How to Host a Server for Your Friends (No Port Forwarding)
Turn your PC into a multiplayer host in a single click — no router settings, no paid subscriptions. Here's the full walkthrough, plus fixes for the issues people hit most.
One of the most-requested things we built into Eclipse is dead-simple server hosting. No port forwarding, no messing with your router, no monthly hosting bill. Here's how it works and how to fix the handful of things that occasionally trip people up.
The basics
Open the Servers tab in the launcher sidebar and create a new server. Pick your version and modloader, and Eclipse sets up the server files for you. When you start it, Eclipse opens a secure tunnel (through ngrok or playit.gg) and hands you an address you can share with friends. They paste it into their multiplayer list and they're in.
Your friends don't need Eclipse to join — any Minecraft client on the same version works. And because the tunnel is outbound, none of you need to touch router or firewall settings.
Premium and offline friends can both join
Eclipse servers support both premium (Microsoft-authenticated) and offline players, so it doesn't matter which way your group plays. Everyone joins the same world with the same address.
Common issues & fixes
- Friends can't connect — make sure they're on the exact same Minecraft version as the server, and that they're pasting the full tunnel address including the port.
- The tunnel won't start — some antivirus and firewall setups block the tunneling helper on first run. Allow it through when prompted. If it's already blocked, re-allow it in your security software and restart the server.
- Lag with lots of players — hosting runs on your PC, so performance depends on your hardware and upload speed. Give the server enough RAM in its settings and keep render distance reasonable.
- Address changes each time — free tunnels rotate their address between sessions. Share the current one whenever you start a fresh session.
Keeping it safe
Only share your server address with people you actually want in your world — anyone with the address and the right version can join. Stop the server from the Servers tab when you're done to close the tunnel.
That's it. From zero to a shared world in about a minute. Questions? Our Discord has a whole channel for hosting help.