Quick List
Introduction
Ah, LAN party day is here. Everyone’s ready to dive into Minecraft to create and have a good time. But then the scourge of all Minecraft gatherings rears its ugly head: someone gets the “LAN Not Working” message. This is a fairly common issue with the Windows versions of the game so you’re not alone.
Knowing this alone isn’t quite helpful, though, so we’ve put together a quick guide on how to fix the Minecraft LAN not working issue to help salvage your blocky get-together.
1. Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?
The tired cliche of rebooting is a tired one but you’d be surprised how often this works – just ask my missus when it comes to her phone and laptop! Start by quitting Minecraft completely by using Ctrl + Shift + Esc, finding it on the list and clicking End Task. If restarting Minecraft doesn’t do the trick, try restarting your computer and see if that works.
No joy? Then let’s look at the next possibility.
2. Check Your Minecraft Versions
This may seem silly but games these days get updated so many times throughout the year and Minecraft is no exception. It’s tough for everyone to always stay on top of their game versions. Fortunately, checking this is quite simple. Just look at the bottom left corner of the game launcher. Everyone must have the same version to play on LAN together.
All squared off but you’re still getting LAN Not Working? Here’s another quick check.
3. Check That All Players Are on the Same Network
If you’re all hanging out at the same person’s house then this is likely not the issue. But it’s worth checking your wifi and ethernet connections in Windows to make sure everyone is on the same network.
All good but no light at the end of the tunnel? Try this next one.
4. Update Network Drivers
I’m sure you’ve heard this one before for a bunch of other annoyances that occur with Windows. The truth is, though, that it’s a quick fix that may salvage your situation quite painlessly so it’s worth giving a go before trying something drastic. You can find a quick guide on how to update your network adapter drivers here and click on How to update network adapter driver using Device Manager.
The Minecraft LAN Not Working issue is still sticking? Here’s another thing to try.
5. Turn Off or Add an Exception to Anti-Virus/Firewall
Security software, like anti-virus and firewall software, has a pesky tendency of interfering with all sorts of connection aspects. Each security app has its own menus and options so you’ll have to check in with your software’s help documentation. Even if you’ve never purchased or added an app like this, you still probably have Windows Defender in Windows 10. To temporarily turn it off, head over to this guide and give it a go.
Nothing? Let’s try something else then.
6. Try Connecting Directly
This one is a bit more brute force but it’s worth trying as a way to fix the Minecraft LAN Not Working issue. Follow these steps:
- Use the ipconfig command to get the Host computer’s IP address. Press Win + R to bring up the Run window. Now type in cmd and press Enter or click OK. In the black window that pops up, type ipconfig and hit Enter. On this list, find the IPv4 address and note it down.
- Now we need the game port. Launch Minecraft on the Host computer and you should immediately see at the bottom left “Local game hosted on XXXX”. Note down that number.
- Now, head back to the non-Host computer, run Minecraft then go to Multiplayer. Click on Direct Connection and enter the IP address and port you noted down. This should connect you to the hosted game.
7. When All Else Fails… Reinstall!
Try reinstalling Minecraft. This is the most drastic solution, besides a full Windows reinstall. Sometimes settings and files get messed up. If you’re still having problems then an idea would be to check if your computer is having other issues.
Best of luck and happy Minecrafting!
