TCPShield protects a Minecraft server by placing its network in front of your backend, giving players a public hostname while the actual server address is restricted. The reliable setup is: create a TCPShield network, add and verify your domain, point DNS at the TCPShield destination, configure exactly one player-IP forwarding method, and firewall the origin so only TCPShield can reach it.
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Java Edition works on all TCPShield plans. Bedrock traffic is a Premium-only feature that uses a dedicated tunnel and CNAME, with extra Geyser and firewall configuration. The steps below cover both editions and explain when to use the TCPShield plugin versus Proxy Protocol v2.
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What TCPShield changes in a Minecraft network
A normal Minecraft deployment exposes the address of the machine running the server. Anyone who learns that address can try to connect directly, bypassing the hostname you advertise and any filtering placed in front of it. TCPShield inserts a protected network between players and that machine.
Players connect to a hostname that resolves to TCPShield. TCPShield accepts the connection, forwards it to your backend, and passes player connection information to the frontend or proxy using one supported forwarding method. Your backend firewall then permits only TCPShield source ranges. A direct connection to the backend IP is intentionally rejected when this arrangement is working.
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What the service does not establish
Official TCPShield material does not provide a dated, independent test of latency, uptime, attack mitigation or maximum player capacity. Do not treat a plan description as a performance guarantee. Commercial plan limits and eligibility can change, so check the current TCPShield plan and FAQ pages when choosing a plan.
Choose the right TCPShield capability first
| Need | TCPShield path | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | TCPShield network with a Java hostname | Supported on all plans. |
| Bedrock Edition | Bedrock tunnel and dedicated CNAME | Premium-only; Bedrock does not use Java’s virtual-host routing behavior. |
| Preserve player IP information through a compatible frontend | TCPShield plugin | Install only on frontend machines such as BungeeCord or a front-facing Spigot/Paper server. |
| Plugin conflicts with anti-bot, anti-VPN, authentication or proxy software | Proxy Protocol v2 | Enable the matching setting in the proxy/server and in the TCPShield panel; firewalling becomes especially important. |
Pick one forwarding method for a given path. Do not run the TCPShield plugin and Proxy Protocol together, and do not install the plugin on both a proxy and a game-mode server.
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Have these items ready:
- Administrative access to the TCPShield panel.
- Access to the DNS zone for the hostname players will use.
- The backend server’s public IP address and Minecraft port.
- Permission to change the frontend proxy or server configuration.
- Permission to change the backend host firewall.
- For Bedrock through Geyser, a working Bedrock listener that you can test directly before moving it behind TCPShield.
Keep the backend running while you configure the network, but plan to test with the protected hostname after DNS changes. Testing only the backend IP bypasses the path you are trying to secure.
Step 1: Create a TCPShield network and add the backend
- Sign up for a TCPShield account and open the network-management area.
- Create a network for the Minecraft deployment.
- Add a backend set, entering the backend server IP address and Minecraft port exactly as they are reachable from TCPShield.
- Choose the public hostname players will use, such as a
play.subdomain under your own domain. - Complete the domain-ownership check. The documented workflow uses a TXT record: TCPShield supplies a value, and you publish that value in the domain’s DNS zone. Return to the panel and run verification after the record is visible.
A successful ownership check is required before the public hostname can be used reliably. If verification fails, recheck the record name and value in the DNS provider, remove accidental quotation marks or extra spaces, and allow DNS time to update before trying again.
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Step 2: Point the player hostname at TCPShield
- In the TCPShield panel, copy the destination supplied for the network or backend.
- Create the DNS record for the hostname players will enter, using the record type and destination shown in the panel.
- Save the change and wait for DNS propagation.
- Test by resolving and joining the public hostname, not by entering the backend IP.
TCPShield’s documented domains are wildcarded, so a separate record is often unnecessary for a play. subdomain. Follow the destination and record instructions displayed for your network; do not create competing records that point the same hostname elsewhere.
Propagation can take up to 24 hours in some cases. During that period, different players or DNS resolvers may see different answers. A hostname that works from one network but not another can simply be waiting for caches to expire.
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- The hostname resolves to the TCPShield destination rather than exposing the backend address.
