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A Minecraft hub is a lobby server placed behind a proxy. Players connect to one public proxy address; the proxy sends them to a Paper lobby and can then transfer them to survival, minigame, or other backend servers. The reliable build is: run Velocity, run a Paper lobby, register every backend in velocity.toml, put the lobby first in the try list, and configure the same player-forwarding mode and secret on the proxy and each backend.
Use modern Velocity forwarding for Minecraft 1.13-and-newer Paper servers whenever possible. Use legacy BungeeCord-compatible forwarding only when an older Minecraft version or server implementation requires it.
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Understand the hub architecture
The word “hub” describes the player experience, not a special Minecraft server type. In a typical network, the hub is an ordinary backend server running lobby features such as portals, menus, NPCs, queues, or signs. A proxy sits in front of it and acts as the network entry point.
- Proxy: Velocity accepts the player’s connection and decides which backend should receive it.
- Lobby backend: A Paper server that players reach first. It is the hub in the in-game sense.
- Game backends: Separate Paper servers for survival, factions, skyblock, minigames, testing, or other modes.
- Player-facing address: The hostname and port published to players belongs to the proxy, not to an individual backend.
The proxy keeps the player connected while changing the backend behind the scenes. On login, Velocity reads the ordered try list and attempts the first available destination. If that destination is unavailable or a player is kicked from it, Velocity proceeds through the remaining destinations in order.
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Plan the servers before installing anything
Decide how many processes you need and how they will communicate. A small network can run the proxy and backends on one machine using different ports. A larger network can place them on separate machines or private network addresses. The configuration idea is the same: every backend needs a unique name and reachable host-and-port address in Velocity.
Minimum components
- One Velocity proxy process.
- One Paper lobby backend.
- One Java runtime and enough memory for the proxy and each backend.
- Additional Paper backends for survival, minigames, or other modes as required.
- A network layout in which the proxy can reach every backend on its listening address and port.
Keep a written inventory before editing configuration. Record each backend name, its host, its port, its Minecraft version, and whether it uses modern or legacy forwarding. A spelling difference between the inventory and velocity.toml is enough to make a destination fail.
Build the hub step by step
1. Install and start Velocity
Download the Velocity proxy from its official distribution, place it in its own directory, and start it once. The first launch creates the configuration files, including velocity.toml and the forwarding-secret file referenced by that configuration. Stop the proxy before making structural edits, then start it again to load them.
Use a separate directory and process for the proxy rather than mixing its files with a Paper server. This makes upgrades, logs, backups, and troubleshooting much easier.
2. Create and start the Paper lobby
Create a separate Paper server directory for the lobby and start it once so Paper generates its files. Accept the Minecraft EULA in the generated eula.txt according to Mojang’s terms, then start the server again. Choose a port that is not used by the proxy or another backend.
Build the lobby as an independent server. Plugins, world files, permissions, and gameplay rules belong to this backend; the proxy handles routing between servers. Confirm in the lobby console that it reaches a ready state before attempting a proxy connection.
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3. Add the other backend servers
Repeat the Paper setup for survival, minigames, or any other mode. Every process must have its own directory, world, listening port, and server name in the proxy configuration. Start each backend directly first and verify that it remains running before introducing proxy routing.
Do not make a backend listen on the same address and port as another process. If you move a backend to another machine, use the address that is reachable from the proxy, not necessarily the address players use from the internet.
4. Register each backend in velocity.toml
Velocity’s servers section maps a short name to a host-and-port address. The names are internal identifiers used by try, commands, plugins, and optional hostname rules.
[servers]
lobby = "127.0.0.1:25566"
survival = "127.0.0.1:25567"
minigames = "127.0.0.1:25568"
try = ["lobby", "survival"]The addresses above are illustrative. Replace them with the ports your Paper processes actually listen on. Put the lobby first in try if it is your normal entry point. A player who cannot enter the lobby will then be tried against the next listed destination, if one exists.
Keep the name in the try list exactly identical to the key in servers. Lobby, lobby , and hub are different strings.
5. Set the proxy’s player-forwarding mode
Velocity supports three forwarding formats, but a new Paper network normally chooses modern forwarding. In the proxy configuration, set player-info-forwarding-mode = "modern" and use the forwarding secret generated for the proxy. The secret is an authentication value shared with the trusted backend configuration; it is not a password to publish to players.
