Do You Need Static IP for Your Minecraft Server? Here’s How to Set It Up

petra pralica game horizonByPetra Pralica Published on
Setting Up Static IP for Minecraft Servers
Share:

It’s not a secret that running a game server can get complicated depending on your goals with the server. In a sea of numerous options, knowing what you need to do to run a stable Minecraft server is hard. Often, there will be mentions of needing a static IP to run a Minecraft server, but is it really something you need? How would one set it up?

For the average Joe or Jane, you can easily get away with running a Minecraft server without a static IP. Static IP provides you with a more stable internet connection and less chance of the server crashing, but the application of static IPs is reserved mostly for large servers with their own domain. To set it up, you’ll need to know your router’s IP address, subnet mask and change the settings in the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP) properties.

Now that you know the general gist of setting up a static IP, I want to dig into some of the benefits of having a static IP and the differences when comparing it to dynamic IP addresses. I’ll also discuss which ones are generally better for gaming and who should set it up and how. Let’s find out in the rest of this article.

Explaining IP addresses

Every computer and device you have has an IP address. If you’re connecting to the internet, you have it. Your IP address is changeable and valuable since hackers can use it to steal your data, find out your location, and more.

Your IP address will change every time you connect to a different network. VPN’s for example, use IP addresses to make it seem like you’re browsing the internet from a completely different location than your actual location.

VPNs have a bunch of servers online, and they connect you to each server and assign you a different IP address, depending on which country you want to browse from.

No two devices can have the same IP address. IP addresses are like fingerprints; they’re unique to each person, and that’s where the danger comes from. If it’s unique, you are easier to identify.

RELATED:

What Is DDoS Attack in Minecraft Server? Explained

Dynamic VS static IP

Static IP addresses never change. They are most definitely useful if you run your server, whether it is made for gaming or work. Having a static IP while running your gaming server will make it easier for members of the server to access the server continuously.

When you want to get access to a server, you usually have to type in the IP address of a server to access it. If you were to use a dynamic IP address, you’d constantly have to re-enter a new one which could become a tedious process quickly.

With that in mind, dynamic IP addresses are constantly changing. Home networks tend to have dynamic IPs, and it’s normal for the IP address to change occasionally. Did it ever happen that your internet reset for no reason at all? It might just be that it changed its IP address.

Gaming experience: Benefits of Static IP

When you look at all the pros and cons of having a static or dynamic IP, it’s easy to conclude that you’ll benefit more from having static IP if you’re planning to have your own Minecraft server.

Do you even need to set the static IP up if you’re paying for a server subscription service or taking advantage of free servers that you can use in Minecraft?

Another thing you’ll benefit from if you acquire a static IP address for your server is that you’ll have a much better gameplay experience. Your connection to the server will be more stable.

RELATED:

Can You Add Servers While Playing Minecraft on Xbox

With the use of a static IP, you’ll also be able to make your server public if you already have a server domain. Servers with static IPs and their domain are far more stable but are usually reserved for server hosts that plan on having a ton of activity on the server.

For people that want to run a normal Minecraft server, subscribing to a server hosting website will be enough for you to run your own server. The service provider will take care of most of your planning and ensure your connection is always stable.

Setting up static IP

Suppose you’ve decided to set up a static IP address because you think it can help you a ton when running a Minecraft server. In that case, I’ll show you the steps to do so, but remember that you should already have some preexisting knowledge about messing with your computer’s IP settings.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it might not work for everyone, and you might reap the consequences of your actions later on, so if setting up static IP doesn’t work right away, I suggest immediately going back to the way things were and just sticking to your server subscription service.

Static IP setup Minecraft

Now, if you want to set up a static IP on your PC, follow these steps:

  1. We’ll be using the command prompt for most of the things we need to set up the static IP, so press the Windows + R buttons and type in cmd in the pop-up window.
  2. You will then run the command ipconfig.
  3. Once you’ve run the command, look for the Default Gateway. The number displayed is your router’s IP address. Write it down.
  4. Now, to set up a static IP, press the Windows + R key again, but this time, head over to ncpa.cpl and hit enter.
  5. Next, you’ll want to go to your network interface and select properties.
  6. You’ll look for Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP) and then select Properties again.
  7. You will then need to type in the preferred Static IP address, the subnet mask, and your routers’ IP address and then use that following IP address as the default.

