"Connection timed out" means your game sent a request and never got a reply in time. The fix depends on whether the problem is your connection, the address, or the server itself.
Quick answer
"Connection timed out" means your game sent a request and never got a reply. Check in order: is the server actually online (use a status checker), are you using the exact IP and port, and is your own connection dropping packets? If the server is up and the address is right, the port is closed or blocked by a firewall on the server side.
Step 1: is the server actually up?
Before touching your own setup, confirm the server is online. Use our server status checker (or the Minecraft checker) — if it reports offline for everyone, it's the server's problem, not yours.
Step 2: double-check the address & port
A timeout is often just the wrong IP or port, or a missing port. Confirm you're using the exact address, including the port if it's non-default (e.g. play.server.net:25566).
Step 3: test your own connection
A timeout can be packet loss on your side. Run a continuous ping to the server IP and watch for drops:
# Windows
ping -t server-ip
# Linux/macOS
ping server-ipSteady replies = your path is fine. Timeouts or big spikes = a network problem between you and the server.
Step 4: rule out the usual local culprits
- A VPN or proxy adding latency or being blocked — try disabling it.
- A firewall/antivirus blocking the game — allow the game through.
- Wi‑Fi instability — test on a cable to rule out packet loss.
- Restart your router if other sites are also flaky.
A server you host can time out because the port isn't forwarded/open, the firewall is blocking it, or you're behind CGNAT. Check the port is open and reachable from outside your network.
Capture evidence if it persists
If it keeps happening on a hosted server, a WinMTR to the server IP over a few minutes shows exactly where packets are being lost along the route — send it to your host so they can pinpoint it.
Check the server is up first, then your address, then your own connection. A timeout is a "no reply" — find which hop stops replying.
When "Connection timed out" means the server, not you
If the status checker shows the server offline for everyone, or many players report the same timeout at the same time, the fault is server-side — a crash, an update in progress, or a problem on the host's network. Contacting support with the exact time it started (and a WinMTR if you have one) speeds up the fix considerably.
How to prevent "Connection timed out" errors
- Bookmark a status checker so you can rule the server in or out in seconds next time this happens.
- Keep your game client updated — an outdated client can silently fail to complete the connection handshake.
- Avoid connecting over a VPN unless you specifically need it — it adds a hop that can time out on its own.
- On a server you run yourself, keep the port-forward and firewall rule documented so a router reset doesn't silently break it.
Related connection errors
If you're setting up the server yourself, start with how to port forward a game server. If the connection is choppy rather than outright timing out, see what causes packet loss. For Minecraft specifically, see Minecraft internal exception: timed out and Minecraft io.netty connection refused.