IP Demystified: Understanding Minecraft Server Addresses
7th Sep 2022
In the vast and interconnected world of Minecraft, joining multiplayer servers is a thrilling way to explore, collaborate, and interact with other players. However, before you can embark on your multiplayer adventures, you need to understand the basics of Minecraft server addresses, specifically IP addresses. In this article, we will demystify IP addresses and help you understand how they work in the context of Minecraft server connections.
What is an IP Address?
An IP address is a unique numerical identifier assigned to each device connected to a network. It serves as a digital address that allows devices to communicate with one another over the internet or a local network. In the context of Minecraft servers, an IP address is used to locate and connect to a specific server.
Types of IP Addresses:
There are two main types of IP addresses: IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6).
IPv4:
IPv4 is the most widely used IP address format. It consists of four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.0.1). Each set can range from 0 to 255, allowing for a total of approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. Minecraft servers primarily use IPv4 addresses.
IPv6:
IPv6 is a newer IP address format designed to overcome the limitations of IPv4. It uses a hexadecimal system and consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). IPv6 provides a significantly larger address space, allowing for trillions of unique addresses.
Minecraft Server Addresses:
In Minecraft, server addresses are represented by IP addresses, which determine the location of the server you wish to connect to. Server addresses can be in the form of either IPv4 or IPv6.
IPv4 Minecraft Server Addresses:
To connect to a Minecraft server with an IPv4 address, you need to know the server's IP address. The IP address may be provided in the format of four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g., 123.45.67.89). When connecting to an IPv4 server, you enter the IP address directly into the Minecraft client's server address field.
IPv6 Minecraft Server Addresses:
Connecting to a Minecraft server with an IPv6 address follows a similar process. The server's IPv6 address may be provided in the form of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). In the Minecraft client, you enter the IPv6 address directly into the server address field.
Domain Names and DNS:
In addition to IP addresses, Minecraft servers can also be accessed using domain names. A domain name is a user-friendly text-based identifier (e.g., example.com) that maps to an IP address. To connect to a Minecraft server using a domain name, you enter the domain name into the server address field. The Domain Name System (DNS) is responsible for translating domain names into their corresponding IP addresses.