A few things to note here. Your subnet mask for setting up a static IP should be this: 255.255.255.0. Your IP address should be the same as the default gateway but with an added digit (0).

Port forwarding in Minecraft

Many people choose to set up a static IP address when they decide they want to port forward their Minecraft servers. Port forwarding allows users running their server locally to let other remote computers connect to the server. Acquiring a static IP address is a must in this case, but as I’ve said before, it won’t be in most cases.

Besides, if you run a small server locally, you can always use a VPN like Logmein Hamachi that’ll take care of everything for you with a few clicks.

petra pralica game horizon

Petra Pralica has been a content writer for over three years and is based in Zagreb, Croatia. She studied economics in high school and went to college to get her English language and literature degree but decided against proceeding with her studies after three years since an opportunity arose for her to work as a content writer full-time. Petra’s interests span wide, which is clear from her content writing history. She spent around a year and a half writing content about animals and animal products for Petovly, making sure to educate people about the responsibilities that come with pet ownership, especially when it comes to non-traditional pets like parrots, rats, and ferrets. Then she went on to write about all things related to kitchens. After that affair ended, she educated herself on advertising through social media and search engines. Still, she decided to postpone a career change for the future since she got the opportunity to write about another one of her old passions: games. Whether it’s a board game or a video game, Petra will play it. She’s more into the old-school games she used to play on her PS1 and PS2 and her old computer brick. After video games went online and started to focus more on the PvP aspect like many MOBAs and battle royale games do, she decided to stick to her guns but in a different format. Nowadays, she mostly plays games where she can write out a story or live through a story on the PC screen. Part of the reason she likes League of Legends so much is because of the game’s lore, and part of the reason she enjoys Minecraft so much is that you are free to do whatever you want and write out your own story. She’d spend hours in high school playing games like Skyrim, GTA San Andreas, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Crash Twin Sanity, and Assasin’s Creed. This is a salad of genres, but they all have one thing in common: they all tell a story. Although Petra likes to live in fantasy worlds and fantasize about how epic it would be to live out her life through these alternate worlds, her writing isn’t all that creative and imaginative. She’ll write about facts and try to make things easier to understand and figure out. Of course, she’ll never pass up on an opportunity to write about her favorite characters and why they’d win or lose in a fight with a character from a different universe. She will give you direct answers to all of your questions and then present you with a bunch of if’s, but’s, and what if’s. After all, she can’t completely let go of her creative and imaginative nature.

Rumor: ‘Minecraft’ Coming to Xbox Series X/S via New Gen Upgrade

valentina kraljik game horizonByValentina Kraljik Published on
Minecraft new gen update
Share:

Exciting rumor has started surfacing this week regarding the possibility that Minecraft will arrive on the newest gaming console, namely Xbox Series X/S, via what appears to be the new generation update. 

Nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft so far, and the only proof we have so far appears to be a screenshot posted to X by Andrew Marmo that shows what appears to be an Xbox Series rating for Minecraft on USK, aka Germany’s video games rating board.

Minecraft is so far available on a plethora of systems, it’s one of the most diverse and accessible games out there, but sadly the game lacks native support on the newest consoles, and considering the game’s age, it’s due time that it sees some upgrades in the technical department. 

Even though this update so far remains unconfirmed, there are plenty of reasons why fans should entertain and be overjoyed by the possibility of a new-gen update. 

Minecraft on Xbox Series X/S could provide much-needed graphics updates. Considering that the console is much more powerful than its predecessors, this opens the possibility of higher resolutions, smoother frame rates, and faster loading times. 

RELATED:

Minecraft: How to Find Other Players? (PS4, Java, Xbox, Switch)

The Xbox Series X/S features solid-state drives (SSDs) that significantly reduce loading times in games. This means that entering and exiting the game, as well as loading into different areas within the Minecraft world, can be much quicker and more seamless.

But most importantly, the new-gen update will ensure the longevity of the game in the years to come. As more and more players make the move to the newest console, it only makes sense for Minecraft to make the jump as well. The game is, after all, one of the biggest hits in the last few decades. 

