A Minecraft server opens a network port so players can connect. If that port is already taken, or the server asks for a port it was not given, it stops with FAILED TO BIND TO PORT. On PlayNHost the panel sets the game port for you at every start, so the usual cause is a plugin or mod that opens a port of its own, or a copy of the server that has not finished stopping.
What you see
- The Console shows
**** FAILED TO BIND TO PORT!orjava.net.BindException: Address already in use. - The Why your server stopped box on Overview and above the console says
The server could not open its port.andSomething else in this server is already using it, often a plugin that opens a port of its own or a second copy of the server still shutting down. Wait a minute and start it again; if it happens again, check the ports your plugins use on the Network page.Its button is Open network.
Fix it
- Wait a minute, then click Start. A server that was just stopped or restarted can need a moment to let go of its port.
- If it fails again, read the lines just above the error in the Console. They often name the plugin or mod that was starting, for example a voice chat, a web map or a vote listener.
- Click Open network (the Ports & Network page) to see the ports your server has. Each plugin that listens needs a port of its own from that list. The game port is not one of them.
- Set the plugin to one of your server's ports in its config file, or remove the plugin, then start the server.
Each add-on you set up from the Add-ons card gets a port of its own, set by the panel. See How to add voice chat to your Minecraft server and How to add a live web map to your Minecraft server. For another port, see How to add a port to your Minecraft server.
Do not change the game port in the files
The panel writes the game port and an empty server-ip into server.properties each time the server starts, so the server always uses the port and address your server was given. A different value typed into the file is replaced at the next start. Leave server-ip empty: the server then listens on its own address.
If it keeps failing
Open a ticket with the last 50 lines of the Console, including the lines above the error.
