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Fix Minecraft "Connection refused: no further information"

2 min readUpdated Nov 3, 2026Copy link

"Refused" means the address was reached but nothing was listening on that port. "Timed out" means nothing answered at all. Both are about the address or the server being up, not about mods.

The player's Multiplayer screen shows:

io.netty.channel.AbstractChannel$AnnotatedConnectException: Connection refused: no further information

io.netty.channel.ConnectTimeoutException: connection timed out

The exact wording changes a little between Minecraft versions and operating systems. "Unknown host" is a third variant: the address itself is mistyped.

Which one do you have? #

How to fix it #

1. Check the server is fully up. The console should show a line starting with Done (, followed by For help, type "help". Until then, joins are refused. If it crashed, fix that first (see lag and crashes).
2. Copy the full address with the port from the top of the Console page or the Network page, for example 203.0.113.10:25600. Leaving off the port makes the game try 25565, where nothing is listening.
3. Leave server-port and server-ip alone in server.properties. The server must use the port the panel assigned, and the Minecraft Wiki recommends leaving server-ip empty. If you changed either, put them back and restart.
4. Bedrock players connect to Geyser's port, not the Java port, and only if Geyser is installed (see Geyser setup).
5. Own domain? A plain A record still needs :port on the end. To hide the port, add an SRV record (_minecraft._tcp) pointing at the server's address and port.
6. One player only? Have them try another network (a phone hotspot). School, work and some public networks block game ports; VPNs and firewalls can too.
7. Just restarted? Big modpacks can take several minutes to reach Done. Joins are refused until then, so wait for the line before testing.
8. Check the status page at status.esnoffical.com, then ask in the ESN Discord.

Quick test for players #

If the player has a terminal, this tests the port without Minecraft (replace the address and port):

# Windows PowerShell
Test-NetConnection 203.0.113.10 -Port 25600

# macOS / Linux
nc -vz 203.0.113.10 25600

"TcpTestSucceeded : True" or "succeeded" means the server is reachable and the problem is in the game client (version, mods). A failure from one network but success from another means the first network is blocking it.

On ESN #

Everything you need is in the panel: the server state and the Done line on the Console page, the address and port at the top of the Console and on the Network page, and server.properties in Files. Our full address guide is find and share your server IP and port. If the console shows "Failed to bind to port" instead, see that fix.

FAQ #

Why does it say connection refused when the server is online?

Usually the port is missing or wrong, so the game connects to a port where no server is listening. Copy the full IP:port from the panel.

Can I use the default port 25565?

Only if the panel assigned it to you. Use the port shown on your Network page.

It works for me but not my friend. Why?

Their network may block the port, or they typed the address differently. Have them paste the exact IP:port and try another network.

Can Bedrock players use the Java port?

No. Bedrock players connect to Geyser's own port, and only if Geyser is installed on the server.

Sources: Minecraft Wiki: server.properties (online-mode, server-ip, max-tick-time) (checked Nov 3, 2026) · Minecraft Wiki: setting up a Java Edition server (ports, SRV records) (checked Nov 3, 2026)

Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 3, 2026.