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Modern forwarding is documented for Minecraft 1.13 and newer. It carries the player’s identity and connection information in a format designed for proxy-to-backend use, so it should be preferred whenever every backend supports it.
6. Enable matching support in Paper
Each Paper backend must be configured to accept the forwarding format selected in Velocity. Enable Paper’s Velocity support, select the same modern mode, and copy the proxy’s forwarding secret into the backend setting that requests it. Repeat this on the lobby and every game backend; configuring only the lobby is not sufficient when players will be transferred to other servers.
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7. Use legacy forwarding only when necessary
Choose legacy BungeeCord-compatible forwarding when you must support an older Minecraft version or a server implementation without modern Velocity forwarding support. Paper 1.12.2 and lower requires this legacy style according to the compatibility guidance.
Legacy forwarding has broader compatibility with old software, but it is less secure than modern forwarding. Configure the legacy option consistently on Velocity and every backend, and follow the backend implementation’s BungeeCord-forwarding setting. Do not combine modern settings on one side with legacy settings on the other.
8. Start the proxy and connect through it
- Start every backend and wait until each console reports that it is ready.
- Start Velocity after the backends are listening, or leave the proxy running and verify that it can reach them.
- Connect your Minecraft client to the proxy’s public hostname and port, not to the lobby’s backend address.
- Confirm that the first destination is the lobby named first in
try. - Test a transfer to each registered backend and return to the lobby.
What the important Velocity settings do
| Setting or section | Purpose | Operational detail |
|---|---|---|
[servers] |
Defines backend names and their host-and-port addresses. | Every name used by routing rules must have a matching entry. |
try |
Sets the ordered destinations attempted on login and after a kick. | Put the lobby first for normal hub behavior; add fallbacks only when they are suitable login destinations. |
forced-hosts |
Maps a hostname to one or more destination servers. | Use exact hostnames and verify that each destination name exists in [servers]. |
player-info-forwarding-mode |
Selects modern, legacy, or another supported forwarding format. | The value must match the backend configuration and the versions you support. |
| Forwarding secret | Authenticates proxy-to-backend player information. | Use the same secret on Velocity and each backend that accepts forwarded data; keep it private. |
The try list is not a list of all servers in the network. It is an ordered login and fallback policy. A minigame server can be registered under servers and reached by a menu or transfer command without being included in try.
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Choose modern Velocity or legacy BungeeCord-style forwarding
| Decision point | Modern Velocity forwarding | Legacy BungeeCord-compatible forwarding |
|---|---|---|
| Supported versions | Documented for Minecraft 1.13 and newer compatible Paper versions. | Required for Paper 1.12.2 or lower and useful for implementations without modern support. |
| Security | Preferred documented format for supported software, using a shared forwarding secret. | Less secure and should be selected only for compatibility needs. |
| Backend configuration | Paper must have Velocity support enabled, with matching mode and secret. | Paper or another implementation must have matching BungeeCord-compatible settings. |
| Compatibility | Best fit for current Paper-based networks. | Broader reach across older versions and legacy-compatible implementations. |
| Troubleshooting | Failures usually point to unsupported versions, disabled support, or a wrong secret. | Failures often come from inconsistent legacy settings or software that only partially supports the format. |
Velocity is compatible with many Minecraft server implementations, but compatibility is not the same as identical configuration. Check the implementation’s forwarding requirements before choosing a mode. If all of your backends are current Paper servers, modern forwarding avoids carrying a legacy setting forward unnecessarily.
Secure the network layout
The proxy should be the public entry point. Where your hosting layout allows it, prevent players on the public internet from connecting directly to backend ports. Use private addresses, host firewall rules, or an equivalent network boundary so that backend traffic is accepted from the proxy rather than from arbitrary clients.
Exact firewall rules depend on whether the processes share a host, use separate virtual machines, or span private networks. Do not copy a rule intended for one topology into another without checking which interface and source address the proxy actually uses.
- Expose only the proxy’s player-facing address and required port.
- Allow the proxy to reach every backend address and port registered in
velocity.toml. - Keep the forwarding secret out of public repositories, screenshots, and support posts.
- Back up
velocity.toml, the forwarding secret, and each backend’s forwarding configuration before upgrades. - Do not put another proxy in front of Velocity as a workaround. The compatibility documentation describes proxy-behind-proxy designs as unsupported.
