What is the best way to make a JAVA Minecraft server and secure it?

[CameronR]

Hello,

 

I’m looking to make my own Minecraft server (I have plenty of experience setting one up) but I wasn’t sure if I should use pterodactyl or crafty-4. Once I set it up, what is the best way to secure the server? I want this server to be as secure as possible as I’m planning on having multiple friends online. 
 

Thanks!

Edited August 13, 2023 by CameronR

[JonathanM]

17 hours ago, CameronR said:

what is the best way to secure the server?

Enforce whitelist, and use your router firewall to block the known minecraft port scanner IP blocks. You could also opt for a nonstandard port, but that means explaining to your friends how to add a :port to the address.

[CameronR]

2 hours ago, JonathanM said:

Enforce whitelist, and use your router firewall to block the known minecraft port scanner IP blocks. You could also opt for a nonstandard port, but that means explaining to your friends how to add a :port to the address.

Explaining the port to my friends will not be a problem, should I look at running the panel in a Ubuntu VM or a docker?

 

Thanks!

[JonathanM]

Containers are my preference because of better resource sharing, but use whatever you will be most comfortable administering. Either one is similar for security, the heavy lifting needs to be done by your external firewall to keep the smallest number of people possible access. If your friends have static IP's or dynamic within a manageable range, you could write firewall rules to only allow those IP's to pass through to the mc backend. 

[CameronR]

Ok thanks!