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To host Mineshafts & Monsters, use the same 1.16.5 Forge release and server-pack revision as your players, run it with 64-bit Java 8, build the Forge server before extracting the pack, accept the EULA, allocate enough memory, and configure your firewall and router for anyone joining from outside your home network. The download’s lack of a server.jar is expected, not an error.
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What you need before installing
Mineshafts & Monsters is a Minecraft 1.16.5 Forge pack. A reliable server starts with a clean directory, a compatible Java runtime, the exact Forge build required by the selected pack release, and enough available memory for the edition you intend to run.
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| Requirement | What to use | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Minecraft/mod-loader generation | 1.16.5 with Forge | The pack, Forge files and every client installation must target the same generation. |
| Java | 64-bit Java 8 | Forge documentation for the 1.16.x line and its maintained compatibility table identify Java 8 for Minecraft 1.16.5. |
| Server files | A matching Mineshafts & Monsters server-pack archive | The archive supplies the pack’s mods, configuration and other files, but it does not create the Forge server by itself. |
| Memory | Full edition: 6 GB minimum, 7–8 GB recommended; Lite: 4 GB minimum, 6–7 GB recommended | These figures are the project’s guidance. The host also needs memory for the operating system and other services. |
| Network | Local address for LAN play; firewall permission and router forwarding for internet play | Players outside your home network cannot normally reach a private server without those network changes. |
Use a separate folder for this server rather than installing over another modpack. Keeping each instance isolated makes upgrades, backups and troubleshooting much safer.
Choose one exact server-pack release
Open the official Mineshafts & Monsters project on CurseForge and select the server-pack file that corresponds to the client release you will distribute. The project lists a 1.11 server pack released November 10, 2022, and a 1.10.9 server pack released January 22, 2022. The listed files include MnM_1.11_Serverpack_hf3 and MnM 1.10.9 Serverpack.
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- DELUXE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, three Bedrock add-ons, three exclusive Character Creator items, and 700 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Do not combine a normal-edition client with the Lite server pack, or mix files from different revisions. A pack revision can change mods, configuration and world behavior. Everyone should install the same edition and revision, not merely “Mineshafts & Monsters 1.16.5.” Record the exact file name in your server notes so you can identify it later when updating or restoring a backup.
Install and verify 64-bit Java 8
Install a 64-bit Java 8 runtime on the machine that will run the server. Forge’s 1.16.x getting-started documentation states that Minecraft and MinecraftForge compile against Java 8, and Forge’s maintained Java table lists Java 8 for 1.16.5 and older releases.
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- Use a 64-bit operating system and 64-bit Java; a 32-bit runtime cannot address the memory this pack needs.
- Keep the Java 8 installation available when updating other applications. Installing a newer Java for unrelated software does not make it suitable for this server.
- When diagnosing a launch failure, verify the version from the same account and shell that starts the server.
Build the Forge server first
The server-pack FAQ specifically explains why the download does not contain server.jar: you must make a Forge server first, then put the server pack inside it. Treat that as the required installation order.
- Create a new, empty server directory with a short path that you can find easily. Avoid placing it inside a client profile or a cloud-synchronized folder.
- Download the Forge installer for the exact 1.16.5 Forge build required by your selected Mineshafts & Monsters release.
- Run the installer and choose the server installation option, selecting the empty directory you created. This generates the Forge server runtime and its launch files.
- Do not start copying the modpack into a random folder before Forge finishes. The generated directory is the server root; it is where the pack’s
mods,configand other files belong.
If the installer reports a Java error at this stage, stop and correct the Java selection before proceeding. Reinstalling the pack on top of an incorrectly generated server usually creates more confusing errors rather than fixing the cause.
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- ULTIMATE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, five Bedrock add-ons, five exclusive Character Creator items, and 1000 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Extract the Mineshafts & Monsters server pack
- Download the server-pack archive that matches the client release you chose.
- Open the archive and read
README.txtif it is included. The project explicitly instructs server operators to follow that file. - Extract the archive’s contents into the Forge server directory, preserving the supplied folder names and files.
