Question 1

How do I set up a Minecraft server with plugins?

Accepted Answer

Before your server will start for the first time you need to accept the Minecraft EULA. Open the File Manager, find eula.txt in the server root, change eula=false to eula=true, and save. Then start the server. The Version Manager page lets you choose and switch server software without manual downloads. For a vanilla experience choose Vanilla. For plugins, choose Paper; it is the best-performing Bukkit-compatible option and supports the widest range of plugins. Spigot is an alternative if a specific plugin requires it. For mods, choose Forge or Fabric depending on which mod ecosystem your mods target. Always back up your world before switching software types, especially between modded and vanilla. With Paper or Spigot running, use the Plugin Manager page to search for and install plugins. The panel places the JAR in the correct plugins/ folder automatically. Restart the server after installing for the plugin to load. For plugins not in the Plugin Manager, download the JAR from a trusted source and upload it to plugins/ via File Manager. The World Manager shows all worlds on your server. You can upload a custom world, download a backup, or delete worlds you no longer need. For multi-world setups, all world folders are accessible from this page. Use the Server Properties page for core settings like max-players, gamemode, difficulty, and view-distance. Use the Player Manager page for whitelist, ops, bans, and banned IPs. Changes through Player Manager take effect on a running server immediately without a restart.

Question 2

How do I install a Minecraft modpack (CurseForge or Modrinth)?

Accepted Answer

Modpacks come in two flavours: server packs (pre-configured, ready to run) and client packs (needs conversion). Always download the server pack if one is available; it includes the correct Forge or Fabric version and all the required mods already configured. For a CurseForge server pack: download the server pack ZIP from the modpack's CurseForge page. Extract it and upload all the contents to your server root via File Manager. The pack includes a forge-<version>-installer.jar or similar; check the included README or start.sh to find the correct JAR filename, then update your server's start command on the Startup page to use that JAR. Most server packs also include a server.properties and eula.txt; accept the EULA in that file before starting. For a Modrinth pack: download the .mrpack file and use the mrpack-install tool (available from GitHub) to extract a server-ready directory, then upload the contents. RAM requirements: modpacks need significantly more RAM than vanilla. A medium modpack (100-200 mods) typically needs 4-6 GB. A large pack (300+ mods) may need 8 GB or more. Check the modpack's recommended server RAM on its CurseForge or Modrinth page and ensure your plan meets it. After uploading, start the server and watch the Console page. The first start is slow as Forge or Fabric loads all mods. Errors on first start are common; read the Console output carefully. "Missing dependency" errors mean a required mod was not included; download and upload it manually. "Incompatible mod set" errors mean two mods conflict; check the modpack's known issues page.

Question 3

How do I set up a Minecraft BungeeCord or Velocity proxy network?

Accepted Answer

A proxy network lets multiple Minecraft servers share a single player pool. Players connect to the proxy and are routed to individual backend servers (lobby, survival, minigames, etc.). BungeeCord and Velocity are the two main options; Velocity is newer and more performant, so use it for new setups. You need at least two servers on your Zeros Host account: one for the proxy and one or more backend servers. On each backend server (not the proxy): open server.properties and set online-mode=false. This is required for the proxy to handle authentication. Also open the Paper or Spigot config and enable BungeeCord mode: in spigot.yml set bungeecord: true, or in config/paper-global.yml under proxies.bungeecord set online-mode: true (for Velocity, use velocity: enabled: true and set the secret key instead). Restart backend servers after making these changes. On the proxy server: download BungeeCord.jar or Velocity.jar and upload it as your server JAR. Edit config.yml (BungeeCord) or velocity.toml (Velocity) to list your backend servers by their internal IP and port. For Zeros Host servers, use the panel-assigned IP and port for each backend. Set the forced_hosts and listeners sections to route the main connection correctly. Important: with online-mode=false on backend servers, they will accept connections from anyone who knows the address. Make sure backend server ports are not publicly advertised; only the proxy address should be given to players. Most firewall setups on VPS hosting handle this, but confirm with the panel's network settings.

Question 4

How do I install plugins?

Accepted Answer

Use the Plugin Manager in your server panel. You can search for and install plugins directly. The panel handles placing the plugin JAR in the correct directory. After installing, restart your server for the plugin to load.

Question 5

How do I change my server JAR (Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, Vanilla)?

