Joining a public Minecraft server is very easy. Just open the Minecraft launcher and click Play to run the main Minecraft game. Once you reach the main title screen, you click the Multiplayer button, then click the Add Server button to add the server.
Now type a name for the server in the Server Name box, then type the server address in the Server Address box. Typically this will be a domain name, such as mc.intercraften.org, or an IP address, such as 1.2.3.4. Then click Done to add the server to your server list:
To add a server, click Add Server and enter the server details. You can then connect to the server with the Join Server button.
Then it’s simply a matter of clicking a server in the list, and clicking the Join Server button to connect to it.
Now let’s look at a couple of issues that may come up when joining a server.
You can divide public Minecraft servers into two types:
Whitelisted servers are protected by a whitelist — that is, a list of usernames that are allowed to join the server. To join a whitelisted server, you need to apply to have your Minecraft username added to the whitelist. Typically, this involves filling out a form and waiting a few hours or days. Most servers require you to put in separate applications for yourself and for your kid. Once you’re on the whitelist, you join the server as described above.
Non-whitelisted servers do not have a whitelist, which means anyone can join the server simply by entering the server’s address in their Minecraft client, as shown above.
Applying for a whitelisted server can be a bit of a drag — especially when you have an impatient eight-year-old tugging at your sleeve — but it does provide an extra degree of reassurance that all the players on the server are known to the server administrators.