- A Minecraft client can reach the server through the hostname after propagation.
- A direct connection to the backend IP is not used as a success test; the protected setup is expected to block it once the firewall is locked down.
Step 3: Select one player-IP forwarding method
The frontend needs a way to receive the original player connection information while still accepting traffic from TCPShield. TCPShield documents two alternatives.
| Criterion | TCPShield plugin | Proxy Protocol v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication of the forwarding path | Uses a verified-proxy handshake and is intended to allow only verified proxy connections. | Broadly supported, but the protocol alone does not authenticate every source as strongly as the plugin handshake. |
| Compatibility | Can conflict with anti-bot, anti-VPN, authentication or proxy software. | Useful when one of those components conflicts with the plugin. |
| Installation | Install on frontend machines only. | Enable the matching Proxy Protocol setting in the relevant software and in TCPShield. |
| Origin protection requirement | Keep the production setting that accepts only verified proxy connections enabled, and still firewall the origin. | Restrict inbound traffic to TCPShield’s published source ranges; this is essential to prevent bypass. |
| Bedrock/Geyser | Use the plugin’s documented Geyser support where applicable. | Use the documented Proxy Protocol path for the Bedrock tunnel. |
Step 4A: Configure the TCPShield plugin
Install it only at the frontend
Place the TCPShield plugin on the machine that first receives the protected connection: a BungeeCord proxy or a front-facing Spigot/Paper server. Never install it on both the proxy and the game-mode server. The backend should receive the forwarded connection from the frontend, not try to perform the frontend handshake itself.
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Keep verified-proxy mode enabled
The production setting that permits only verified proxy connections should remain enabled. Disabling it can leave the origin discoverable or directly reachable even though the public hostname appears to work.
Check plugin interactions
After installation, test the complete login path with the anti-bot, anti-VPN, authentication and proxy components enabled. If one of them rejects or alters the TCPShield connection, do not stack both forwarding methods in an attempt to fix it. Remove the plugin and use Proxy Protocol v2 instead.
Step 4B: Configure Proxy Protocol v2
- Remove the TCPShield plugin from the frontend if it is installed.
- Enable Proxy Protocol v2 in the software that accepts the connection. The relevant setting is available in Paper, Velocity, BungeeCord and other supported proxy/server software; use the setting name and syntax for your installed version.
- In the TCPShield panel, enable Proxy Protocol for the backend.
- Restart or reload the affected proxy/server components according to their normal configuration procedure.
- Test a connection through the public hostname before declaring the migration complete.
Proxy Protocol forwards connection metadata, but it does not by itself prove that every sender is an authorized TCPShield source. Your origin firewall must therefore allow the TCPShield-published source ranges and reject other inbound traffic. Without that restriction, a person who discovers the backend IP may be able to bypass the protected hostname.
Step 5: Lock the origin firewall
Firewalling is the control that turns a hidden address into an enforced boundary. TCPShield’s own guidance recommends allowing the backend to accept connections only from TCPShield sources.
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- Find the current TCPShield source ranges in its documentation or panel.
- On the backend host or its upstream firewall, allow the Minecraft service port from those ranges.
- Reject other inbound connections to that service port, including connections from ordinary player IP addresses.
- Keep administrative services on their own restricted rules; do not expose them merely because the Minecraft port is being proxied.
- Retest through the public hostname, then confirm that a direct backend-IP attempt is refused.
Do not guess source ranges or copy stale ranges from an unrelated configuration. When TCPShield publishes an update, revise the firewall rules and test again. A rule that is too narrow causes legitimate players to fail; one that is too broad restores the bypass risk.
Java Edition: a complete verification pass
- Confirm the network is domain-verified in the TCPShield panel.
- Confirm the backend IP and port match the live Java server.
- Confirm the public hostname resolves to the TCPShield destination.
- Confirm exactly one forwarding method is active.
- Join using the hostname players will advertise.
- Check the server’s normal player-information and authentication behavior.
- Confirm the firewall rejects direct backend access.
If all six connection checks succeed, distribute only the protected hostname. Do not publish the backend address in status pages, launcher configurations, support screenshots or diagnostic posts.
