Windows Defender prevents access to port 25565.
Windows Defender prevents access to port 25565.
I was setting up my Minecraft server through port forwarding, and everything worked until I couldn’t connect. Some sites said port 25565 was closed on my IP. I turned off Windows Defender Firewall on the server, which made the port appear open, allowing my friends to join. However, the firewall still blocked the connection, so I added a new rule for port 25565 (UDP and TCP, both inbound and outbound). The rule didn’t help, and the logs still show the connection being dropped after applying the changes. Are you doing anything incorrect?
If you're referring to port forwarding on the router settings page, then yes. I can reach the server using both local and public IP addresses, but only if Windows Defender firewall was disabled on the server computer. Third-party sites indicate the port is open when the firewall is off. Logs from the firewall show dropped connections in that port each time I attempt to connect to the server.
When only you are using the server and no other devices connect, you can fully prevent the computer from reaching the internet through your router.
Someone on Reddit recommended reviewing my network settings, and it turned out my profile was public, causing the firewall to block too many connections. Switching it to private resolved the issue. Appreciate the advice!