How to Fix the Minecraft ‘Server Connection Timed Out’ Error on Windows [Solved]

Want to play Minecraft but keep meeting up with the error “Minecraft Server Connection timed out”? Refer to our Amazing Fixes that assure solutions! 

The error “Connection timed out Minecraft” or “Minecraft Server timed out” can suggest that your attempts at connecting with the server were dropped or refused. In this article, we are discussing the fixes that could fix the issues on the Minecraft server that keeps timing out and server connection timed out! 

Minecraft server keeps timing out Error typically a network-related issue. It appears when your network is blocking the connection with the server.

Being one of the gaming’s greatest true sandboxes, Minecraft is a unique and compelling experience of its own. Players get to play in an infinite world that’s infinitely playable. 

Minecraft is addictive mind consuming gameplay. It is satisfyingly creative and allows multiplayer. It has a player base of more than 126 million, and that’s impressive enough!

Unfortunately, Minecraft can sometimes have encountered unexpected issues. One of them being “Connection time out”.

This exception of Error is usually met when users try to connect to the game via the internet. It shows the message below- 

Failed to connect to the server

Io.netty.channel.connecttimeouteception connection timed out:

Back to server list

As you can see, the Error does not give out too much information.

But to pick up on the hints, it says something about not connecting to the server, reason being server timed out. Hence, the first instinct that we have picked up on to resolve server issues can happen due to multiple reasons. 

Best Ways To Fix Minecraft ‘Server Connection Timed Out’ Error on Windows

Below we are enlisting nine Best fixes that will get your Minecraft Timed out fixed in no time.

Best fixes that can resolve the issue of server connection time out Minecraft.   

FIX #1: Reset your Router

The very first and foremost Fix to the “connection time out” Error should be resetting your Router. 

Resting Router is a quick and easy way to fix an internet connection. Resetting the Router gives it a new start; hence, it restores back to a new and clear condition of any network issues. But this is not what we are doing here.

We are NOT resetting Network Router to Factory Settings; we are just going to unplug it and leave it like that for a minute or two.

This is performed to kill any ongoing processes in the background that might have been a cause of setting off the error “connection timed out.” 

Resetting your Router can fix so many problems. And not to mention it only takes ten seconds. 

Follow the steps below-

1. Reach for your Network Router and pull out the plug out of the socket. 
2. Keep it aside for a minute or two before re-plugging and rebooting it. 

Go over to your computer and try connecting to the Minecraft Server again. If you have successfully connected to the server, the Fix has worked; if not, please move onto the next Fix. 

FIX #2: Allow 25565port in windows firewall

Certain ports are needed to be opened on the computer server so gameplay could run properly.  

This is done through Windows Firewall. 

Apply this Fix if your Minecraft server keeps timing out. 

Follow the steps below to allow 25565 port in windows firewall- 

1. Open the Control panel and search for the System and Security option.
2. Once found, click on it and look for the windows defender firewall. 
3. Inside the Windows defender firewall window, you’d find the option of Advanced Settings. Click on it. 
4. Choose inbound rules from the left section of the screen.
5. Right-click on the Inbound rules and select on the new rule. Make a selection of PORT under the Rule Type section. 
6. Select TCP or UDP out of the given options and switch the second radio button to “Specific local ports.”
7. At this step, you have to specify the 25565 port for both TCP and UDP. 
8. Click on Allow the connection button and select next. 
9. Make a selection of the network type and click next. 
10. Once you have made the settings for 25565 port for the inbound rules, now you have to repeat the same steps for Outbound rules. 
11. Once you have finished setting both inbound rules and outbound rules, close any open windows. 

If you feel the need for restarting your PC, you can do that, and if not, you can go ahead and try connecting to the Minecraft server. Check if the issues are now resolved. 

If the “Server connection timed out” error message hasn’t left, we suggest trying our other enlisted Fixes. 

FIX #3: Changing Minecraft Version

Players have met with issues where they couldn’t connect with the server or had the error message “server connection timed out” displayed.

The issues were easily solved by switching back to a different version of Minecraft. 

A situation like this can occur, where an issue with the update could have been the cause that had set off the error message.

Another possible reason could be the presence of bugs or errors in the game. In a situation like this, it is always wise to stick to another version of Minecraft than to continue with the present version.

Once the new version has received an update that is Error and bug-free you can return back to using the current version of Minecraft. 

Below are the steps that you can follow to revert back to the previous/ older version of Minecraft- 

1. Open Minecraft launcher and select the Installation tab. 
2. Click on the new bottom.
3. Under the version tab, out of the dropdown menu that has all the Minecraft versions enlisted, you can choose the one that you’d like to have installed on your computer. 
4. Once you have selected the older version of Minecraft, the launcher will start downloading the version you have made a selection for. 

