One problem most Minecraft players face is the server connection error. As there is no error code to search online, this can seriously hamper your gaming experience. That is why many of you want to know how to fix this problem, right? To help you, this article will discuss the best ways to fix the “failed to connect to server” error.
As most of the users that face this problem are using windows, we’ll focus on how to fix this error on Windows.
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Why Does Minecraft Show “Failed to connect to the server” Error?
The main reason behind this particular error is the network connection. This happens when the game can’t connect to the internet properly. Usually, the antivirus program, the internet router, or the firewall on your computer controls the internet connection. This problem occurs when this form of connection gets interrupted.
Minecraft uses port 25565 as the default port for the internet connection. This port may be occupied, your router may block that specific port, or the antivirus program and/or the firewall may fail to recognize the game as a genuine program and block the access.
But don’t worry. The solution for this particular problem isn’t so hard. No drastic changes are required. Having some basic knowledge about the settings of your PC is enough to solve this. You simply have to reestablish the current internet connection to the game and help the game connect to the game server properly.
8 Ways to Fix the Server Connection Timed Out Error
Let’s have a look at the complete list of eight effective methods on how you can fix the server “connection timed out” error quickly.
- Check the Minecraft Server Status
- Add Minecraft to the List of Allowed Apps
- Reset Your Network Configuration
- Forward the 25565 Port
- Use a VPN Service
- Change Your Minecraft Version
1. Check the Minecraft Server Status
Once your game shows the connection error, the first thing you need to check is the Minecraft server status. There is a good chance that the server you are trying to connect is down for some reason. There are two methods to check this.
- You can visit the game developer’s Twitter account for the latest updates on any issues or downtimes that Minecraft may be facing.
- Secondly, you can use a free website named mcsrvstat.us where you have to enter the server’s hostname or IP address in order to check its status.
If the servers are down, then there’s nothing you can do but wait. Give it a little time and try again. If the servers are working fine, move on to the next fix.
2. Add Minecraft to the List of Allowed Apps
It is also possible that the firewall you are using is blocking Minecraft from accessing your internet connection. The firewall controls access to the internet from your computer. So unless you tell your firewall to let Minecraft connect to the internet, this problem will exist.
To solve this problem, follow these steps mentioned below:
1. Open the Windows firewall settings. To do so, press the Windows + S keys to open the search screen, then search for Windows Firewall or Windows Defender Firewall.
2. On the upper left corner of the Windows Firewall window, click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Check if Minecraft is shown in the list of allowed apps. If not, add it to the list and click OK.
Now restart your computer and open Minecraft to check if the issue has been resolved.
3. Reset Your Network Configuration
If you violate any of Minecraft’s guidelines, they will ban your IP. In that case, you may face the server connection timed-out error. This also happens when Minecraft servers ban the current IP address you are using by mistake. Here’s how to go about fixing this problem.
1. Restart your wireless router and PC to make sure you have proper internet access.
2. If that doesn’t solve the problem then open up the command prompt as an admin. To do so, search for Command Prompt, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator.
3. Enter the following commands one by one:
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /flushdns
- ipconfig /renew
- netsh int IP
- netsh int ip set dns
- netsh winsock reset
4. Once the configuration is reset, restart your PC. You should be able to connect and log in now. If the problem still persists, follow the next method.
4. Forward the 25565 Port
This part is a bit tricky. Minecraft needs a dedicated port/default gateway on your computer to be open while you play. The port number is 25565 and if the port is not accessible, you’ll see the error message on your screen. That is why you need to make sure that the 25565 port is open and not occupied by other applications. You can simply forward the port in your firewall settings.
1. Open the Windows firewall settings. To do so, press the Windows + S keys to open the search screen, then search for Windows Firewall or Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Click on Advanced Settings from the sidebar.
3. From the window that opens, click on Inbound Rules from the left sidebar, then select New Rule from the right sidebar.
4. Select Port in the pop-up window, and click Next to proceed.
5. Select “TCP” and “Specific local ports” and type 25565 in the textbox. Click Next.
6. Choose Allow The Connection and click Next to complete the process.
7. Now repeat Steps 3 to 6, but this time, instead of choosing Inbound Rules in step 3, choose Outbound Rules.
Restart your PC and launch Minecraft to see if the error has disappeared.
5. Use a VPN Service
It could be that the network you’re connected to is restricted in your region and if that is the case, using a VPN may solve this problem. There are a lot of VPN services out there for you to choose from.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that can hide your original IP address and re-route your Internet data through a dedicated server. That way, Minecraft’s servers won’t be able to determine the original location where are you logging in from and will only see the location that your VPN is routed from. So if you have a ban on your original IP address, that ban would be bypassed.
6. Change Your Minecraft Version
Sometimes this problem occurs just after a new update is installed. In this case, it could be that the update is faulty and may contain bugs or errors that are causing the connection error. Switching back to the previous version of the game could fix the problem. Here’s how you can do it:
1. From the Minecraft Launcher, go to the Installations tab, then click the New button.
2. In the VERSION drop-down menu, select an older version of the game or the version that worked for you.
3. Click Create to start downloading the previous version.
4. Once the download is complete, try to reconnect to the server to see if it works.
Wrapping Up
These are some of the methods that should help you fix the “Failed to connect to the server” and “Connection timed out” errors when connecting to a server in Minecraft. Most of these solutions are simple to perform and have helped a lot of users to successfully fix this issue.
