Port forwarding a Minecraft server on Windows

Friends outside your house can't join until port 25565 is open on your router. If your router has UPnP turned on, the app can open it for you with one switch, see UPnP. If not, the steps below do it by hand, with the menus for Sky, BT, Virgin Media, Netgear, TP-Link, ASUS and Linksys.

Updated September 2026

Can't open ports at all? Plenty of home connections now use CGNAT, which makes port forwarding impossible no matter what you change on the router. A relay gives your Minecraft server an address that works on any connection, no router setup needed. Free for you and three friends, from £1.50 a month for more.

How it works

When you run a Minecraft server at home, it's only accessible to devices on your local network (LAN) by default. Port forwarding tells your router to take incoming traffic on a specific port and send it to your computer, allowing players outside your network to connect.

Your router is the front door of the house. Port forwarding tells it which room to send Minecraft visitors to.

Default Minecraft port: 25565 (TCP). MC Server Manager shows your configured port in the server details panel.

Before you start

Make sure you have:

  • A Minecraft server running in MC Server Manager
  • Access to your router's admin panel (usually via a web browser)
  • Your router's admin password (often on a sticker on the router itself)

Important: Port forwarding exposes a service on your computer to the internet. Only forward the ports you need and keep your server software up to date. Consider setting a server whitelist in server.properties to control who can join.

Step 1: Find your local IP address

You need your computer's local IP address (the address on your home network). MC Server Manager displays this as the LAN IP in the server details, but you can also find it manually:

Windows

  1. Press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter
  2. Type ipconfig and press Enter
  3. Look for IPv4 Address under your active network adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
  4. It will look like 192.168.1.100 or 192.168.0.50
Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100  <-- This is your local IP
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . : 192.168.1.1    <-- This is your router

Tip: The Default Gateway address is your router's IP, you'll need this for Step 2.

Step 2: Access your router

  1. Open a web browser and type your router's IP address in the address bar (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
  2. Log in with your router's admin credentials
  3. Navigate to the Port Forwarding section (may also be called "Virtual Servers", "NAT", "Applications", or "Gaming")

Common router login addresses:

BrandDefault AddressDefault Login
Most routers192.168.1.1admin / admin
Netgear192.168.1.1 or routerlogin.netadmin / password
TP-Link192.168.0.1 or tplinkwifi.netadmin / admin
Linksys192.168.1.1admin / admin
ASUS192.168.1.1 or router.asus.comadmin / admin
Sky (UK)192.168.0.1On the router sticker
BT (UK)192.168.1.254On the router sticker
Virgin Media (UK)192.168.0.1On the router sticker
Xfinity (US)10.0.0.1admin / password

Can't find it? Check the sticker on the bottom or back of your router for the admin URL and password. If you've changed the password and forgotten it, you may need to factory reset your router.

Step 3: Create the port forwarding rule

Once you're in the port forwarding section, create a new rule with these settings:

SettingValue
Service Name / DescriptionMinecraft (or anything you want)
ProtocolTCP (some routers say "TCP/UDP", that works too)
External / Start Port25565 (or your custom port)
Internal / End Port25565 (same as above)
Internal IP / DeviceYour local IP from Step 1 (e.g. 192.168.1.100)

Save the rule and apply changes. Some routers require a reboot, if so, it will usually prompt you.

Using a custom port? If you changed the port in MC Server Manager (e.g. to 25566), use that port number instead of 25565 in both the external and internal port fields.

Step 4: Find your public IP

Your public IP is the address friends will use to connect. MC Server Manager displays this as the Public IP in the server details panel.

You can also find it by searching "what is my IP" in Google, or visiting a site like ifconfig.me.

Your public IP will look something like 203.0.113.42, this is different from your local IP.

Privacy note: Your public IP can reveal your approximate location. Only share it with people you trust and use a server whitelist to control who can join. A relay hides your real IP if you'd rather not share it at all.

Step 5: Share with friends

Give your friends the server address to add in Minecraft:

  • Default port (25565): Just share your public IP, e.g. 203.0.113.42
  • Custom port: Share your IP with the port, e.g. 203.0.113.42:25566

In Minecraft, they go to Multiplayer > Add Server and paste the address.

Friends can join from anywhere now. If one of them can't, work down the list below.