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Understand the addressing difference
Java Edition supports the virtual-host behavior TCPShield uses for ordinary Java routing. Bedrock does not provide that same behavior, so TCPShield provisions a dedicated Bedrock tunnel and CNAME. Bedrock support is Premium-only.
A shared Java/Bedrock player experience may require a Java CNAME with an SRV arrangement plus the separate Bedrock tunnel described in TCPShield’s Geyser instructions. Treat those as two related paths rather than assuming one Java DNS record will carry Bedrock traffic automatically.
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Prepare and create the Bedrock tunnel
- First confirm that Geyser and the Bedrock listener work directly on their own IP and port. Fix that installation before introducing TCPShield.
- Create the Bedrock backend or tunnel in the TCPShield panel and copy the dedicated CNAME it supplies.
- Configure the Bedrock-facing DNS record to use that CNAME exactly as documented.
- Choose the documented Proxy Protocol route or the plugin’s Geyser support; do not enable both.
- Apply the Bedrock firewall rules, including the UDP rules required by the tunnel and Geyser configuration.
- Test from a Bedrock client using the public Bedrock hostname and port, then test Java separately.
Bedrock failures often come from mixing the Java record with the Bedrock tunnel, omitting UDP rules, or changing Geyser settings before confirming the direct listener. Keep each protocol’s hostname, port and firewall path identifiable while troubleshooting.
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Troubleshooting by symptom
The domain is not verified
- Recheck that the TXT record was created in the authoritative DNS zone for the exact domain.
- Compare the TXT value character for character with the value shown by TCPShield.
- Wait for DNS caches to update, then rerun verification in the panel.
The hostname does not connect
- Confirm the hostname resolves to the TCPShield destination, not an old record.
- Confirm the backend IP and port in the panel are correct.
- Allow for propagation; TCPShield notes that some changes can take up to 24 hours.
- Check that the frontend is running and that the selected forwarding method matches its configuration.
- Inspect the origin firewall for a rule that accidentally blocks TCPShield sources.
Players can connect only by backend IP
Do not treat this as a workaround. Check DNS, the panel destination, frontend forwarding and firewall rules. Once the protected path is correct, the backend-IP test should fail by design.
The proxy reports incorrect player information
- Verify that the plugin is on the frontend only and that verified-proxy mode remains enabled.
- If using Proxy Protocol, confirm it is enabled in both the relevant Paper, Velocity, BungeeCord or other proxy configuration and the TCPShield backend settings.
- Make sure the plugin and Proxy Protocol are not enabled together.
An anti-bot, anti-VPN or authentication component breaks connections
Remove the TCPShield plugin and migrate to Proxy Protocol v2 when compatibility is the issue. Then tighten the origin firewall to TCPShield’s published ranges, because Proxy Protocol provides less source authentication by itself.
Bedrock cannot join while Java works
- Confirm the account has the Premium capability required for Bedrock.
- Check that the dedicated Bedrock tunnel and CNAME, rather than only the Java record, are configured.
- Confirm Geyser’s Bedrock listener works directly.
- Check the tunnel’s Proxy Protocol or plugin setting and the required UDP firewall rules.
Operational checklist
- Domain ownership is verified.
- The backend IP and port in TCPShield match the live service.
- Players use the TCPShield hostname, never the backend IP.
- Only one forwarding method is enabled.
- The TCPShield plugin runs only on frontend machines.
- Verified-proxy protection remains enabled when using the plugin.
- Proxy Protocol users allow only TCPShield source ranges at the origin.
- The origin firewall rejects other inbound Minecraft traffic.
- Java and Bedrock records are kept separate where the tunnel requires it.
- Bedrock users have the Premium capability, a configured tunnel/CNAME and matching UDP rules.
- DNS changes and TCPShield source-range updates are retested after maintenance.
What a secure final state looks like
A secure deployment has one advertised hostname for each required protocol, DNS records that lead to TCPShield, a verified domain, a correctly configured frontend, and an origin firewall that rejects everything except TCPShield sources. Java can use any plan; Bedrock requires the Premium tunnel. The plugin is the simpler choice when it is compatible with the rest of the proxy stack, while Proxy Protocol v2 is the fallback for compatibility-sensitive installations and demands stricter firewall discipline.
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