- Confirm that the server root contains the pack’s
modsandconfigdirectories alongside the Forge-generated files. Do not create an extra nested folder such asserver/MnM_1.11_Serverpack_hf3/modsunless the README specifically requires it.
The server pack is not a replacement for the Forge installation. It is the content layer placed into the Forge server you just created. If you see only a compressed archive, extract it; if you see no server.jar, that is normal for this project.
Start once, accept the EULA, then start again
Launch the Forge server from its generated launcher. The first run creates the runtime files and normally stops because the Minecraft EULA has not yet been accepted.
- Start the server once and wait for it to create
eula.txtand the initial configuration files. - Stop the process completely if it is still running.
- Open
eula.txtin a text editor and changeeula=falsetoeula=true. You are responsible for accepting Mojang’s EULA before running the server. - Save the file without changing its name or extension.
- Launch the Forge server again and watch the console until it finishes loading and reports that it is ready for connections.
A managed CurseForge server follows the same basic requirement: its setup guidance tells operators to obtain the server files from the modpack’s Files/Additional Files area and change the EULA value from false to true. The difference is that the host provider performs much of the file and network setup for you.
Allocate memory without starving the host
The project’s published guidance separates the two editions:
| Edition | Minimum allocation | Recommended allocation | Practical interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 6 GB | 7–8 GB | Use the recommended range when several players, exploration and many loaded chunks are expected. |
| Lite | 4 GB | 6–7 GB | The lower floor applies to the Lite pack, not to the full edition. |
These are Java heap allocations, not the total memory required by the computer. Leave headroom for the operating system, Java overhead, backups, voice chat and any other programs on the machine. Assigning every available gigabyte to the server can make the host swap, freeze or disconnect even when the Minecraft heap itself appears large enough.
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- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that is unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world full of surprises.
- SURVIVAL ADVENTURES — Face mysterious foes, travel across varied landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play solo or join friends in local split-screen and cross-platform play across console, mobile, and PC. Online multiplayer supports up to 8 players.
- COMMUNITY PLAY — Connect with players on community servers, or subscribe to Realms Plus (sold separately) to play with up to 10 friends on a private server.
Set the heap in the Forge launch configuration generated by the installer or hosting panel. Increase allocation only when the host has unused physical memory and the server is showing memory pressure. If the machine runs out of memory, first stop unnecessary applications and reduce simultaneous load; changing mods should not be your first response.
Configure LAN and internet access
Players on the same home network
Give LAN players the host computer’s private address, such as its address on your home network, and the server port shown in the server configuration. They should connect through Minecraft’s multiplayer screen using that address and port. A local connection does not require router port forwarding, but the host firewall still needs to allow Java or the server process to receive connections.
Players outside your home network
Remote players need a path through both the host firewall and the router. Minecraft’s official server guidance warns that outside connections may require port forwarding, and its setup help identifies the configured server port as the one to forward.
- Start the server and confirm that it is listening on the intended port.
- Create an inbound firewall rule allowing the Java/Forge server process or the configured TCP traffic on that port.
- Log in to the router and forward that same port to the host computer’s private IP address.
- Reserve the host’s private address in the router, if possible, so the forwarding rule does not point to a different device after a reboot.
- Give remote players your public address and the server port. Do not publish administrative credentials or unrelated home-network details.
Test from a genuinely external connection, such as a phone hotspot, rather than testing only from inside the same Wi-Fi network. If LAN players can join but remote players cannot, the pack is usually working; investigate the firewall, router rule, public address and internet-provider restrictions.
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Each player should install the same Mineshafts & Monsters edition, server-pack revision and Forge generation used by the server. A player who has the right Minecraft version but a different mod list can still fail to connect because Forge checks the installed mods and their versions.
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- Distribute the exact CurseForge file release you selected rather than asking players to search by pack name.
- Do not add client-only or “helpful” extra mods until everyone has a known-good matching profile.
- If a connection error reports missing or extra mods, reinstall the matching profile instead of copying individual files at random.
- When the server is upgraded, archive the old pack and tell every player which new revision to install before they connect.
