How To Set Up A Minecraft Server
You might like Minecraft, but you don’t want it to be played with people you don’t know. It's understandable: you can tell your friends to "eff off" a lot more comfortably than a stranger. The easiest way to do so is to host your own server on your own PC. Here's how.
First, you must determine if it is possible to host it. It's not very accessible, but it does require a decent PC and lots of bandwidth. If it is possible, the Can I host Minecraft site will tell you. Multiplay might have a package for you if your needs are not met. That said, even a Raspberry Pi can run a modest Minecraft server, albeit with various features turned off. It all depends on what you place on your machine.
If you're determined to run a server on your PC, for the most basic set-up you'll need the server software and Hamaachi. Head to the Minecraft downloads page and grab the windows .exe file. Drop it into a folder on a drive that has plenty of space. Grab Hamachi from this site and put it aside for now.
When you run the executable file, you will see the GUI. While it's running, it creates files in the folder. The server is then started. After it's finished, you can actually start a Minecraft world. However, no one will be able to access it. Aside from raising some philosophical questions, like "if a Creeper explodes in the woods and there's no-one there to hear it, did it make a sound", it also means you can alter the world without making a difference to anyone playing. "server.properties" will have the greatest impact on how you create the world. This file should be opened in Notepad and used to play around with. Shut the GUI off and open the " server.properties" document. There are many lines. They are mostly self-explanatory. It creates a server that mirrors offline games. I would not recommend it. However, it is possible to change the "pvp=true” to read "pvp=false". Set "online-mode=true" to "false". Once the server is running, you'll need people to populate it.
This is where Hamachi helps. It creates an invisible private network between you and your friend. To connect to your game, you and the person you wish to connect must download the client. Hamachi will give an ip address. Right-click it and grab it. Now, open server properties and copy it to the "server-ip=xxxx" line.
With that done, if you run your Minecraft server anyone that connects to your Hamachi network will be able to join your Minecraft server. Although it is a bit complicated, it will allow anyone connected to your Hamachi network to access your Minecraft server. You'll need to purchase a dedicated server.