Read a server error message
The messages people hit most often, what they mean and the first thing to try.
Server errors look scary and usually turn out to be boring. You keep meeting the same few causes.
Failed to bind to port
Port 25565, the default one, is already in use. Odds are it's your own server, still running after you thought you'd closed it. Check for another server that's open, or for a Mineshire tray icon with a server inside.
Want two servers side by side? Give the second one its own port.
Connection timed out, or connection refused
Both mean a player's game never got through, but for different reasons.
- Timed out points at a router or firewall dropping the traffic.
- Connection refused is different. The computer answered, but nothing was listening on that port, so the server may be off or using another one.
Work outward. Try localhost on the server's own computer, then the home-network address from another device, and only then someone outside your house. See Let friends on your Wi-Fi join and Make a tunnel.
Can't keep up! Is the server overloaded?
The server fell behind. One message after someone flies into new terrain is harmless. A steady stream usually comes from view distance, too many entities or a slow processor. The blog post on why servers lag has fixes.
Outdated client, outdated server
Player and server are on different versions, and the message tells you which side is older. Update the player's game, or move the server to the version your players use. See Change a server's Minecraft version.
OutOfMemoryError
The server ran out of the memory you gave it. Give it more in the Options tab, then keep an eye on the memory graph. Still happening at a big size? Something is probably leaking, and that's usually a plugin or mod.
Unsupported class version
Your Java is too old for the server file. Mineshire downloads the Java each Minecraft version needs, so you shouldn't see this one there. If you do, ask on the Discord.
It stops right after starting
Open the Console and scroll to the top of the red text. That first error is the real one. The lines below it are fallout, often from a plugin or mod made for another version.
It quits at once and leaves eula.txt behind
The server stopped because Minecraft's EULA hasn't been accepted yet. Open eula.txt, set eula=true and start it again.
Unknown host
The player's game can't find that address at all. Check for typos first. Then make sure you gave them your public address or the tunnel address, because the local one only works at home.
Where the logs live
Inside the server folder there's a logs folder. The newest run is latest.log, and earlier runs sit beside it. Bad crashes also leave a file in crash-reports. In Mineshire you can reach the same logs from the Console tab under Past logs.
Reading a crash without panic
Resist reading from the bottom. The first line that says ERROR or Exception usually holds the answer, so look there for a name you recognise, like a plugin.
Asking for help with the log
Paste the log as text. A screenshot of the last three lines hides what people need. See Share your console log.
Still stuck?
The Discord is the quickest way to reach us.