How to Join a Minecraft Server: IP, Port and Custom Domain
Give your friends one address instead of a random IP. This covers ports, free subdomains and the four join errors you will actually meet.
Before anything else: Minecraft does not connect to a server by magic. The game needs an address and, unless you are on the default port, a port number as well. Getting those two details right fixes 90% of "it says I cannot connect" reports.
Where your address is
Open your server in the SadHost panel and look at the Network tab (also shown on the server's overview). You will see one or more allocations, each of them a host and a port:
203.0.113.10:25565— the raw IP and port.play.sadhost.com:25566or a subdomain you reserved — a readable address instead of a number.
If the port is the Minecraft default (25565) players do not need to type it — the game adds it
automatically. Any other port must be typed after a colon, exactly as shown in the panel.
Reserve a free subdomain (30 seconds)
- Open the Network or subdomain section of your server in the panel.
- Pick a name and a domain from the available zones — for example
viking-sagaonsadhost.com. - Save it. The DNS record is created for you automatically, so there is nothing to configure at a registrar and no waiting for propagation in the usual sense.
- Test it by connecting:
viking-saga.sadhost.com. If you get a connection error where the raw IP works, wait a minute and try again — a fresh DNS record may still be caching.
Ports still apply with a subdomain. A domain does not hide the port: if your server listens on
a non-default port, friends must type viking-saga.sadhost.com:25567. The panel shows the exact
string to copy — use the copy button rather than retyping it.
Share it properly
When you invite people, give them the copy-paste string from the panel and say which edition you are running. A message that works:
Server: viking-saga.sadhost.com:25567
Version: 1.21.x (Java)
Whitelist: ask me in DMs for an invite
Note: if the server is asleep, joining wakes it — the first join can take ~10 seconds.On the other side of the same coin: put your rules and your Discord link in the server's MOTD so people who find the server in the list know what they are joining.
The errors you will actually meet
| Message | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Connection refused | Something answered, but nothing is listening on that port — the server is stopped, crashed, or the port is wrong. | Start the server and wait for Done (…); re-copy the address from the panel. |
| Unknown host | The name could not be resolved at all. | Typo in the subdomain, or the record was only just created. Try the raw IP to confirm the server works. |
| Timed out | The port is blocked, the server is still generating its world, or hibernation is mid-wake. | Wait 30–60 seconds and retry — a first boot after an install takes the longest. |
| Outdated client / server | Version mismatch between the game and the server software. | Switch the server version in the panel's Version tab, or update your game. ViaVersion lets older clients join a newer server if you would rather not force updates. |
| You are not whitelisted | Whitelist is on and the player is not on it. | Add them from the console: whitelist add <name>, then whitelist reload. |
| The server is asleep — join to wake it | Hibernation is doing its job. | Just join. Or wake the server from the panel first and share the address afterwards. |
Two things to do before you share it publicly
- Turn on the whitelist if this is a private world. In the console:
whitelist on, then add your players. It is the cheapest griefing insurance there is. - Give operators sparingly.
opis full control over the world and the server. Hand it out to people who know what/kill @edoes.
That is the whole networking story: copy the address, include the port when it is not 25565, reserve a subdomain when you are tired of typing numbers, and remember that a sleeping server is a working server. If the server is up but slow, move on to the lag checklist, and if you are still getting it set up, start with creating a free 24/7 server.
Updated 22 September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on Discord or email support@sadhost.com and we will fix it.