There are no news regarding the possible PS5 version of the game.

Whether the rumors will turn out to be true is yet to be seen. Until we wait for any kind of confirmation, we can plunge ourselves into the newest update that was released only a few weeks priors, titled ‘The Trails & Tales.’ 

valentina kraljik game horizon

Valentina Kraljik is a writer and editor at Game Horizon with a deep love for everything related to video games. With a degree in Information Sciences, she brings a well-informed and unique perspective to her work. Valentina's writing is known for covering a wide range of video game genres, but she truly shines in her expertise in open-world RPGs. From offbeat euro-jank games like "Gothic" to critically acclaimed titles like "The Witcher," Valentina is well-versed in this exciting genre. Her passion for imaginative storytelling is reflected in the topics she writes about, with favorites like "Disco Elysium," "Elder Scrolls: Morrowind," "World of Warcraft," and "Mass Effect" influencing her tastes in games. Even though nothing beats a good high-fantasy setting, she often wanders into the realm of first-person shooters, occasionally even hitting the target. With a commitment to objectivity and insightful analysis, Valentina strives to bring a fresh perspective to the subjects she covers, even when exploring genres that may be unfamiliar to her. Her blend of academic rigor and creative flair sets her apart in the world of media writing.

Villager Changes & Diamond Distribution Buffs Coming to Minecraft Snapshot 23W31A

valentina kraljik game horizonByValentina Kraljik Published on
Villager Changes Diamond Distribution Buffs Coming to Minecraft Snapshot 23W31A
Share:

‘Trails & Tales’ Update for Minecraft was just recently released, and while the fans are enjoying the new items, mechanics, and features, the developers are already cooking up different ways to make gameplay more balanced and enjoyable. 

Minecraft just received a snapshot for version 1.20.2, and several important changes are scheduled to be incorporated into the game. One thing that seemed nonsensical in recent years was the fact that enchantments provided by Librarians seemed mostly random. This meant that a Librarian villager with a novice skill level could provide you with some of the rarest enchantments in the game. This is set to be changed. A new Feature Toggle will allow the players to change the way Librarians generate enchantments instead of relying on pure luck and random chance. The players will get the opportunity to “earn” the targeted enchantments. 

Librarian villager changes

With the villager Feature Toggle Librarians will sell different enchantments depending on their biome. The newly introduced special enchantments that are different across various biomes can only be purchased from a Master Librarian with a Full XP. This means that to collect all valuable enchantments, you will have to visit all biomes and work on your trades. Keep in mind that there are two secret biomes from which enchantments can be gathered that do not generate villages by default. You will have to build them yourself. 

RELATED:

Can You Transfer Enchantments in Minecraft? (& How to Do It)

Not all enchantments are available for purchase from Librarians, no matter their biome. These enchantments have to be acquired through other means. The feature is, of course, optional, and if it sounds like too much grind for you, you can always leave it unactivated. 

Wandering Trader changes 

wandering trader with llama

Some players felt that Minecraft devs didn’t really hit the spot with the Wandering Trader since the villager was useless in the large scheme of things, often having a limited stock of items that were particularly useful to begin with but highly overpriced. With Wandering Trader Feature Toggle, this is set to be remedied. 

Wandering Trader will have a greater selection of goods available in larger amounts under more balanced prices. Perhaps the biggest change is the fact that Wandering Trader will be able to buy things from your instead of only peddling junk. 

Diamond generation changes 

Not the most drastic change in the Snapshot, but you will certainly notice it when you brave mining Deepslate layers of the Overworld. The devs boosted the Diamond generation in the Deepslate layers in order to facilitate and reward the exploration of the deepest parts of the world. How drastic the change is remains to be seen. 

Other changes…

Besides the three big changes, there are a ton of smaller but important changes coming your way. Curing a Zombie Villager grants a significant discount only on the first occasion, with no additional bonus for repeated curing. Barrier blocks can be waterlogged by players in Creative mode, but non-direct interactions like Dispensers can’t fill or empty them with water. Riding vehicles won’t allow players to crouch anymore, and the Chorus Flower no longer supports hanging or standing blocks.