Accepted Answer

The Version Manager lets you switch between server software. You can choose from Paper, Spigot, Forge, Fabric, or Vanilla, and select the Minecraft version you want. The panel downloads the correct JAR and updates your server configuration. Back up your world before switching, especially when moving between modded and vanilla.

Question 6

How do I manage worlds?

Accepted Answer

The World Manager shows all worlds on your server. You can upload world files, download backups of existing worlds, and delete worlds you no longer need. For multi-world setups with plugins like Multiverse, the world files are all accessible from this page.

Question 7

What is the TPS Monitor?

Accepted Answer

TPS (ticks per second) measures your server performance. A healthy Minecraft server runs at 20 TPS. The TPS Monitor shows your current and recent TPS values so you can spot performance drops. If TPS is consistently below 20, you may need to reduce loaded chunks, optimise plugins, or upgrade your plan.

Question 8

How do I accept the Minecraft EULA?

Accepted Answer

Open the File Manager, find eula.txt in the server root, and change eula=false to eula=true. Save the file and restart the server. You must accept the EULA before the server will start for the first time.

Question 9

How do I manage operators, whitelist, and bans?

Accepted Answer

Use the Player Manager page in your panel sidebar. It has tabs for Whitelist, Banned Players, Banned IPs, and Ops. You can add or remove players by username. Changes take effect immediately on a running server without needing a restart.

Question 10

How do I configure server.properties?

Accepted Answer

Use the Server Properties page in the panel sidebar for a visual editor, or edit server.properties directly in the File Manager. Key settings include gamemode (survival/creative), difficulty, max-players, view-distance, pvp, and white-list. Changes require a server restart.

Question 11

How do I customise my MOTD and server icon?

Accepted Answer

Use the MOTD Editor page for the server list message with colour formatting support. For the server icon, use the Server Icon page to upload a 64x64 PNG image. The MOTD updates immediately; the icon requires a restart.

Question 12

My Minecraft server shows errors or crashes on startup. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Check the Console page output for error messages. Common issues include: EULA not accepted, Java version mismatch, plugin conflicts, or port conflicts. Look for ERROR or stack trace lines in the startup log. If a plugin is causing crashes, try removing it from the plugins folder via File Manager.

Question 13

How do I optimise my Minecraft server for better performance?

Accepted Answer

The single most effective change is switching to Paper if you are not already using it. Paper includes hundreds of performance improvements over vanilla and Spigot. Use the Version Manager to switch, but back up your world first. For JVM flags, use Aikar's flags. Replace the default startup flags on the Startup page with the following (adjust -Xmx and -Xms to match your plan's RAM, leaving 512 MB free for the OS): -Xms4G -Xmx4G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PessimisticRefProcMode -XX:+UseFastUnorderedTimeStamps -Dusing.aikars.flags=https://mcflags.emc.gs -Daikars.new.flags=true In server.properties, lower view-distance to 8 or 6. The default of 10 generates significantly more chunk load. Players rarely notice the difference below 10. In paper.yml (or paper-world-defaults.yml on newer versions), set optimize-explosions: true, mob-spawner-tick-rate: 2, max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: 8, and use-faster-eigencraft-redstone: true. These reduce tick-heavy operations without changing visible gameplay. If TPS is low despite the above, check the TPS Monitor page for when drops occur. If they correlate with specific times (e.g., autosave every 5 minutes), adjust the autosave interval in bukkit.yml. If they are constant, identify the plugin or world area causing load by running /tps and /timings report in the console.

Question 14

How do I set up a server resource pack that players are prompted to download?

Accepted Answer

Minecraft's server resource pack feature prompts players to download your custom textures, sounds, or other assets when they join. The pack must be hosted at a public URL; the panel does not host it for you. First, prepare your resource pack as a ZIP file. Host it somewhere players can download it: a GitHub release, a direct link on a file hosting service, or any publicly accessible URL. The URL must end in the ZIP filename and return the file directly (not a download page). Generate the SHA-1 hash of your ZIP file. On Windows, run Get-FileHash yourpack.zip -Algorithm SHA1 in PowerShell. On Mac/Linux, run shasum yourpack.zip. Copy the hash. In the panel, open the Server Properties page. Set resource-pack to the full URL of your ZIP file. Set resource-pack-sha1 to the hash you generated. Set resource-pack-prompt to the message players will see in the download dialog (optional). Set require-resource-pack to true if you want to kick players who decline. Save and restart the server. When players join, Minecraft will download and apply the pack automatically. If the pack does not appear, confirm the URL returns the file directly and that the SHA-1 hash is correct; a hash mismatch causes the client to reject the pack silently.

