Troubleshooting Better Minecraft Server Freeze During Encryption

Setting up your own Minecraft server, especially a modded one like Better MC, can be an exciting but sometimes challenging process, particularly for beginners to NAS and Docker. It sounds like you’ve made excellent progress by deploying your Better MC server using Docker Compose. Encountering a freeze during the encryption phase when connecting via the CurseForge Launcher v26 is a common hurdle, and we’re here to help you pinpoint the cause and get your server running smoothly. Let’s dive into some troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue.

Understanding the “Encrypting” Freeze in Minecraft

When you connect to a Minecraft server, your client and the server engage in a handshake process. The “encrypting” stage you’re observing is part of this secure connection establishment. A freeze at this point typically indicates a communication breakdown or a configuration mismatch preventing the secure connection from being fully established. It’s less likely to be an issue with the core Minecraft server software itself, and more often related to network settings, mod compatibility, or client-server version discrepancies.

Common Causes and Solutions for Connection Freezes

Let’s explore some of the most frequent reasons behind this “encrypting” freeze and how you can address them in your Better Minecraft Server setup.

1. Version Mismatch Between Client and Server

One of the most common culprits is a mismatch in versions between your CurseForge launcher’s Better MC modpack instance and the server’s version. Even though you’ve specified MODRINTH_VERSION: v26 in your Docker Compose file, double-checking is crucial.

Solution:

• Verify Modpack Version: Ensure the Better MC Forge instance in your CurseForge launcher is indeed v26. Sometimes, launchers might not update correctly, or you might have inadvertently created an instance with a different version.
• Server Version Consistency: Confirm that the Docker image itzg/minecraft-server:java17 with MODRINTH_MODPACK: better-mc-forge-bmc4 is correctly pulling and running the intended v26 version. Docker usually handles this seamlessly, but it’s worth a quick check if you’ve made recent changes to your Docker Compose setup.

2. Firewall or Network Configuration Issues

Firewall restrictions on either your server machine or your client machine can block the necessary ports for Minecraft server communication, leading to connection freezes.

Solution:

• Server Firewall: If your NAS has a firewall enabled, ensure that port 25565 (TCP and UDP) is open for inbound and outbound traffic. This is the default Minecraft server port, and you’ve correctly mapped it in your ports section of the Docker Compose file ("25565:25565").
• Client Firewall: Similarly, check the firewall on the computer running your CurseForge launcher. Ensure that Java (or javaw.exe, the Java runtime executable used by Minecraft) is allowed to communicate through the firewall, especially on port 25565 if you’re directly connecting using an IP address and port. However, usually, firewalls are less restrictive on outbound connections initiated by your client.
• Router/Network Firewall: If you’re hosting the server at home and connecting from outside your local network, you might need to configure port forwarding on your router to direct traffic on port 25565 to the internal IP address of your NAS. However, if you are connecting from within your local network, this is usually not necessary.

3. Resource Constraints – Memory Allocation

While less likely to cause an “encryption” freeze specifically, insufficient memory allocation can lead to various server-side issues, potentially manifesting as connection problems. You’ve allocated MEMORY: 18G, which is a generous amount for Better MC. However, let’s consider this.

Solution:

• Monitor Server Resource Usage: Access your NAS monitoring tools to observe the Docker container’s memory usage. While 18GB should be sufficient, if your NAS is running other resource-intensive tasks, it’s worth ensuring the Minecraft server has enough resources.
• Experiment with Memory: In some cases, very high memory allocations can sometimes cause issues with Java’s garbage collection. While unlikely, you could cautiously try slightly reducing the MEMORY setting to see if it makes a difference, though 18G is generally a good starting point for modded servers.

4. Mod Conflicts or Issues (Less Probable with Modpacks)

Since you are using a pre-built modpack like Better MC, mod conflicts are less likely to be the primary cause of a connection freeze right at the encryption stage. Modpacks are designed to be compatible. However, it’s not entirely impossible.

Solution (Less Likely to be Needed):

• Review Excluded Mods: You’ve already excluded several mods using MODRINTH_EXCLUDE_FILES. Double-check if any of these exclusions are inadvertently causing issues. However, if you haven’t modified these exclusions from the default Better MC setup, this is probably not the problem.
• Test Without Exclusions (Cautiously): As a troubleshooting step (and only if you are comfortable), you could temporarily comment out the MODRINTH_EXCLUDE_FILES and MODRINTH_OVERRIDES_EXCLUSIONS lines in your Docker Compose file to see if the issue persists. If it resolves the problem, then one of the excluded mods might be involved (though this is less likely with standard Better MC configurations).

5. Docker Configuration and Server Properties Review

Let’s examine your docker-compose.yml and server.properties configurations to ensure everything is set up correctly for connections.

