How to Connect to a Minecraft Server

This guide walks you through how to connect to a Minecraft server or realm. The guide is broken down into sections, which you can quickly access using the links below. If you have not purchased Minecraft, you can do so here.

Do I have Bedrock or Java Minecraft?

Starting screen for Bedrock Minecraft.
Starting screen for Java Minecraft.

Above are examples of the Bedrock and Java versions of Minecraft, both in their respective main menus. The Marketplace is an identifying feature of Bedrock.

Connecting to the STEM Camp Server with Minecraft Java Edition

  1. Launch Minecraft Java Edition and select “PLAY”
  2. Select “Multiplayer”
  3. Select “Direct Connection”
  4. Enter the server address as: “15.235.35.73:25576” & select “Join Server”
  5. You are ready to play – enjoy!

Connecting to the STEM Camp Server with Minecraft Bedrock Edition

  1. Check to see if you are logged in to your Microsoft/Xbox account.
  2. If you are logged in, click Play. If you are not, continue to the section below.
  3. Click “Servers”, then scroll down and click “Add Server”. If you cannot see “Add Server”, please continue to the section below.
  4. Enter a server name (can be anything), then the IP and port. The IP is 15.235.35.73, and the port is 25576.
  5. You are ready to play – enjoy!
If you are, your gamertag will appear above the character on the right hand side, and there will be no Sign In button on the left side.

Click “Play”.

Click Servers, scroll down and click Add Server

Add the name, IP (server address) and port

If You Are Not Logged in to Your Microsoft Account or You “Can’t Play Online Multiplayer because of how your Microsoft Account is set up.”

Step 1. If you are not logged in, your main sign-in screen will look similar to this:

You will see “Sign In” on the left side and a generic Minecraft name like Steve above the character.

When you go to add a server, you may also see this:

Error Screen

Sign in to your Microsoft Account by clicking Sign In. Preferably, this will be an adult account, so you do not have to update the privacy settings. Once you’re signed in, follow the instructions for connecting to a Bedrock Server above.

If you are using a restricted account, follow the instructions below. If your restricted account is a child account (a family member of a parent), you will have to log in on the parent account, then edit your child’s Xbox Online Settings.

Step 1: Log on to your family administer account (parent account) at account.microsoft.com.

Sign in to your Microsoft account

Step 2: Click on “View Your Family” under Family.

Click on View your family

Step 3: Find the family member who wishes to connect to a Minecraft server, then click “More Options”, then “Xbox online settings” from the dropdown menu

Step 4: Finally, edit all of the settings to “Allow”, especially those marked with a pink arrow. Make sure this is while the child account is selected. If you can’t see the options to allow, make sure you are in the appropriate settings (Privacy and online safety) and have selected “Xbox One/ Windows 10 Online Safety” as shown below.

This should open your account’s privacy and online safety page. Once you’re on this page, click on Xbox One/Windows 10 Online Safety.
In order to join a realm, you need to set the above settings to allow. Generally, we suggest putting all of them to allow to get the best online experience.

Once you have completed these steps, you can reload Minecraft and you should be able to connect!