How to Fix 'Connection Refused' on Your Minecraft Server

Diagnose and fix Connection Refused errors on your Minecraft Java server — server offline, wrong port, crashed at startup, or full.

"Connection Refused" means something at that address is responding — but actively rejecting your connection. This is different from "Connection Timed Out", where nothing replies at all. Refused = server is reachable but the Minecraft port isn't accepting; Timed Out = the IP/port isn't even reachable.

That distinction matters: refused errors are almost always server-side, not network-side.

Quick Diagnosis

What you see	Most likely cause
"Connection refused: connect"	Server is offline or still booting
Refused after working yesterday	Server crashed — check Console
Refused on a new install	Wrong port or server hasn't finished startup
Refused only for some players	Server full (`max-players` reached)
Refused immediately, no delay	Nothing listening on that port

Fix It

Check the Dashboard

Open the XGamingServer Panel and look at the Dashboard. Is the server showing as Online or Offline?

Offline → click Start and wait for Done in the Console
Starting → wait. Modpacks can take 2–5 minutes to fully boot
Crashed → check Console for the error and see Server Won't Start

Wait for "Done" in Console

Open Console in the sidebar. The server is only accepting connections after you see:

[Server thread/INFO]: Done (12.345s)! For help, type "help"

If you connect before that, you'll get refused. Modded servers (Forge, Fabric, large modpacks) often take 2–5 minutes to reach Done.

Verify the port

Click Network in the sidebar to see your server's assigned port. It is not always 25565. Use the exact port shown there.

In your Minecraft client:

your-ip:your-port

If the port doesn't match what's in Network, that's your problem.

Check if the server is full

Refused-after-working can mean max-players reached. Check Console:

list

If player count = max-players, increase it in the Startup tab (or max-players in server.properties) and restart. See Player Limit.

Check Console for crash messages

If the server crashed during startup, the Dashboard may show "Online" briefly, then go offline. Read the first error in the Console (not the last). Common ones:

Error	Fix
`You need to agree to the EULA`	Accept the EULA
`UnsupportedClassVersionError`	Wrong Java version — see Java Version
`OutOfMemoryError`	Increase RAM in Startup — see How Much RAM
`Exception in server tick loop`	Plugin/mod error — see Server Tick Loop
`Address already in use`	Rare on hosted — contact support

Refused vs Timed Out

Symptom	Refused	Timed Out
Connection delay	Instant rejection	30+ second wait, then fail
What it tells you	Port is closed at the host	Can't reach the host at all
Likely cause	Server offline / wrong port	Wrong IP / network blocked / DNS broken
Where to look first	Panel Dashboard + Console	Local network, then panel

If you have Timed Out instead, see Fix: Connection Timed Out.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Connecting before "Done" appears	Wait for the Done message in Console
Using port 25565 when your port is different	Use the port shown in Network
Using `localhost` or `127.0.0.1`	That only works on the host. Use your panel IP
Forgetting `:port` in client	Add `:portnumber` after the IP
Server actually crashed silently	Read Console — first error wins

How to Fix 'Connection Refused' on Your Minecraft Server

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