Question 15

How do I migrate my server from Paper to Fabric (or Forge)?

Accepted Answer

Not sure which software you should be moving to? Open the Minecraft server type picker under Tools on our site (zerosrp.co.uk/tools) and it will walk you through it in four questions. Changing server software type is a significant operation. The most important rule: back up everything first. Use the Backups page to create a complete backup before making any changes. Paper and Fabric (or Forge) use different plugin/mod systems. Plugins written for Paper (Bukkit API) do not work on Fabric or Forge, and Fabric/Forge mods do not work on Paper. If you are migrating to gain access to mods that are not available as plugins, you will need to replace your plugin functionality with equivalent mods. To switch: open the Version Manager, select Fabric (or Forge), choose the Minecraft version, and save. The panel downloads the new JAR. On next start, the server loads under the new software. World files (the world/, world_nether/, and world_the_end/ folders) carry over between Paper and Fabric/Forge in most cases, but there are exceptions. Custom chunks generated by worldgen mods will not load on vanilla or Paper, and some block entity data from Paper-specific plugins may not survive the migration. If your world is large or contains complex builds, test with a copy of the world first. Before starting after the JAR change, review the server log on the first run for any "Unable to load class" or "missing dependency" errors that indicate removed plugins are still in the plugins/ folder. Move or remove any incompatible files via File Manager before your first public restart.

Question 16

How do I set up Geyser so Bedrock edition players can join my Java server?

Accepted Answer

Geyser is a proxy that translates Bedrock network traffic into Java protocol, allowing Bedrock players to connect to your Java server. It does not require any client-side installation for Bedrock players. Install Geyser as a Paper plugin: search for "GeyserMC" in the Plugin Manager and install it. Geyser-Spigot is the plugin version for Paper/Spigot servers. Restart the server after installing; Geyser generates its configuration in plugins/Geyser-Spigot/config.yml on first run. By default, Geyser listens on UDP port 19132 (the Bedrock default). Open plugins/Geyser-Spigot/config.yml in File Manager. Confirm bedrock.port is set to a port that is open on your server. If you are not sure which ports are available, check the Allocations page in your panel and add the Geyser port as an additional allocation. Bedrock players connect using your server's IP and the port you configured (default 19132). Java players continue to use the standard Java port. Both can be on the server at the same time. Known limitations: some Java-only features do not fully translate (custom GUIs, certain particles, some block interactions). Geyser is actively developed and most basic gameplay works correctly. Check the GeyserMC documentation for the current feature support matrix.

Question 17

How do I set up datapacks or resource packs?

Accepted Answer

For datapacks, use the Datapacks page to upload .zip datapack files directly to your world. For resource packs, use the Resource Pack page to set a download URL that players will be prompted to use when joining. The resource pack must be hosted externally (e.g. on a file hosting service).

Question 18

My Minecraft world appears corrupted: what should I do?

Accepted Answer

World corruption in Minecraft usually manifests as: chunks appearing as holes in the map, items or builds disappearing after a restart, or the server crashing on startup with a "Could not load level" error. First, stop the server and create a backup immediately. Even a corrupted world is better than no world; a backup captures the current state before anything gets worse. For chunk-level corruption (holes or missing builds): the affected chunks can often be deleted individually to force regeneration. Use a tool like MCEdit or Amulet to identify and delete the corrupted region files, then restart. The deleted areas regenerate as fresh chunks; any builds in those chunks are lost, but surrounding terrain survives. For "Could not load level" startup crashes: this usually means the level.dat file (the main world metadata) is corrupt. Check your backup history; the File History feature snapshots files regularly. Open File History for world/level.dat, find the most recent valid version, and restore it. For inventory or player data loss: player data is stored in world/playerdata/. Each player has a .dat file named with their UUID. These can be restored individually from File History without affecting the whole world. If you have scheduled backups enabled, restore the most recent backup from before the corruption appeared. This is the cleanest fix when the corruption is extensive.

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