To let friends join, they need your server's IP address and port. Where you find them depends on whether the server is hosted or running on your own PC.
Quick answer
On a hosted server, the IP and port are shown on the server's page in your control panel. On a server you run at home, friends need your public IP (search "what is my IP") plus the game's port — for example 25565 for Minecraft — and that port must be forwarded on your router. Local addresses like 192.168.x.x only work inside your own network.
On a hosted server
Your host shows the server's IP and port in the control panel and the welcome email — usually as ip:port (e.g. 217.156.22.2:27015). That full address is exactly what you share. Done.
On a server you run at home
There are two different IPs, and that trips people up:
- Local IP (like
192.168.1.50) — only works for people on your own network/LAN. - Public IP — what people on the internet use. Find it by searching "what is my IP" or:
# show your public IP from the server
curl ifconfig.meYour public IP is your home connection's IP. Sharing it widely exposes you to DDoS. Only share it with people you trust — or host the server so it has its own protected IP.
Finding the port
The port is set in the server's config (or your start command). Defaults: Minecraft 25565, Source/CS2 27015, Rust 28015, FiveM 30120. If you changed it, share that number after a colon.
Test it actually works
Don't make friends be your test. Check the address from outside your network with our server status checker — if it shows online, your ip:port is correct and reachable.
Hosted server: copy ip:port from the panel. Home server: share your public IP (carefully) plus the port — and test it from outside first.
Common mistakes when sharing a server IP and port
- Sharing the local
192.168.x.xIP instead of the public one — it only works on your own network and will fail for everyone else. - Forgetting the port when it's non-default — friends land on the wrong game or the wrong server entirely.
- Copying an old IP after your ISP or host changed it — always re-check before sharing rather than reusing an old message.
- Typing a URL format (like
http://ip:port) where the game client expects a plainip:port.
How to prevent IP and port mix-ups
For a home server, use a dynamic DNS hostname instead of a raw IP if your ISP changes it often, so you only ever need to share one address that stays current. For a hosted server, the ip:port in your panel doesn't change unless you move plans — bookmark it there rather than copying it into a separate note that can go stale.
Related networking guides
If the port isn't reachable yet, start with how to port forward a game server. If players time out even with the right ip:port, see "Connection timed out" joining a game server. Test reachability anytime with our server status checker.