Minecraft is a game that offers unlimited hours of fun and adventure, and there are many different ways to play it.
For some, Minecraft is all about the solo experience, while for others, playing with their friends is the best way to enjoy the game.
When it comes to playing together, the best way to do it is by joining a LAN world, which is exactly what this guide will help you with.
Are you not sure how to join a LAN world in Minecraft? Read on to learn more.
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What Does Playing Minecraft LAN Mean?
The “LAN” acronym stands for Local Area Network, signifying that playing Minecraft LAN refers to playing a multiplayer game with other individuals who are connected to the same network as you.
This means that while playing in a LAN world, other people from around the world cannot join the game, which keeps your session private.
Playing LAN is also the easiest way to connect and play with friends if you’re all close to each other, and it ensures you have the least ping while doing so. It wouldn’t make sense to join an online server hosted by someone far from you and your friends and play with high ping if you’re all under the same roof.
With that said, let’s take a look at how to join a LAN world in Minecraft.
Joining A LAN World In Minecraft
Before joining a LAN world in Minecraft, you should know a few things, especially if this is your first time hosting or joining a LAN game.
- The player hosting the server should be the one with the most powerful PC. This is because the game becomes a lot more demanding when you’re the one running the server.
- Then, you need to ensure you’re all connected to the same network, otherwise, you won’t be able to see each other in the list of available games.
After the world is created, joining it requires you to do the following:
- Start Minecraft on your computer
- Click on Multiplayer, which should be the second option in the menu.
- The game will automatically start scanning for servers on the local network.
- Select the server and click Join Server. It should be the only server you see unless you’re playing from an internet café or a gaming house where multiple people are hosting servers on the same network.
You will now join the server, but if this doesn’t work for some reason, there’s another method you can use that involves the Direct Connect feature in Minecraft.
To do this, follow the steps below:
- Start Minecraft on your computer.
- Click on Multiplayer and then on Direct Connect.
- Here, you need to type in the host’s IP address and the port.
- Click Join Server, and you’ll connect immediately if the address and port you typed in are both correct.
Note: You can find the IP address and the port required for this method by doing the following:
- On the host PC, open Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type in “ipconfig”.
- Copy the IPv4 address and write it down somewhere.
- After you start the LAN world, you’ll see the port number listed in the chat. Write this down, too, as you’ll need to add it in the Direct Connect field later on.
If you want a visual representation of these steps, take a look at the helpful video below that covers the entire process from start to finish.
Now, all you need to do is find someone to play with and enjoy the benefits of LAN Minecraft on the regular.
The game is much more responsive and better when you are on the same network as the host, so if you are used to playing online with a higher ping, this will be a really positive change in your Minecraft experience.
Troubleshooting Minecraft LAN Problems
Sometimes, players experience problems when trying to join a LAN world in Minecraft. This may be caused by one of the following things:
Strict Firewall Settings
In this case, disabling your firewall or allowing Minecraft through it can immediately fix the problem. You can learn how to do this if you take a look at one of the sections in our helpful guide, which covers the method in detail.
Not Using The Same Minecraft Version
If you and the host are not on the same Minecraft version, you will not be able to join the world or even see each other in the server list. Make sure you run the same Minecraft version.
This is stated in the official Minecraft help article that you can find here.
Antivirus Blocking Minecraft
Sometimes users report their antivirus hindering them from starting the game, which can be particularly common if third-party, unverified mods and texture packs are installed.
Including Minecraft as an exclusion in your antivirus program or temporarily deactivating it while playing can resolve the issue.
Restarting The Router
There are times when there might be different issues with the network connection you and the host are using, and the fastest way to resolve them is by rebooting the router.
Minecraft players reported that sometimes restarting the router helped them be able to see the world in the server list once again.
Conclusion
Now you know how to join a LAN world in Minecraft using two different methods, the auto server search and the direct connect feature.
Hopefully, these tips will help you understand the concept of joining a LAN world in Minecraft and make the process much easier for you and your friends.
