A user attempted to connect to my Minecraft server, but only two people are aware of the IP address.
A user attempted to connect to my Minecraft server, but only two people are aware of the IP address.
I’m running a private server for myself and a friend, keeping it on while I’m at work so they can connect whenever they like. When I got home today, I noticed someone tried to join the server twice, but it failed because they didn’t have the necessary permissions. My main question is: how did that person obtain the IP address for the server? I’m using Xfinity to host it, and I want to know if the local IP (like ipchicken.com) remains consistent across all Xfinity users. Additionally, I’d like to find out who attempted to join the server and from where they came from.
Automated tools constantly check the web for open ports, looking for vulnerabilities to target. Having run servers for a while, I know that opening a port usually triggers logs with activity. This is expected and highlights the importance of keeping systems secure.
They act unpredictably, scanning IPs until they locate an open port or use recognized ranges for certain services. Attempting to access your wireless network is less likely to come from a bot, as it usually requires proximity. It might be a neighbor who mistakenly connected to the wrong Wi-Fi while trying to join.
When you're running at port 25565, it's simple to check every IPv4 address in the range for responses. The error418 person previously wrote about how many bots are constantly crawling the web. Getting an IP for a server is similar to knowing a store's address—people can just walk around until they locate it.
IP chicken provides your public IP address, which is managed by your Internet Service Provider. These addresses work on the internet and are not limited to your local network. A local IP stays within your home network and cannot be routed outside. The public IP comes from the router's WAN connection. Interestingly, you can check which IP ranges different ISPs own—this information is publicly available.