Once the installation has finished, try and connect to a server using the older version of Minecraft. Check if the “Minecraft server timed out” Error is still there or have resolved.

If the error is resolved, the Fix was successful. If not, please move on to the next Fix and try again. 

FIX #4: Resetting your Network Configuration

Mistakenly, Minecraft servers could block your current IP address. The same could also happen when you have, however, unknowingly violated their guidelines resulting in an IP ban, and Connection timed out Minecraft server can pop up. 

To resolve this, you have to reset your Network Configurations, which will help you obtain a new IP address and Minecraft connection timeout error. 

Refer to the steps enlisted below to be exempt from the Error- 

1. 1. On your PC, press Windows key + S. 
   2. Search for Command Prompt.
   3. Click on the Command Prompt app and select Run as Administrator to launch Command Prompt as the admin.

• Enter the commands given below and execute- 

– ipconfig/release

– ipconfig/flushdns

– ipconfig/renew

– netsh int ip

– netsh int ip set DNS

– netsh Winsock reset

1. Once you have executed the commands one after the other, close Command Prompt and restart your computer.
2. The above steps will renew your IP and DNS. DNS cache could also become the cause of the connection time out Minecraft Error. 

Open Minecraft and try re-joining a server. If you are able to join the server successfully, the Minecraft server time out error has been solved. 

FIX #5- Change DNS Server

DNS is essential for all internet activities. Any problem with DNS will probably be reflected while trying to connect with the internet. Keep getting mine craft to server timed out is one such effect of DNS not working as it should.

If DNS servers are slow, are unable to adequately configure for caching, they can very easily slow down connection which will eventually become a cause of connection time out error.

Follow Steps Below to Change DNS server- 

1. Open the Control Panel and choose Network and Internet. 
2. Click on Network and Sharing Centre.
3. Under Network and Sharing centre, select “change adapter settings” from the left panel. 
4. Right-click on the Network Interface and select the Properties option. 
5. Under Ethernet Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties. 
6. When the properties window has opened, select the radio button saying use the following DNS server addresses. 
7. Under preferred DNS server- type 8.8.8.8
8. Under Alternate DNS server- type 8.8.4.4
9. Click okay to save changes. 
10. Once the properties window has closed, restart your PC. 

Try connecting with the Minecraft server again to see if the error has been resolved. 

FIX #6: Disable Antivirus 

Connection timed out Error has been known to be solved by disabling Antivirus. 

Usually, when you have installed a third-party antivirus on your PC, its firewall can block certain applications from running. An antivirus stops various kinds of applications and software from running.

No, it doesn’t stop all the applications/ software from running. It has criteria for selection. Only the apps that get flagged by Antivirus’s built-in firewall does. 

Often, Third-party Antivirus sees an application as a threat and flags and blocks it from running. To say, Vipre and Avast Antivirus are ones that block Minecraft from running. Luckily, the issues could easily be solved by Disabling the Antivirus. 

If you are not comfortable with disabling Antivirus complexly from your computer, worry not; you can select the duration of time and choose to only disable the Antivirus for a short amount of time. 

To Disable Minecraft from an Antivirus Blocking List, follow the steps below- 

1. On the right side of the taskbar, look for the Antivirus icon. It should be there if the Antivirus is running in the background. 
2. Right-click on the Antivirus Icon. 
3. In the Menu look for the Shield or Firewall option.
4. As the Menu depends on the Interface of your Antivirus, try to be smart here, and pay attention to the given options. 
5. We have to look for an option that allows you to disable Shield/ Firewall. 
6. Once located. Select the option that will Disable the Antivirus. 
7. If you can find an option which allows you to Disable Shield/ firewall for a span of time (it could be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, a day etc.), select as you please. 
8. Once you have disabled the Antivirus, close the window. 

Go back to using Minecraft and see if the issue has been solved. If not, try out other fixes. 

FIX#7: Make sure your Network Drivers are updated. 

This Fix is only applicable if you had not updated Network drivers. In this case, you’d notice that your Minecraft server keeps timing out. 

Updating the Network driver is essential as it helps Different hardware components to work seamlessly with your computer. When network drivers are timely and adequately updated, your computer is bound to run smoothly. And you will often encounter issues and cause problems as they become outdated. 

Follow the steps below to update your Network Driver- 

1. In the search box, type “Device Manager”.  Select Device Manager from the list. 
2. Out of the given options and look for Network Adapters. 
3. On locating, right-click on network adapters and select Update Driver Software. 
4. You find a dialogue box has appeared. 
5. Select “search automatically for updated driver software.”
6. Follow the instructions.
7. On finishing the instructions, you would find you have finished updating.
8. Restart the computer to apply the changes. 

