Overview
In this guide you will learn how to host a Minecraft multiplayer server using remote.it. Hosting a server in this way is secure, totally free, and doesn't require port forwarding. Additionally, you only have to go through this set up process once, and anyone else using remote.it can join.
The steps to setup are:
Set up
Before starting the process of setting up your Minecraft server to run on remote.it, please make sure to create an account at our main site and download and install the desktop app. If you need help setting up a Minecraft server, there are many resources online detailing how to, as well as a remote.it video tutorial.
Additionally, please be aware that setting up a Minecraft server on a Mac is slightly different from setting up a server on a Windows machine. When creating the server on the Mac, it is not necessary to create a .bat file. Simply run the .jar file to start the server.
Important Note:
DO NOT port forward! Set up the server to run on your machine locally and remote.it will take care of the rest.
Below is an image of what your server should look like when it's ready to be hosted. You should be able to connect to it using your local IP address, but it won't be accessible by anyone outside of your local network yet.
An example of what you should have set up (Windows).
Host the server using remote.it
Now it's time to use remote.it to host the server. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Launch the remote.it desktop app and sign in with your account.
2. Navigate to the Devices tab and click on "Set up this device".
3. Name and Register your computer.
4. Click the Plus icon to add a Service.
5. Select the service type "Minecraft" and change the Service Port to 25565 (Minecraft's Port). Also, give your Service a name. i.e. "Minecraft server" Leave everything else at its default. Then scroll down and click the blue Save button.
The server is now hosted with remote.it.
Share the Server
Now that you have the server setup, you need to share it with your friends to allow them to connect and play the game. They will also need to have a remote.it account and the desktop app. Follow these steps to share the server:
1. Go to the "Devices" tab in the remote.it desktop app.
2. Click on your Device you just registered.
3. Click "Share".
4. At the top, enter the email addresses of all the people you want to play with. These emails must be the one that they used to sign up for their remote.it account.
5. Check the Minecraft server and then click Share.
The server is now shared and your friends can now connect. Note, the other services, if any, are not shared with your friends and only you can access them.
Connect with remote.it
Your friends now can sign in on the desktop app and they should now see your Minecraft server shared with them.
Once it appears in their desktop app, all they have to do is click on the device name and then the Minecraft server and then the "Add to Network" button.
Once connected, there will be an address that will appear that they can use to connect. We will use this in the next step.
Note
Please note that the host of the server does not need to connect via remote.it to access their own server in Minecraft. Simply connect using the IP 127.0.0.1:25565.
Play the game
The final step is to connect to the server in Minecraft. Follow the steps below:
1. In Minecraft, click Multiplayer and then click Add Server.
2. Enter the Server Address by copying the the address from remote.it.
Note that any sort of insecure port forwarding is not used here.
You're now connected to the server using remote.it! As long as remote.it is running on both machines and the Minecraft server is up, you will able to play Minecraft together securely without port forwarding.
