There’s nothing more frustrating than planning a whole weekend Terraria marathon with your friends, only to spend the first 40 minutes stuck on the join menu, everyone asking “what’s the server IP again?” and “why won’t this connect?” Most new multiplayer players run into this exact roadblock, especially if they’ve only ever played single player before. Whether you’re hosting a world for your housemates, joining a public community server, or logging into a friend’s rented dedicated world, knowing how to find IP for Terraria server connections is the first step to skipping the hassle and getting straight to building, exploring, and beating bosses. This guide breaks down every scenario you might run into, with simple steps that work no matter what device or hosting setup you’re using.
How to Find IP for Terraria Server You’re Hosting Locally
If you’re hosting a Terraria server directly from your gaming PC, the IP you share will depend on who is joining your world. For players who are on the same local network as you—think housemates, family members in the same house, or friends connected to your home Wi-Fi—you’ll share your local IPv4 address. To find this on Windows, open the command prompt, type “ipconfig”, and look for the IPv4 address listed under your active Wi-Fi or ethernet connection. On Mac, head to System Settings > Network, select your active connection, click “Details”, and you’ll see the local IPv4 address listed there.
For players joining from outside your local network, like friends who live in another city or state, you’ll need to share your public IP address. You can find your public IP by searching “what is my IP” in any web browser, no extra tools required. Never share your public IP with strangers though, as it can expose your home network to unwanted access, DDoS attacks, or other security risks. You should only share your public IP with people you trust completely if you’re hosting locally.
Keep in mind that external players won’t be able to connect with just your public IP unless you set up port forwarding for the default Terraria port, 7777, on your router. If you don’t want to mess with router settings, you can use a LAN VPN tool like Hamachi to create a shared private network for your friends to join, no port forwarding needed. I’ve made the mistake of giving my local IP to a friend who lives across the country before, and we spent 20 minutes confused why it wouldn’t connect, so always double check which IP you’re sending before you hit send.
Finding IPs for Public and Community-Run Terraria Servers
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of hosting your own server, public community servers are a great way to play with larger groups of players, try modded worlds, or join servers with custom game modes like roleplay, PvP, or survival challenges. Most public Terraria servers are listed on community forums, Reddit’s r/TerrariaServers subreddit, dedicated Terraria server list sites, or official Terraria Discord servers.
When you find a server that sounds fun, the IP and port will almost always be listed right next to the server description, along with details like the server’s game mode, mod list, player count, and rules. All you have to do is copy the full IP string (including the port at the end, formatted like 123.45.67.89:7777) and paste it directly into the “IP Address” field in Terraria’s join menu. Always check server rules before joining a public server – many have strict bans for griefing, using cheat mods, building in restricted areas, or even spamming the in-game chat.
Some public servers are whitelisted, which means you’ll need to apply to join first before you can get access to the IP. Most of the time, you’ll just need to fill out a short form with your in-game username and a quick note about why you want to join, and an admin will send you the IP once you’re approved. If you find a server you love, save the IP to a notes app on your phone or computer so you don’t have to search for it every time you want to log on and play.
Finding IPs for Rented or Third-Party Hosted Terraria Servers
Many long-term multiplayer groups choose to rent a Terraria server from a third-party hosting provider, so they don’t have to leave a personal PC running 24/7, mess with port forwarding, or deal with lag from hosting and playing on the same device. If you’re the person who rented the server, your hosting provider will send you the full IP and port in your welcome email right after you sign up, and it will also be displayed prominently at the top of your server admin dashboard.
If you can’t find the IP in your dashboard, don’t panic – if you can’t locate the server IP, reach out to your host’s support team and they can send it to you in seconds. I’ve used three different Terraria hosting providers over the years, and all of them put the IP right on the main dashboard page, so you don’t have to dig through nested menus to find it. Most hosts also let you set up a custom domain for your server if you want, so you can use something easy to remember like “ourterrariaworld.com” instead of a random string of numbers, which is way easier to share with friends.
If you’re joining a friend’s rented server, you don’t need to do anything special except wait for them to send you the IP and port. Some rented servers are also whitelisted, so you may need to send your in-game username to the server admin first so they can add you to the allowed players list before you can connect. Rented servers are also great for modded play, since most hosts let you install mod packs with one click, so everyone joining will have the exact same mods installed automatically, no manual downloads required.
Troubleshooting Common IP and Connection Issues
Even if you have the correct IP address, you might still run into connection errors when trying to join a server. Most of these issues are easy to fix once you know what to look for, and none of them require advanced tech skills to resolve. The most common issues you’ll run into are:
- Incorrect port entered: Terraria uses port 7777 by default, but many server owners change it to avoid conflicts with other programs or servers. Make sure you enter the full IP including the port number, or you won’t be able to connect no matter how many times you try.
- Firewall or antivirus blocking the connection: Your PC’s built-in firewall or third-party antivirus software might be blocking Terraria from accessing the internet. Add Terraria to your firewall’s allowed apps list, or temporarily disable your antivirus to test if that fixes the issue.
- Server is offline: If you’re 100% sure the IP and port are correct, the server might be down for maintenance, updates, or it might have crashed. Check the server’s Discord or community page for status updates, or reach out to the server owner to confirm if it’s running.
- You’re not on the whitelist: Many private or small group servers use a whitelist to keep out random players. If you haven’t sent your in-game username to the admin to be added to the list, you’ll get a connection rejected error even if you have the right IP.
If you’re hosting a local server and external players can’t connect, double check that you set up port forwarding correctly, and that your internet service provider doesn’t block port 7777. Some ISPs block common gaming ports to reduce network traffic, so you can change the default Terraria port in your server settings if that’s the case. If you’re using a LAN VPN like Hamachi, make sure all players are connected to the same VPN network before trying to join, or the IP won’t work at all.
At the end of the day, learning how to find IP for Terraria server connections is a simple skill that will save you hours of frustration when you’re trying to play with friends. Whether you’re joining a local world with your housemates, a public modded server with hundreds of players, or a rented dedicated server for your long-term survival world, these steps work for every scenario. Once you get the IP sorted, you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time building giant bases, hunting for rare loot, and beating all the hard mode bosses with your favorite people.