new server page is where you paste the address.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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