Minecraft LAN Not Working? Quick Fix for 2021

Minecraft is an online video game available for platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation, and Switch. Being an online game, you can enjoy Minecraft with your friends or a random person from anywhere on the globe. However, if you play Minecraft via Windows, then we’re pretty sure that you must have encountered Minecraft LAN not working error. Because of this error, you won’t be able to play along with your friends even though you are connected to the internet. Nevertheless, in this post, we are going to discuss all the possible reasons that are responsible for this error along with the working solutions. So, let’s get started.

Reason Behind Minecraft LAN Not Working

Minecraft LAN not working is one of the most common but at the same time most irritating errors that you will come across while playing Minecraft on your Windows. Facing this error will not allow you to play Minecraft along with your friends, even though you are connected to your Internet. Here are all the common reasons, that are responsible for the Minecraft LAN not working problem.

• All the incoming and outgoing network connection bands of Minecraft have been banned by your Windows firewall.
• You have intentionally or by mistake disabled the network Discovery.
• Your installed antivirus program is blocking the LAN connection between your computer and Minecraft.
• Devices are not connected to the common network.
• There is some kind of disturbance in the connection because of the AP Isolation function.

How to Fix Minecraft LAN Not Working Issue?

Being a gamer, it’s very irritating to face errors or issues while playing your favorite video games. Below mentioned are all fixes that will work in solving the Minecraft problem on Windows.

1. Connect Devices To the Same Network

Gamers usually face issues in LAN connection because of being not connected to the same network. The same case can be with you and your friend. So, if you are encountering the Minecraft LAN not working issue then make please check if you and your friend are connected to the same network or not.

2. Use Direct Connect Method

Manually entering the IP address and the game port number is one of the common ways to solve the LAN connection issue. Just follow the below-mentioned steps to find out how it’s done.

• Open the Run dialogue box by using the shortcut key Windows + R.
• Now type CMD and press enter.

• Now type “ipconfig”, in the command prompt Windows, and press enter.
• Locate the network to which your device is currently connected, and copy the IPv4 address of your network.
• Open Minecraft on your computer and note down the game port number, it will be located at the bottom of the game screen.
• On the device that is trying to pair with the LAN party, click on multiplayer and then choose direct connect.
• Finally, enter the copied IP address and the game port number.

3. Enable Network Discovery

As we have mentioned in the reasons behind this problem, if by any chance if your network Discovery is disabled then you are very keen to face the LAN not working problem. Below-mentioned is the steps to enable network Discovery on your Windows.

• Go to the control panel, then open the Network and Sharing Center.

• Open change advanced sharing settings located at left.

• Now click on the private down indicator, and then click on turn on network discovery.
• Repeat step number 3 for guest or public networks.

That’s it, this is how you can turn on network Discovery to fix Minecraft LAN not working issue on Windows.

4. Turnoff AP Isolation

AP Isolation or Access Point Isolation is a security feature that works on your router. Because of this feature, you won’t be able to connect with your friend, even though both of you are connected with the same network. Here are steps to turn off AP isolation.

• Note down the IP address of your router.
• Now open any Browser and type that IP address in the search bar and press enter.
• Now you will have to enter your credentials to login into your router.
• Once logged in, find AP Isolation, turn it off. AP Isolation can have different names in different routers, for example, access point isolation client isolation, user isolation, or enable wireless access point.

Once you have turned off the AP Isolation, restart your modem and check whether the issue is fixed or not.

5. Temporarily Disable Anti Virus

Many antivirus programs block the access of online games and websites, Minecraft being one of them. Even the Windows default antivirus, Windows defender blocks access to many programs and software. The only way to solve this problem is by disabling your anti-virus temporarily. Here’s how you can disable your Windows defender.

• Go to Windows settings by pressing, Windows + I.
• Now click on update and security, then Windows security, and lastly click on Virus & threat protection.
• Click on Manage settings, under virus and threat protection settings.
• Turn off the real-time protection temporally.

Once you have turned off your security feature, try playing the game again and check if you are still facing the issue.

Final Words

So, these were all the working methods to resolve Minecraft LAN not working issue. You can also try updating your drivers, playing Minecraft without any added mods, or even reinstalling Minecraft itself. We hope you will find this article helpful. Let us know your doubts and suggestion regarding this post in the comment section.