Test the hub before inviting players
Test from the same network where the proxy runs and from an ordinary player connection. A local success proves that processes can communicate; it does not prove that the public address, firewall, or DNS path is correct.
- Process test: Confirm that Velocity, the lobby, and every intended backend are running and remain responsive.
- Port test: Compare each address in
velocity.tomlwith the port shown by the backend’s listening configuration and startup log. - Login test: Connect to the proxy and verify that the first destination is the lobby.
- Transfer test: Move to survival and minigames, then return to the lobby.
- Fallback test: Stop the lobby in a controlled maintenance window and confirm that the next appropriate
trydestination is attempted, if you configured one. - Identity test: Check that the backend receives the expected player identity rather than treating every proxied connection as the proxy machine.
- Recovery test: Restart one backend and verify that the proxy can reconnect after it becomes ready.
Troubleshoot a hub that cannot connect
The proxy starts, but login fails immediately
- Verify that at least one destination in
tryis spelled exactly as it appears in[servers]. - Check that the first destination’s process is running and responsive.
- Compare the configured host and port with the backend’s actual listening address.
- Confirm that the client is using the proxy address rather than a backend address.
If the proxy cannot reach any destination, the problem is usually service availability, an incorrect port, or a network rule blocking the connection. Start with those checks before changing forwarding settings.
The backend is online, but Velocity reports a forwarding or authentication error
- Compare
player-info-forwarding-modeon Velocity with the mode enabled in Paper. - Check that modern mode is being used only with supported versions and implementations.
- Compare the forwarding secret character for character on the proxy and backend.
- Restart both sides after correcting the settings so neither process is using stale configuration.
A correct host-and-port pair does not compensate for a forwarding mismatch. Treat mode and secret as a pair that must agree for every backend.
The proxy connects to the wrong server
- Inspect the order of the
trylist; the first available entry is the normal login destination. - Check for a misspelled lobby name or a lobby key that was renamed in
[servers]. - Review
forced-hostsrules if a particular hostname is intended to send players somewhere different. - Restart Velocity after saving the file and watch its startup log for configuration errors.
The lobby works, but one game server does not
Test the failing backend independently, then compare its entry with a working backend. Confirm that its process is running, its port is unique, the proxy can reach its host, and its forwarding mode and secret match. If only one server fails, avoid changing the global proxy mode until that backend’s version and implementation have been checked.
Players can connect directly to a backend
This indicates that backend exposure has not been restricted. Move the backend behind a private interface or apply host/network controls that permit the proxy while blocking unsolicited public connections. The exact control depends on your hosting design; the goal is that players use the proxy as the network entry point.
Add servers and change the default safely
To add a new mode, create and test its Paper backend first, assign a unique listening port, then add a new name and address under [servers]. Do not add an unready server to the first position of try. If it should never be a login fallback, leave it out of try and expose it through your lobby’s transfer mechanism.
To change the default destination, place the desired backend first in try, save the file, and restart or reload Velocity using the method supported by your installed version. Test both a fresh login and a kick from the current backend; those are the two situations governed by the ordered list.
When removing a backend, first remove links to it from lobby menus, hostname rules, and try. Then stop the backend and remove its [servers] entry. Keeping a stale destination name creates a failure path that may not be obvious until a player is kicked.
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Operational practices that prevent repeat failures
- Keep the proxy, lobby, and each game mode in separate directories with separate logs.
- Document the intended Minecraft version and forwarding mode beside every backend.
- Make configuration changes while services are stopped when the software requires a restart to apply them.
- Change one variable at a time during troubleshooting so the resulting log message remains meaningful.
- After upgrades, retest login, transfer, forwarding, and fallback behavior rather than assuming an unchanged configuration still works.
- Store a known-good copy of
velocity.tomland the forwarding settings, but protect the secret in backups.
Final checklist
- Velocity is the only public player entry point.
- A Paper lobby backend exists and is first in
try. - Every backend has a unique, reachable host-and-port address in
[servers]. - Velocity and every backend use the same forwarding mode.
- The forwarding secret matches on both sides for modern forwarding.
- Legacy forwarding is used only where an older version or implementation requires it.
- Backend ports are protected from direct public access where the network design permits.
- Transfers, fallback behavior, and recovery after a restart have been tested.
With those pieces aligned, the hub is simply the first Paper backend selected by the proxy. Players see one network address, while Velocity handles the routing to the lobby and the rest of your Minecraft servers.
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