Docker Compose (docker-compose.yml) Review:

services:
  mc:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:java17
    environment:
      EULA: true
      TYPE: MODRINTH
      MEMORY: 18G
      MODRINTH_MODPACK: better-mc-forge-bmc4
      MODRINTH_VERSION: v26
      MODRINTH_EXCLUDE_FILES: |
        citresewn
        oculus
        yungsmenutweaks
        notenoughanimations
        ryoamiclights
        euphoriapatcher
        entity_model_features
        entity_texture_features
        3dskinlayers
        connector
      MODRINTH_OVERRIDES_EXCLUSIONS: |
        mods/NekosEnchantedBooks-*.jar
        mods/citresewn-*.jar
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/MC-Server/.data
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"

volumes:
  data: {}

• ports: - "25565:25565": This port mapping is correct for standard Minecraft server connections.
• volumes: - /volume1/docker/MC-Server/.data: Ensure the path /volume1/docker/MC-Server/.data on your NAS is accessible and has proper read/write permissions for the Docker container.
• Environment Variables: The environment variables seem correctly configured for a Better MC server. TYPE: MODRINTH, MODRINTH_MODPACK, and MODRINTH_VERSION are all appropriate.

server.properties Review (Key Settings):

#Minecraft server properties
allow-flight=true
allow-nether=true
broadcast-console-to-ops=true
broadcast-rcon-to-ops=true
difficulty=hard
enable-command-block=true
enable-jmx-monitoring=false
enable-query=true
enable-rcon=false
enable-status=true
enforce-secure-profile=true
enforce-whitelist=true
entity-broadcast-range-percentage=100
force-gamemode=false
function-permission-level=2
gamemode=survival
generate-structures=true
generator-settings={}
hardcore=false
hide-online-players=false
initial-disabled-packs=
initial-enabled-packs=vanilla
level-name=world
level-seed=
level-type=default
max-build-height=256
max-chained-neighbor-updates=1000000
max-players=6
max-tick-time=120000
max-world-size=29999984
motd=Better MC [FORGE] 1.20
network-compression-threshold=256
online-mode=true
op-permission-level=4
player-idle-timeout=0
port=25565
prevent-proxy-connections=false
pvp=true
query.port=10081
rate-limit=0
rcon.password=
rcon.port=10085
require-resource-pack=false
resource-pack=
resource-pack-prompt=
resource-pack-sha1=
server-ip=***
server-name=***
server-port=25565
simulation-distance=10
snooper-enabled=false
spawn-animals=true
spawn-monsters=true
spawn-npcs=true
spawn-protection=16
sync-chunk-writes=true
text-filtering-config=
use-native-transport=true
view-distance=10
white-list=true

• online-mode=true: This should generally be true for legitimate server operation. Ensure your CurseForge launcher is also set to use your Minecraft account.
• server-port=25565 and port=25565: These are consistent with the Docker Compose port mapping.
• **server-ip=***: This should typically be left blank or commented out. Minecraft usually binds to all available network interfaces. Specifying a server-ip can sometimes cause issues if it’s not configured correctly with your network setup. Try removing or commenting out the server-ip line in your server.properties file.**

Troubleshooting Steps to Take

1. Restart Everything: Start with a clean slate. Restart your Docker container, CurseForge launcher, and even your computer and NAS if necessary.
2. Verify Versions Again: Double-check the Better MC v26 version on both your CurseForge launcher and ensure the Docker image is pulling the correct version.
3. Check Server Logs (Docker): Access the logs of your Docker container for the Minecraft server. Look for any error messages or warnings that might appear around the time you attempt to connect. Docker logs can provide valuable clues. You can usually access Docker container logs through your NAS’s Docker management interface or via command-line Docker tools if you are comfortable using them.
4. Temporarily Disable Firewall (For Testing): As a temporary diagnostic step only, try completely disabling the firewall on your client computer. If this resolves the issue, you know it’s a firewall configuration problem, and you can then re-enable your firewall and create specific rules for Minecraft/Java. Do not leave your firewall disabled permanently.
5. Direct Connect with IP and Port: In the CurseForge launcher, when adding a server, use the direct IP address of your NAS and port 25565. If you are connecting from within your local network, use the internal IP address of your NAS. If connecting from outside, use your external IP address (and ensure port forwarding is set up on your router if needed).
6. Simplify server.properties (Cautiously): As mentioned, try removing the server-ip= line from your server.properties file. Ensure online-mode=true is set.

By systematically working through these troubleshooting steps and reviewing your configurations, you should be able to identify the cause of the “encrypting” freeze and get your Better Minecraft server running smoothly for your CurseForge v26 client. If you continue to experience issues, providing the Docker container logs and more details about your network setup (e.g., are you connecting locally or remotely?) can help in further diagnosing the problem.