Fix "Connection timed out" and "Connection refused" in Minecraft

"Connection refused" means the address was reached but nothing was listening on that port. "Connection timed out" means the player's game got no answer at all. Both usually come down to the server being offline, the wrong address or port, or a server setting.

What the errors look like

io.netty.channel.AbstractChannel$AnnotatedConnectException: Connection refused: no further information

io.netty.channel.ConnectTimeoutException: connection timed out

or simply "Can't connect to server" in the server list.

Check 1: is the server running and finished starting?

Open the server's console.
Make sure it says the server is running, and look for the startup completion line (on Paper it starts with Done).
If it crashed or is still loading, players get "connection refused". Wait for startup to finish, or see server won't start.

Check 2: the exact address and port

Players must use the address and port shown in the server's Network section, for example:

203.0.113.10:25571

Do not leave off the port unless it is 25565 or you use an SRV record that points to it.
Check for typos, extra spaces and the wrong server if you have several.
If you use your own domain, test with the raw IP and port first. If the IP works and the domain does not, the problem is your DNS records.

Check 3: server-port matches the allocation

If server-port in server.properties differs from your allocation, the server listens on a port nobody can reach. The console might start fine but players get refused. Set server-port to your allocation's port and leave server-ip empty. See fix FAILED TO BIND TO PORT.

Check 4: proxies

On a BungeeCord network, players should connect to the proxy's address, never a backend's. If players connect to the proxy but get refused when switching servers, a backend is offline or its address in the proxy's config.yml is wrong. See BungeeCord network setup.

Check 5: the player's side

If the server works for others but one player cannot connect:

They may be on a network that blocks game ports (some schools, workplaces and public Wi-Fi). Try a phone hotspot.
A firewall, antivirus or VPN on their computer may block Java. Try turning the VPN off.
Restarting their router can fix stale DNS or connection issues.
Bedrock players cannot join a Java server unless you run Geyser.

Check 6: platform status

If nothing on your side changed and nobody can connect, check status.schokr.gg for an ongoing incident.

Timed out after joining

"Timed out" after a player is already in the game is different: the connection dropped mid-session. Usually the server froze (check for Can't keep up! or watchdog messages), or the player's internet briefly cut out. See io.netty errors and Can't keep up.

Still stuck?

Share the exact error, the address you are using (you can hide the IP) and the end of your latest.log in the Schokr Discord.