Self-hosting versus managed CurseForge hosting
CurseForge Servers documents a hosted workflow in which you choose the modpack and matching server-pack file, select a plan and region, enter server details, and purchase the service. Its published examples include 4 GB, 8 GB and 12 GB RAM plans; prices and availability change, so check the current listing before committing.
| Consideration | Self-hosted server | Managed CurseForge server |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | You install Java and Forge, extract the pack, accept the EULA and configure the machine. | The provider supplies a guided deployment flow and handles much of the initial setup. |
| Files and configuration | Maximum control over worlds, configs, logs, scripts and backups. | Control depends on the host’s panel and file access; verify what can be uploaded or edited. |
| Network responsibility | You maintain the firewall rule, router forwarding and a reachable host. | The hosted service provides the public network endpoint, removing home-router configuration. |
| Hardware resources | Limited by your computer’s available CPU, memory and storage. | Choose among the provider’s available RAM plans and regions. |
| Latency | Depends on your home upload connection and the physical location of your network. | Choose a region close to most players when the service offers that option. |
| Cost | No recurring hosting bill, but you supply electricity, hardware, bandwidth and maintenance. | A recurring service charge applies; current prices must be checked at purchase time. |
| Backups and recovery | You must schedule, verify and store your own world backups. | Confirm whether automated backups are included and how long they are retained. |
Choose self-hosting when you want full file control and can maintain Java, Forge, the network and backups. Choose managed hosting when avoiding router configuration and hardware administration is worth the recurring fee.
Common problems and exact fixes
There is no server.jar
This is expected for Mineshafts & Monsters. Install the exact Forge 1.16.5 server first, then extract the server-pack contents into that Forge directory. Searching for a missing vanilla jar or downloading an unrelated jar creates a mismatched server.
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Check the Java executable used by the launch process and confirm that it is 64-bit Java 8. A newer default Java may work for other Minecraft generations but is not the supported choice identified for this 1.16.5 Forge setup.
The process shuts down immediately
Open eula.txt and verify that it contains eula=true. Also check that you edited the file in the active server directory, not a similarly named backup or an unextracted archive.
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Remote players cannot connect
Confirm all of the following in order: the server has completed startup, the configured port is correct, the host firewall allows the process, the router forwards that port to the correct private address, and the remote player is using your current public address. A successful LAN connection does not prove that internet routing is configured.
The server runs out of memory or lags severely
Compare the Java heap with the edition’s published allocation guidance and check how much physical memory remains for the host operating system. Reduce simultaneous exploration and other load, close competing applications, and verify that the machine is not paging to disk before attempting a mod change.
Only one player gets a mod or registry error
Compare that player’s profile with the server’s exact edition, revision and Forge generation. Reinstalling the complete matching profile is safer than replacing one jar, because configuration and dependency files can also differ.
Operate the server safely after it works
Back up the world before changes
Stop the server cleanly before copying the world and configuration directories. Keep at least one backup away from the server machine, and label each backup with the pack revision and date. Test that a backup can actually be opened or restored; an unverified copy is not a recovery plan.
Change one variable at a time
When investigating a crash, change only one item—Java path, memory allocation, pack revision or network setting—then test again. This preserves a useful cause-and-effect trail and prevents a successful change from being hidden by several simultaneous edits.
Plan upgrades as coordinated migrations
Save the current server directory and world before moving to another Mineshafts & Monsters revision. Install the new Forge and pack files in a separate directory, test with a copy of the world, and have every player update to the same client profile before opening the new instance to the group.
Connection checklist for your first play session
- The server and clients use the same Mineshafts & Monsters edition and release.
- The server was built with the matching 1.16.5 Forge installer.
- The server process is using 64-bit Java 8.
- The server-pack archive was extracted into the Forge server root.
eula.txtcontainseula=true.- The selected edition has an appropriate heap allocation and the host has spare physical memory.
- LAN players have the host’s private address; remote players have the public address and forwarded port.
- The firewall allows the Java/Forge process.
- Everyone has installed the identical client profile.
- A clean world backup exists before regular play begins.
Following that order avoids the most common Mineshafts & Monsters setup traps: treating the server pack as a standalone vanilla server, launching it with the wrong Java generation, under-allocating memory, or troubleshooting internet access before confirming that the Forge instance itself starts.
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