Can't connect to a Minecraft server: “Connection refused”, “Connection timed out” and the other join errors

Updated Oct 7, 2026 8 min read By MineXHost

When a join fails, Minecraft shows Failed to connect to the server and a reason underneath. That reason is the diagnosis: refused, timed out, unknown host, wrong version and not whitelisted each have a different cause and a different fix. Find yours in the table below, then go to its section.

Which message did you get?

What the player sees	What it means	Check first
Connection refused, often after io.netty.channel.AbstractChannel$AnnotatedConnectException	The address answered, but nothing is listening on that port.	Is the server running and finished starting? Is the port right?
Connection timed out	Nothing answered at all.	Is the address current? Is the port forwarded or open?
Can't resolve hostname, or Unknown host	The name does not lead to any address.	The spelling of the address, and whether the name is set up.
Incompatible client! Please use, followed by a version, or Incompatible version! in the server list	The player's Minecraft version differs from the server's.	The version selected in the player's launcher.
You are not white-listed on this server!	The whitelist is on and the player is not on it.	Add the player to the whitelist.
Failed to verify username!	The server could not confirm the player's account.	Restart the launcher and sign in again.
Timed out, after the player was already in	An open connection stopped answering.	Server lag spikes, or the player's network.

Tip

On Windows the refused and timed-out messages often end in “no further information”. Those words add nothing: the part before them is the diagnosis, and the address after it is the one the player tried.

Connection refused: the address answered, nothing is listening

A refusal is a fast, definite no. The machine at that address is reachable, but no program on it is accepting connections on the port the player used. The common reasons:

The server is not running, or it crashed. Check the console.
The server is still starting. A modded server can take minutes to load its mods and world, and it is not ready for players until the console prints its line beginning Done.
The player used the wrong port. The default is 25565, and a server on any other port needs that port in the address, written after a colon.
server-ip in server.properties is set to an address the players' connections do not arrive on, such as 127.0.0.1, so the server only listens there. Leave server-ip empty unless you need it.

A server that never starts listening often printed FAILED TO BIND TO PORT in its own log.

Read the FAILED TO BIND TO PORT guide

Connection timed out: nothing answered

A timeout means the attempt got no reply at all within the time limit. Something between the player and the server is dropping it, or the address leads nowhere.

The address is wrong or old. A server that moved, or a home connection whose public IP changed, leaves players dialling an address with nothing behind it.
The player used a local address from outside. An address beginning 192.168. or 10. only works inside the network it belongs to.
The port is not forwarded. A server at home is reachable from outside only if the router forwards the server's TCP port to the machine running it.
A firewall drops it, on the server machine or on the player's side. School, work and some public networks block game ports.

Can't resolve hostname: the name leads nowhere

Minecraft could not turn the server's name into an address. Check the spelling letter by letter, including the part after the last dot. A name that was only just created can take a short while to work everywhere. If the address you were given includes a port, the port is part of it: type the name, a colon and the port.

Version, whitelist and account errors

These mean the connection worked and the server turned the player away.

Incompatible client! Please use, followed by a version: the player's game is on a different Minecraft version from the server. In the launcher, select the version the server runs. In the server list the same mismatch shows as Incompatible version!
On a modded server the right Minecraft version is not enough. The player needs the same modpack at the same version, installed through their launcher.
You are not white-listed on this server!: add the player by typing whitelist add and their name in the server console, or turn the whitelist off.
Failed to verify username!: with online-mode on, the default, the server checks each player against the Minecraft account database, and that check failed. Closing the launcher and signing in again refreshes the session.

A checklist that finds most of these

Confirm the server is running and has printed its Done line.
Copy the address exactly as your host or panel shows it, including any port.
Use Direct Connection in the Multiplayer screen with that address, to rule out an old saved server entry.
Check the player's Minecraft version against the server's, and for a modded server the pack version too.
Check the whitelist if it is on.
If one player fails while others can join, the problem is on that player's side: their network, version or account.

On MineXHost

Your dashboard shows each server's connect address with a copy button, and the copied address includes the port. Send your players exactly that. If you use a name ending in .minexhost.com, check how your panel shows it: when it lists a port, players need the port too. Bedrock servers connect by IP address and port.

The getting-started guide shows where your address, the whitelist and the operator settings are in the panel.

Read the getting-started guide

There is no router or port forwarding for you to set up. MineXEngine, our launcher, writes the port assigned to your server into server-port on every boot, so the port in your address is the one the game listens on, and editing server-port by hand does not change it. A server-ip line copied over from another host, which would stop the server from starting, is test-bound on every boot and cleared if this machine cannot use it.

When the server has finished starting, the console prints a SERVER ONLINE banner with the Minecraft version, the loader and the Java version. Before that banner a refused connection is expected; after it, the Minecraft version on the banner is the one your players need.

If the console shows SERVER ONLINE, players use the address exactly as copied, and a player still times out, contact support with the time it happened and the exact message. The path between the internet and your server is ours to check.

A server that never reaches SERVER ONLINE cannot be joined at all. Our test results page shows how many public modpacks boot on each MineXEngine version, and how they were tested.

See the modpack test results

MineXHost runs Forge, NeoForge, Fabric and Paper servers on MineXEngine. Our launcher detects the modpack, picks the right Minecraft loader and Java version, tunes the JVM for your RAM, and auto-recovers from the crashes that normally end a modded server's evening. Pick your RAM, paste the pack, and play.

See hosting plans

Frequently asked questions

What does “Connection refused: no further information” mean in Minecraft?

Connection refused means the player reached the machine at that address but no program on it was accepting connections on that port, so the attempt was turned down at once. The usual causes are a server that is stopped, crashed or still starting, or a port missing from the address. On Windows the message often ends in “no further information”, which adds nothing. Wait for the server's Done line and check the port.

Why does my Minecraft server say “Connection timed out”?

Connection timed out means the player's attempt to reach the server got no reply at all, so something between them dropped it or the address leads nowhere. Check that the address and port are current and copied exactly, that a home server's port is forwarded on the router, and that no firewall on either side blocks it. Local addresses such as 192.168.x.x only work inside their own network.

What does “Incompatible client! Please use” mean in Minecraft?

Incompatible client means the player's Minecraft version is different from the server's, and the message names the version to use after “Please use”. Select that version in the launcher and join again. On a modded server the player also needs the same modpack at the same version, because a matching Minecraft version with different mods still cannot join a server that adds its own blocks and items.

Why can my friends not join my modded Minecraft server?

Friends usually cannot join a modded server because their game does not match it: a different Minecraft version, a different loader, or a different version of the modpack. Each player should install the same pack at the same version the server runs. If their game matches and the join still fails, read the exact message on their screen, since refused, timed out and whitelist errors each have a different fix.

Do I need to port forward a MineXHost server?

A MineXHost server needs no port forwarding or router setup, because players connect to the address shown on your dashboard and the server listens on the port assigned to it. Copy the address with its port and send it to your players. If the console shows SERVER ONLINE and a player still cannot connect, contact support with the time and the exact message.