Going global with Minecraft

This tutorial explains how to set up Minecraft on your local network, meaning anyone who wants to play will need to be connected to it. However, you may wish to allow others to join your server over the internet.

First, you’ll need to assign your Pi a permanent IP address on your network by editing ‘/etc/network/interfaces’. Next, use a feature known as port forwarding on your router to forward incoming traffic from the outside internet to the Pi itself.

Because each router is different, it’s best to check the specific steps to do this with your router manufacturer, or enlist a more technically able friend. In either case, say that you need to open port 25565 for both TCP and UDP. You also need your router’s external IP address, which you can get by visiting www.whatismyip.com.

The Port Forward website has multiple guides for setting up port forwarding: http://portforward.com/english/ applications/port_forwarding/Minecraft_ Server.

Your ISP may change the IP address of your router from time to time, which could cause difficulties for people playing. You can pay to rent a static IP from your ISP or get a free one from a service such as www.noip.com.