Try and connect to the Minecraft server now. If the Fix was successful, you should be able to connect to the Minecraft server; if not, move on to our next Fix. 

Fix #8: Using a VPN Service

After you have tried the above Fixes and solution and you still couldn’t establish a stable connection with the Minecraft server, the reason could be an IP ban. 

This has happened, where an ISP (internet service provider) has restricted getting access to certain websites or servers by blocking clients requests. It can easily be avoided by using any reliable VPN.  

VPN has plenty of low latency gaming optimized servers around the globe. And not just one, but you can connect up to six devices at the same time. 

VPN also performs anti-malware checking, ad-blocking and it also protects against IPv6 and DNS leaks. VPN makes it easy to stay safe online while playing games. 

Before you go on selecting VPN for yourself, it is important to remember certain important points- 

1. Choose a VPN that offers an expansive server network
2. Chose a VPN with high speed and that provides consistent connections
3. Choose a VPN that bypasses Minecraft’s VPN detection measures. 
4. While using a VPN, do not log any of your personal information. 

Refer to the steps below for setting up a VPN for playing Minecraft- 

1. Choose a reputable VPN provider. We suggest NordVPN.
2. Download and install a VPN client on your computer. 
3. Open the app and sign up with credentials. 
4. Find and select a server that is closest to your location.
5. Let the VPN run in the background.

Once you have a VPN running in the background, go onto Minecraft and try to connect to the server. The issues should be resolved. 

FIX #9:  Resetting Browser to default 

Resetting your browser settings to default can help Minecraft timed out. 

At times the issue can appear because of your Browser Configuration, and in order to fix the issues, it would be wise to reset your browser to default. 

To reset your Browser to default, follow the steps below-

1. Open your browser and open the Menu dropdown list by clicking on three vertical dots on the top right and select Settings. 
2. Once the Settings Tab has opened, you need to navigate to the Advanced settings option.
3. Under Advanced settings, look for the option Reset and click on it. 
4. A configuration message will appear with options “cancel” and “Reset”.
5. Choose Reset 

After you have selected Reset, the Browser will start the process of resetting the settings, including cookies, history, and all your extensions will be removed. 

If the Minecraft server timed out Error was caused by Brower, it should get solved now. If it hasn’t, you can refer to our list of “Connection timed out Minecraft server” error fixes above.  

Frequently Asked Questions- 

Question- What are some ways to fix Minecraft Connection Timed out errors on windows?

Answer- While there are plenty of solutions and fixes that can be applied to fix the problem of the “Connection timed out Minecraft Server” error on windows (you can refer to our given list of Fixes)

1. Check Minecraft Servers.
2. Try resetting your Network Configurations.
3. Enable Minecraft to access the firewall.
4. You can also disable your Antivirus software  just for a short period of time. 
5. Use port forwarding.
6. Changing the Minecraft version helps too.
7. Using VPN is helpful.
8. Renew DNS and IP.
9. Disable Problematic Extensions.
10. Reset Browser to Default.
11. Running Browser in Compatibility mode helps too. 

Question- What can be the cause of Minecraft Connection timed out Error on windows?

Answer- While there are no specific answers to what might have caused the “connection timed out error”, but to make guesses, it could be said, as the Connection was timed out. The reason for the Minecraft connection timed out could be either blocking of the game’s access to the internet.

It can easily be caused by an Antivirus tool, or even a Microsoft firewall can also deny the game’s access to the internet. 

To name some- 

– Antivirus tool

– Microsoft wall defender

– The Internet service provider could have blocked the access.

– Blocked Ports 

– Slow Internet Connection

– Any problems with DNS server

– Any problem with IP addresses. 

Question- Could Re-logging in my Minecraft Account solve the “Connection timeout error”? 

Answer- You can choose to sign out of your Minecraft account and log back into your profile. This solution will re authenticate your Connection with the Minecraft server, but there’s a good possibility that it wouldn’t solve it.

For better fixes and solutions, refer to the Fixes enlisted above. 

Question- Could Renewing IP address and DNS would help Connection timed out Minecraft server error message?

Answer- yes. Renewing IP addresses and DNS can help with resolving Minecraft server timeout error messages. To know more about how to execute Resting IP and DNS, refer to our list of fixes. 

Conclusion 

Performing these solutions doesn’t guarantee that the error Minecart server keeps timing out will get solved; because the presence of the Error could be on the other side too. While you have made sure at your side it is all sorted.

Any disconnection, Error or server corruption at the back end can also trigger the same errors and issues. 

We Hope the above Fixes have helped you sort through the Minecraft connection issue.

Please feel free to comment below and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. 

If you are familiar with fixes other than we have enlisted above, feel free to share them below. We will credit you in our updates. 

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