Troubleshooting

Friends can't connect

  • Check the server is running. Make sure it says "Running" in MC Server Manager.
  • Check Windows Firewall. The first time you start a server on a PC, MC Server Manager offers to add the firewall rules for you behind one admin prompt. If you said Not now, the offer is in the app's Settings, or check Windows Security > Firewall > Allow an app through firewall and make sure Java is allowed on Private and Public networks.
  • Check the port is correct. Make sure the port in your forwarding rule matches the port shown in MC Server Manager.
  • Check your local IP hasn't changed. If your computer restarted, your local IP may have changed. Run ipconfig again to check. Consider setting a static IP (see below).
  • Double-check the rule. Some routers require you to "enable" the rule after creating it.
  • Restart the router. Some routers need a reboot for port forwarding changes to take effect.
  • ISP restrictions. Some ISPs (especially mobile, 4G/5G, Starlink and many fibre providers) use CGNAT which blocks both port forwarding and UPnP. If this is you, port forwarding will never work no matter what you try. A relay gets round this, it gives your server a custom address that works on any connection.

Test if your port is open

With your server running, you can test if the port is reachable from the internet:

  1. Make sure your Minecraft server is started in MC Server Manager
  2. Search Google for "port checker" and use any online tool
  3. Enter your public IP and port (e.g. 25565)
  4. If it says Open, port forwarding is working. If Closed, recheck your rule and firewall settings.

Setting a static local IP (recommended)

Your router may assign a different local IP to your computer each time it connects (DHCP). To prevent this from breaking your port forwarding rule:

  1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet)
  2. Click your connected network > Edit (next to IP assignment)
  3. Switch to Manual
  4. Turn on IPv4
  5. Enter your current IP (e.g. 192.168.1.100), subnet mask (255.255.255.0) and gateway (e.g. 192.168.1.1)
  6. For DNS, use 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8
  7. Save

Alternatively, most routers have a DHCP Reservation or Address Reservation option that lets you pin a specific IP to your computer's MAC address.

UPnP: Skip manual port forwarding

If your router has UPnP turned on, MC Server Manager can do all of the above for you.

Option 1: UPnP (automatic port forwarding)

MC Server Manager can automatically open your server port on your router, no manual configuration needed:

  1. In MC Server Manager, go to your server's Network section
  2. Enable UPnP Auto Port Forward
  3. The app will automatically open the correct port on your router
  4. Share your public IP with friends and they can connect

Note: UPnP must be supported and enabled on your router (most home routers have it on by default). If it doesn't work, your router may have UPnP disabled, check your router's settings, or try the relay option below.

Option 2: A relay (works on CGNAT)

If your internet uses CGNAT, neither port forwarding nor UPnP can ever work, no matter what you do on the router. A relay gives your server an address (like <yourname>.play.mcservermanager.com) that works on any connection. Java and Bedrock both supported. The free one is set up from your account page, Starter and Plus from £1.50 a month add players and a name you choose.

Remote server management: MC Server Manager also has a web dashboard for managing your server from any browser, to monitor performance, run commands and control it remotely without exposing your home IP or opening a port. This is for server administration, not for players to connect.

Common router guides

Every router has a slightly different interface. Here are brief directions for the most common ones:

Netgear

  1. Go to routerlogin.net or 192.168.1.1
  2. Advanced > Advanced Setup > Port Forwarding / Port Triggering
  3. Click Add Custom Service
  4. Fill in: Name = Minecraft, Protocol = TCP, External port = 25565, Internal IP = your PC's IP
  5. Click Apply

TP-Link

  1. Go to 192.168.0.1 or tplinkwifi.net
  2. Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Port Forwarding (or Virtual Servers)
  3. Click Add
  4. Service Type = Minecraft, External Port = 25565, Internal IP = your PC's IP, Internal Port = 25565, Protocol = TCP
  5. Click Save

ASUS

  1. Go to router.asus.com or 192.168.1.1
  2. WAN > Virtual Server / Port Forwarding
  3. Enable = Yes, Service Name = Minecraft, Port Range = 25565, Local IP = your PC's IP, Local Port = 25565, Protocol = TCP
  4. Click + then Apply

Linksys

  1. Go to 192.168.1.1
  2. Security (or Apps and Gaming) > Single Port Forwarding
  3. Application Name = Minecraft, External Port = 25565, Internal Port = 25565, Protocol = TCP, Device IP = your PC's IP
  4. Check Enabled and click Apply

Sky / BT / Virgin Media (UK ISPs)

  1. Go to your router's address (see table above)
  2. Log in with the password on the router sticker
  3. Look for Advanced Settings > Port Forwarding (Sky), Advanced > Port Forwarding (BT), or Advanced Settings > Port Forwarding (Virgin)
  4. Add a rule for port 25565 TCP pointing to your PC's local IP
  5. Save and apply

Other guides

All guides Download MC Server Manager