Server

Minecraft servers allow players to play online with other people. They may either be run on a dedicated server, or be temporary, and run off a home machine.

General recommendations

 * 1) Setting up a server takes some time, and some technical know-how. Don't try to set up a server unless you have some basic computer and networking knowledge.
 * 2) Hosting and playing on the same machine is not generally recommended, unless you have a fairly powerful computer.
 * 3) Hosting a server from a computer that uses a wireless card is not recommended.
 * 4) Laptops don't make for good server machines. They heat up quickly, and get very hot - which can damage the computer! In addition, they typically have lower end hardware in comparison to desktops and dedicated server machines.
 * 5) If you decide you don't want to host, but still want to play online, check out the public server options in the Minecraft servers area of the Minecraft forum.
 * 6) If you still want to manage a server, but not from home, check out the Minecraft server hosting area of the Minecraft forum. Expect to pay monthly for this type of server.

Server requirements

 * 1) Refer to http://canihostaminecraftserver.com/ to see whether you should host a server, based on your internet bandwidth.
 * 2) The more memory your computer has, the better. It's recommended to have more than 2 GB, that way plenty is left over for the operating system, and you have the possibility of allocating more to the Minecraft server.
 * 3) A dual core processor, or better, is recommended for hosting. A single core processor can be used, but only if you are hosting for a very small number of players.

Server commands and known issues
See the known bugs page for known single/multiplayer issues.

Special note: Atheros and Realtek network adapters are known to not work well with Minecraft in general. If you experience a total loss of internet (requiring a reboot), or constant disconnects, check and see if you have either brand of network adapter installed. If you do, you can try updating the driver for the device directly from the manufacturer. If a driver update does not fix the issue, the general solution is to buy a new adapter (anything from Intel is recommended as a replacement).

The server commands page has a list of useful commands.

Server installation and configuration
Ready to set up a server? View the installation and configuration guide!

Setting up a server

Types of Servers
There are numerous kinds of Minecraft servers, usually distinguished by the level used in them or how players in them are supposed to behave. Many special types of servers rely on the use of map editors.

Standard
Standard servers usually have relatively regular maps, allowing players to build or destroy whatever they want (though griefing is often against servers' rules).

Survival
Also referred to as SMP. A type of Standard server, in which survival against monsters is key. Time of day is generally not tampered with unnecessarily, to provide players with a sense that they are in a singleplayer-type environment, with other players in the world. Survival servers can be very glitchy, or crash for small reasons. To run one, it is often required that a user port forward so connections can be made. Players who have purchased the game can connect by inputting the IP address of the server into the Multiplayer section of the Beta. The default port for SMP servers is 25565, but can be changed. Usually a port will need to be opened through port forwarding, but other players prefer a service called Hamachi or other virtual private network (VPN) service.

Falling Lava
A form of roleplay, falling lava servers usually use a small map with a single block of lava or a lava "timer" (a long channel through which lava flows, delaying its spread) at the top of it. Players are intended to try to construct a shelter so as to "survive" before the lava engulfs the map; the map usually reset/restored sometime afterwards. Some maps use water in the place of lava to make building after the flood easier.

Roleplay
A server, usually with a normal map, where players are encouraged to take on roles and act as them in the game. These servers often attempt to simulate settlement in some foreign land or similar, and require the gathering of resources to build structures.

Spleef
Spleef servers are usually dedicated to playing Spleef. They use a nonstandard map which contains Spleef arenas, of which are generally much more extravagant than those a standard server might have.

Grief
Though rare, a grief server usually consists of another server's map which the grief server's owner would retrieve, therefore allowing people to "grief" without getting banned.

Randomly Generated
A map design generated using either the standard in-game generator or an external generator such as Omen. While the in-game generator can only create temperate-themed maps, desert-, mountain-, hell-, snow-themed maps and others can be created with external generators.

Flat
An otherwise standard design which is not randomly generated, but is instead simply a vast grassy plain. These are usually created by various external generators.

Ocean
Ocean maps usually consist of mostly or entirely water to encourage building underwater structures; they may also be dry at first, but flooded later, after players have built on them. These gained more prominence when sponges were added.

Cave
A server which is mostly or entirely an elaborate cave or series of caves, far more spacious and dynamic than standard caves. These commonly have the top and sides blocked off with bedrock to stop light getting through.

Landscape
Landscape server with widely varying features across the map, such as caves, forests, mountains and oceans. These are commonly custom-made and used in roleplay.

Delete Player
If you want to delete a player from the game, you can remove the player's .dat file. Navigate to the Minecraft home directory, open the map folder, open the player's folder, and delete the PLAYERNAME.dat file. This will cause the player to start over at the spawn point with no inventory. The player's changes to the world will be unchanged along with any inventory stored in chests. This will NOT ban the player that has been deleted.

Server Hosts
When you create your first server, you may try to host it from your home computer. This is a bad idea as most computers cannot handle it! Try to find someone else capable of and willing to host it for you. Remember, just because you aren't hosting it doesn't mean it's no longer your server!

Server Stealing
If the host of your server decides to ban you and refuses to unban you, this is classed as stealing a server. They are effectively making themselves the owner of the server. If you get someone else to host, make sure they send you regular backups of the server so if they steal it you can find someone more trustworthy.

Server Serveur