Are you a Minecraft fan looking to try something new? Joining a Local Area Network (LAN) world is an exciting way to connect with other fans and explore the depths of your favorite game. Plus, it also reduces the game latency.
Like all great things, though, setting up a LAN world requires some prep work– but I’ve got you. Here’s how to join a LAN World in Minecraft in the 3 best ways with simple steps.
How to Join a LAN World in Minecraft — 3 Best Ways
To join a LAN world, open Minecraft and click the Multiplayer option. The game will automatically scan for the available servers. After that, click the Direct Connect option. Type in the host’s IP address to the port. Lastly, click Join Server, and you will immediately join the server if the IP address and the port number are correct.
Minecraft allows you to link to LAN servers in multiple ways. You can either link to the existing servers, directly connect to a server or add your server on which your friends can join. Let’s look at each method in detail.
1. Directly Connect to a LAN World in Minecraft
The first option is to directly connect to a LAN server in Minecraft. For this step, you must have the IP address and port number of the LAN world you are trying to join. The port number must be 5 digits.
Here’s how you can do this:
- First, start the Minecraft game on your computer.
- From the menu, choose the Multiplayer option.
- While the game is scanning for available servers, click the Direct Connect option at the bottom of the screen.
- Wait for approximately 30 seconds so that the page is loaded completely.
- After that, type the IP and port in this format: IPV4Address: Port.
- Click Join Server and enjoy the game with your friends.
2. Join Available LAN Worlds in Minecraft LAN Server
If you don’t know how to join a LAN world in Minecraft, you try this method to join its servers. To link to available servers in the Minecraft game, follow these steps:
- Start Minecraft on your computer.
- From the main menu, choose the Multiplayer option.
- The game will automatically start scanning for the servers available. Select a server and click Join Server.
However, you will only see one server unless you are playing from an internet café or a gaming zone where people have hosted multiple Minecraft LAN worlds on the same network.
3. Add Your Own LAN World in Minecraft
Alternatively, you can also create your server and invite your friends to become part of it. To create your LAN world in Minecraft, here are the steps you should follow:
- Start Minecraft as a single-player game.
- Next, choose to Create a New World.
- As the new world appears, press the Esc key to launch a menu.
- From the menu, choose the Open to LAN option.
- Now click Start New World, and you’ll see your five-digit port number. Note it somewhere so that you can share it with your friends later on.
- Now, switch back to Desktop and open Settings from the Control Panel.
- Navigate to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing.
- Click your network connection to view the settings.
- Locate your IPV4 address. Note this as well to share with your friends.
- Alternatively, you can find your IPV4 address from the command prompt.
- For Windows, press the Start Menu key, and type cmd in the search bar. Hit the Enter key to launch the command prompt.
- Next, type: ipconfig/all
- For Linux systems, launch the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T, and type this command to get the IPV4 address: ifconfig | grep “inet”
- Now, you can ask your friends to tether to your LAN World in Minecraft using step 1.
Can’t Join a LAN Minecraft World — 4 Causes and Solutions
If you can’t join a LAN Minecraft world, the host computer may not be running Minecraft, not connected to the same LAN, or has a firewall blocking the connection. It could also be network issues. Lastly, you may be using a different version of Minecraft than that of the host, or the server may be full and unable to accept any more players.
But there’s no need to worry because when there is a problem, there’s always a cause and a solution. This section explores what causes this problem and how to fix it:
1. Different Networks
Being connected to different networks is one of the common causes of being unable to link to your Minecraft LAN server. Fortunately, this is the easiest to fix too. The most simple way is to make sure that everyone playing connects to the same server.
2. Different Minecraft Version
Another possible cause behind server connection failure is that someone is using a different Minecraft Version. To make sure everyone is using the same version, follow these steps:
- Click Edit Profile in Minecraft Launcher.
- There you can see a drop-down menu where you can select the version you want to play.
- Next, coordinate with others to make sure they are using the same version.
3. Blocked by Windows Firewall
Minecraft executable files need to be allowed in Firewall to link to the game. Otherwise, connecting issues occur when some of the files are blocked by Windows Firewall.
To unblock, follow the following steps:
- Open Control Panel and click System and Security.
- Under the Windows Defender Firewall, click Allow an app through Windows Firewall.
- Select Change Settings.
- Locate Java (TM) Platform SE Binary, java.exe, and Minecraft, and make sure the boxes next to them are selected.
- Then click OK.
4. Antivirus Software
Third-party antivirus software usually prevents and blocks Minecraft connections. So, you need to disable antivirus software temporarily for the Minecraft game.
To do that, follow these steps:
- If you have Windows Defender software, go to Windows Settings and navigate to Update and Security.
- In the Windows Security tab, click Virus and Threat Protection.
- Next, turn off Real-time Protection.
Here are the Prerequisites to Play LAN World in Minecraft
To play LAN World in Minecraft, you’ll need an IP address and port to that particular Minecraft LAN world. Also, you have to be on the same network on which the server is created to link and play in the LAN world in Minecraft.
The prerequisites to play Minecraft over a LAN are:
- A computer or device with Minecraft installed.
- A local area network (LAN) to connect your computer or device to the Minecraft network. This can be a home network, office network, or a temporary network set up for the purpose of playing Minecraft.
- Each player will need to be on the same version of Minecraft.
- You will also need to ensure that the computers or devices are connected to the same network and that the network is set up to allow communication between the devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I join the LAN world in Minecraft from far away?
No, it is not possible to join a LAN Minecraft world from a remote location. LAN games are designed for players to connect to each other within a limited, local network, such as a home or office network. In order to join a LAN game, you must be physically connected to the same network as the other players.
If you want to play Minecraft with someone who is not on the same local network as you, you can use a multiplayer server or connect through the internet using a service like Hamachi or a similar VPN. However, these types of connections can be unstable and may have a higher latency compared to a LAN connection.
How do I find my Minecraft LAN IP Address?
Your Minecraft LAN IP address is the same as your PC IP address. If you use Windows OS, right-click the windows icon and click run. Now type ‘cmd’ in the run window, and a black screen or Command Prompt will appear. Type the ipconfig /all command and press the enter key. Now you can see your IPv4 address. If you use a wired connection, you’ll see your IP address under the Ethernet connection.
Can I play LAN Minecraft world with another server player?
Well, that depends on what kind of edition you’re playing, Bedrock or Java. To play the multiplayer mode with your friends, you need to be on the same page. For the Java edition, you need to have the same LAN as the player you want to link to.
Just launch Minecraft, click Multiplayer, and Minecraft will scan for available local servers. If you want to link to someone else’s world, it’ll show up in your server list- just double-tap the link. As for the Bedrock edition, LAN is on by default.
How to join a LAN world in Minecraft?
To join a LAN world in Minecraft game, you have to:
1. Open Minecraft.
2. Click the Multiplayer option.
3. The game will automatically scan for the available servers.
4. Next, click the Direct Connect option.
5. Type in the host’s IP address and port number.
6. Click Join Server.
7. If the IP address and port number are correct, you will immediately join the server.