You can read all additional technical changes included in the Snapshot on Minecraft.net

valentina kraljik game horizon

Valentina Kraljik is a writer and editor at Game Horizon with a deep love for everything related to video games. With a degree in Information Sciences, she brings a well-informed and unique perspective to her work. Valentina's writing is known for covering a wide range of video game genres, but she truly shines in her expertise in open-world RPGs. From offbeat euro-jank games like "Gothic" to critically acclaimed titles like "The Witcher," Valentina is well-versed in this exciting genre. Her passion for imaginative storytelling is reflected in the topics she writes about, with favorites like "Disco Elysium," "Elder Scrolls: Morrowind," "World of Warcraft," and "Mass Effect" influencing her tastes in games. Even though nothing beats a good high-fantasy setting, she often wanders into the realm of first-person shooters, occasionally even hitting the target. With a commitment to objectivity and insightful analysis, Valentina strives to bring a fresh perspective to the subjects she covers, even when exploring genres that may be unfamiliar to her. Her blend of academic rigor and creative flair sets her apart in the world of media writing.

Here’s How to Summon Moving Arrows Aimed at Mobs in Minecraft

petra pralica game horizonByPetra Pralica Published on
Summon moving arrows aimed at mobs Minecraft
Share:

We all know that there are a ton of things you can do with commands in Minecraft, and they require a lot of game and, dare I say, programming knowledge to execute and to be able to work with them. To most, they are rocket science, but to a select few, they are a source of infinite power. You can use them to create fun mini-games, enhance your builds, and more. So, what if you, for example, wanted to summon moving arrows aimed at mobs in Minecraft? How would one do that?

Unfortunately, summoning moving arrows aimed at mobs in Minecraft is either impossible to do or requires a true expert to pull off. The only way I was able to pull it off was to enter this command into a repeating command block /execute as @e[type=zombie] at @s run summon minecraft:arrow ^ ^ ^1.0 {Motion:[0.0,0.0,0.0],Tags:["aimed_arrow"],CustomName:'[{"text":"Targeted Arrow"}]',UUIDLeast:1,UUIDMost:1,PersistenceRequired:1} which shoots the arrow in the general direction of the mob but never aims it at them and damages them.

Since there’s no easy way, or a way at all, to summon moving arrows aimed at mobs, throughout the rest of this article, I’ll aim to provide you with all the commands I tried to execute to solve the issue and explain every one by sectioning them. By the end of the article, you might find your own answer to the question.

Explaining the command

Since the command is pretty long, to perhaps try and make adjustments on your own, we need to make sure you understand the command completely. I’ll explain the command section by section:

/execute as – The execute command, as the name would suggest, executes commands but allows you to change who is executing it. The ‘as’ and what follows determines who is executing the command.

@e[type=minecraft:zombie] – the @e defines that an entity will be executing the command. Mobs are entities, so we further defined that only a zombie will execute the command. If you wanted to aim arrows at other mobs, you’d change the ‘minecraft:zombie’ part of the command.

RELATED:

Minecraft: Here’s How to Spawn Blocks Using Commands

at @s – This portion of the command tells the game to execute the command at the location of the @e(in this case, zombie)

run summon minecraft:arrow ^ ^ ^1.0 – This is where it gets complicated. The first bit tells the game to summon an arrow at the specified location, while the second bit communicates where the relative position of the entity being targeted. The 1.0 bit will make the arrow shoot one block in front of the zombie. This is also the first part of why the command can’t shoot the zombie since the zombie’s position is ever-changing.

Tags:[“aimed_arrow”] – the tag specifies which type of arrow is used to target the specific entity. This is necessary if you want a chance to pull the command off.

CustomName:'[{“text”:”Targeted Arrow”}] and CustomNameVisible:1 – These two parts of the command are completely unnecessary. The first line gives each arrow summoned a name. In our case, when the command is executed, each arrow will be named ‘targeted arrow’. The second part makes the name of the arrow visible above it.

UUIDLeast:1,UUIDMost:1 – Every entity in the game has a unique identifier that helps the game recognize them. In the case of arrows, both Universally Unique Identifiers are set to 1, which tells the game that we’re talking about arrows. This part of the command helps separate each arrow summoned so that we can interact which each arrow separately if needed.

