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How To Make A Modded Minecraft Server

How to Make a Modded Minecraft Server

Ever since it was released back in 2011, Minecraft has had a strong multiplayer community. The secret behind its lasting appeal in multiplayer circles lies in two of its main features: mods and custom servers.

Community-made mods give players an easy way to customize their Minecraft experience for free. Also, custom server support ensures players can host their own custom, modded games.

Modded Minecraft Server Requirements

Running a modded Minecraft server is only slightly more complex than running a vanilla Minecraft server. The standard requirements for hosting the server on a PC still apply:

  • Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU.
  • At least 4GB of RAM.
  • At least 150MB of HDD storage for server files, plus additional space for storing mods.
  • 10 Mbps wired/ethernet internet connection.
  • Access to your router’s web interface for port-forwarding.
  • Latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

To install mods on your server, you also need:

  • Minecraft Forge modding API.
  • Mod files.

Note that each mod is only compatible with a specific Minecraft Forge version, so make sure to download and install the right version. For example, the popular Midnight mod can only run on Minecraft Forge version 1.15.2.

How to Make a Modded Minecraft Server: 5 Steps

We’ll now guide you through the process of making a modded Minecraft server.

1. Download and Install Forge Server

  1. Browse to the Minecraft Forge downloads page and download the version of the installer compatible with your mods.
Download Minecraft forge
  1. Find the installer file on your HDD and run it. The default filename format is forge-x.x.x-x.x.xxx-installer.jar
  2. Run the installer and select Install server.
minecraft forge installer server
  1. Choose an installation directory, for example C:\Minecraft Forge Server\
  2. Wait for the installation to finish and click OK.

2. Start Forge Server and Accept EULA

  1. Navigate to Forge server installation directory, e.g., C:\Minecraft Forge Server\
  2. Run the run.bat file. This generates additional files and directories needed to run the server.
  3. Open the newly generated eula.txt file in a text editor such as Notepad.
  4. Change the line eula=false to eula=true.
minecraft forge server eula
  1. Run the run.bat file again to check if the server is working.

Glimpse makes it easy to find players for your modded Minecraft server. Click the button below to create a Glimpse Content Creator account and use the Gaming Servers feature to share your server with fans who sponsor you with Glimpse tokens (1 token = $1 USD). Learn how to use Glimpse with our guide How to Stream on Glimpse.

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3. Download and Install Mods

The best place to download Minecraft mods is the CurseForge website. When downloading a mod, make sure to note which version of Minecraft it requires to run. If you plan on running older mods, players have to downgrade their Minecraft version to join and play.

Installation example for the Midnight mod:

  1. Download midnight-0.5.11.jar from CurseForge.
  2. Place midnight-0.5.11.jar in C:\Minecraft Forge Server\Mods

4. Port Forward Your Server and Find Your Server IP

Players won’t be able to connect to your server unless you make it visible to the public. To make your server visible online, open the required server ports through your router’s web interface. If you have trouble accessing your router:

  1. Browse to PortForward, a website for troubleshooting port-forwarding issues.
  2. Select your router model from the list.
  3. Follow the instructions on how to access your router.
  4. Go to port-forwarding settings.
  5. Open the following ports:
    1. TCP: 25565
    2. UDP: 19132-19133, 25565

Players also need to know your server IP to connect to it. The easiest way to find your IP is by googling “what’s my ip” and copying the number shown.

google what is my ip

5. Start the Server

To start your modded Minecraft server, run the run.bat file from your server directory, e.g., C:\Minecraft Forge Server\.

You now have a working Minecraft server.

minecraft forge server running

How to Connect to a Modded Minecraft Server

To connect to your modded Minecraft server, players must:

  1. Download the Minecraft Forge installer and select Install client.
minecraft forge installer client
  1. Download any required mods and put them in the Mods directory of their Minecraft installation.
  2. Select the appropriate Minecraft Forge installation (e.g., 1.15.2 for Midnight mod) from Minecraft Launcher and start the game.
minecraft launcher forge
  1. Navigate to Multiplayer in the main menu.
  2. Click Add Server.
    1. Choose any name for the server.
    2. Type the server IP address (the number that “what’s my ip” returns in the previous step.)
    3. Click Done.
add minecraft forge server
  1. Click Join server.

Common Server Issues

Minecraft server issues are uncommon and are usually easy to resolve. Here is a list of the most common server issues.

1. Incorrect Forge or Mod Version

The Forge server version you’re running might be incompatible with some mods. Make sure to download the right version of Forge you’re trying to run. For example, Midnight mod requires Minecraft 1.15.2 to run, so you need a Minecraft Forge 1.15.2 server installation.

2. Duplicate Mods

Sometimes the server won’t start because of duplicate .jar files in the Mods directory. Make sure to delete or rename the offending files.

3. Missing Dependency

Some mods require other mods to run. If you don’t satisfy those dependencies, your server won’t start. To find out the dependencies for a mod, go to its page on CurseForge, and navigate to the Relations tab. Download and install any missing mod dependencies.

Conclusion

Playing on modded servers is one of the most fun ways to experience Minecraft multiplayer. You get to play on custom Minecraft maps with all your favorite mods enabled. Setting up your own modded server is almost as easy as running a regular one, so give it a try.

Glimpse makes it easy for you to sell access to your Minecraft, Steam, Terraria, Rust, 7 Days to Die, Starbound, and most other gaming servers. Using our esports platform, you can connect your server directly to the platform and enable access to it within a sponsorship level.

  • Sell access to your server within sponsorships
  • Whitelist specific users for your gaming server
  • Use webhooks to connect your server in several simple clicks
  • Glimpse’s monetization system charges 0% commission so you get 100% of your earnings
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Ilja Aradski

Ilja Aradski is a writer, tech enthusiast, gaming nerd, and Glimpse's go-to content guy. His goal is to make content creation accessible to everyone by writing about live streaming, video games, and the content industry at large. He thinks he is good at video games, but his friends know better.

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