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How to Host a Minecraft Server on Jio or Airtel Without Port Forwarding

Port forwarding doesn’t work on most Jio Fiber, AirFiber and Airtel connections because of CGNAT. Here’s how to check, and how to host a Minecraft server for friends anyway — free.

You set up a Minecraft server, forwarded port 25565 on your Jio or Airtel router, and your friends still can’t join. You probably did nothing wrong. Most Indian home connections are behind CGNAT, which makes port forwarding impossible. This guide shows how to check, and how to host anyway, without changing any router settings.

Why port forwarding doesn’t work on Jio and Airtel

There aren’t enough IPv4 addresses for every home, so ISPs share one public address between many customers. This is called carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT). Your router gets a private address from the ISP instead of a public one, so when a friend connects to “your” IP, they reach the ISP’s equipment, not your router. A port you forward on your router is never reached.

Jio Fiber and Jio AirFiber use CGNAT on most plans. Many Airtel Xstream connections do too, and mobile data and hotspots always do.

How to check if you’re behind CGNAT

  1. Open your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.29.1 on Jio, 192.168.1.1 on Airtel) and find the WAN IP or Internet IP.
  2. Search “what is my IP” in your browser and compare.
  3. If the two are different, or the WAN IP starts with 100.64–100.127, 10., 172.16–172.31 or 192.168., you’re behind CGNAT.

Your options

OptionCostCatch
Ask your ISP for a public / static IPUsually paid, often only on business plansThen you still have to forward ports and expose your home IP
IPv6FreeEvery player needs working IPv6, and many don’t
LAN tools (Hamachi, ZeroTier, Tailscale)Free tiersEvery friend has to install and set up the same tool
A relay (VoxelPort)FreeYour PC must stay on while people play

A relay is the easiest because your friends don’t install anything. Your PC opens an outgoing connection to the relay, which CGNAT allows, and the relay gives you a public address. Players connect to the relay, and it passes their connection to your PC.

Step by step: host with VoxelPort

Get VoxelPort from the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 and 11), download the Windows installer directly (if Windows warns, click More info → Run anyway), or get the Linux build from GitHub. It's free, open source, and needs no account.

  1. Open VoxelPort and click + Add Server. Pick a template such as Survival SMP, or choose Vanilla, Paper or Fabric and a Minecraft version.
  2. Set the RAM (VoxelPort suggests an amount for your PC), tick I agree to the Minecraft EULA, and click Install & start. VoxelPort downloads the server and the right Java version for you.
  3. When the server is online, click Make public. You get an address like play.voxelport.in:26137.
  4. Supporters can type a name under Get a custom address and click Claim. Friends can then join with yourname.voxelport.in and no port number.
  5. Send the address to your friends. In Minecraft they go to Multiplayer → Add Server and paste it.
Already have a server folder? Use Import Existing Server. If you start your server some other way, use Tunnel a server I already run elsewhere and enter its port.

Tips for a smooth server in India

Questions

Why doesn’t port forwarding work on Jio Fiber?

Most Jio Fiber and AirFiber connections are behind CGNAT: your router doesn’t get a public IPv4 address, so a forwarded port on your router can’t be reached from the internet. A relay such as VoxelPort avoids the problem because your PC connects out to it.

Does this work on Airtel Xstream Fiber?

Yes. Whether or not your Airtel connection has a public IP, VoxelPort only needs an outgoing connection, so it works the same way on Airtel, Jio, ACT, BSNL and other ISPs.

Can I host from a mobile hotspot?

Yes, it works on a Jio or Airtel mobile hotspot, because no incoming connections are needed. Watch your data: every player’s traffic goes through your connection.

Will my friends get good ping?

VoxelPort has a relay in India and one in Europe, and the app uses whichever is closer to you. Friends near either relay usually get low ping; friends far from both (for example in the Americas) will see higher ping.

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