PersistenceRequired:1 – If persistence is set to one, this ensures that the arrow doesn’t despawn naturally, but rather, the player has full control over what will happen to it.

Arrow motion

Now that we removed the command let’s see what else is required for the command to work. Spawning an arrow using the above command will only spawn it; the arrow won’t have motion, so we need to add another set of commands to update its motion continuously. The command is:

/execute as @e[type=arrow,tag=aimed_arrow] at @s run data modify entity @s Motion set from entity @e[type=zombie,sort=nearest,limit=1] Pos[0]
/execute as @e[type=arrow,tag=aimed_arrow] at @s run data modify entity @s Motion[1] set from entity @e[type=zombie,sort=nearest,limit=1] Pos[1]
/execute as @e[type=arrow,tag=aimed_arrow] at @s run data modify entity @s Motion[2] set from entity @e[type=zombie,sort=nearest,limit=1] Pos[2]

The command will continuously update the arrow’s motion to appear like it’s moving. This command should be added to a repeating redstone circuit and typed into a command block.

Repeating command block and repeating redstone circuit Minecraft

Problems you might run into trying to make the command work

The most obvious problem is that the arrow will never shoot at the mob. Still, probably the biggest one is that the command does not specify which entity (in this case zombie) you want the arrow to shoot, which means that there will be a lot of lag since it’ll try and shoot every zombie currently in your loaded chunks.

The only way to fight this lag is to destroy the command block running it. I could also stop it by killing all zombies in my world and summoning one zombie.

RELATED:

Here Is How to Hide Commands in Minecraft

This means that the command might work in your custom world where you have no mob, only a specified amount of mobs in a certain area, but that’s me just being optimistic about the chances of this command working.

I also tried running this command.’execute as at @s run summon minecraft:arrow ^ ^ ^1 {Motion:[0.0,0.0,0.0],Tags:["moving_arrow"],Pickup:0b,Life:100s,Damage:2.0f,ShotFromCrossbow:1b,CustomPotionEffects:[{Id:"minecraft:instant_damage",Amplifier:0b,Duration:100}]}‘ but unfortunately, the command doesn’t work at all or works in random intervals. My guess with this command is that I didn’t manage to write it correctly, according to the 1.19.4 rules, which is where I was trying to make the command work.

What are your thoughts on this specific problem? Do you know where we went wrong and if making the command work is possible? Let us know in the comments.

petra pralica game horizon

Petra Pralica has been a content writer for over three years and is based in Zagreb, Croatia. She studied economics in high school and went to college to get her English language and literature degree but decided against proceeding with her studies after three years since an opportunity arose for her to work as a content writer full-time. Petra’s interests span wide, which is clear from her content writing history. She spent around a year and a half writing content about animals and animal products for Petovly, making sure to educate people about the responsibilities that come with pet ownership, especially when it comes to non-traditional pets like parrots, rats, and ferrets. Then she went on to write about all things related to kitchens. After that affair ended, she educated herself on advertising through social media and search engines. Still, she decided to postpone a career change for the future since she got the opportunity to write about another one of her old passions: games. Whether it’s a board game or a video game, Petra will play it. She’s more into the old-school games she used to play on her PS1 and PS2 and her old computer brick. After video games went online and started to focus more on the PvP aspect like many MOBAs and battle royale games do, she decided to stick to her guns but in a different format. Nowadays, she mostly plays games where she can write out a story or live through a story on the PC screen. Part of the reason she likes League of Legends so much is because of the game’s lore, and part of the reason she enjoys Minecraft so much is that you are free to do whatever you want and write out your own story. She’d spend hours in high school playing games like Skyrim, GTA San Andreas, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Crash Twin Sanity, and Assasin’s Creed. This is a salad of genres, but they all have one thing in common: they all tell a story. Although Petra likes to live in fantasy worlds and fantasize about how epic it would be to live out her life through these alternate worlds, her writing isn’t all that creative and imaginative. She’ll write about facts and try to make things easier to understand and figure out. Of course, she’ll never pass up on an opportunity to write about her favorite characters and why they’d win or lose in a fight with a character from a different universe. She will give you direct answers to all of your questions and then present you with a bunch of if’s, but’s, and what if’s. After all, she can’t completely let go of her creative and imaginative nature.