A Bedrock dedicated server gives a group a shared world managed separately from any one player’s local session. Setup is mostly a sequence of decisions: choose the version your players can run, select resources, review the estimate, then test access and world settings before inviting everyone.
1. Agree on a compatible version
Ask your players which Bedrock release they use before choosing the server version. The current MaximusHost creator offers Stable latest, Preview latest, and a Specific version option. Stable latest is the normal release choice for a group that wants the current stable client. Preview is intended for players using compatible preview clients. Pin a specific version only when the group needs to stay on that version.
Bedrock client availability and connection methods differ by device. Do not assume every console can join through the same server-list or address-entry path. Confirm that the actual players and devices can use the selected version and connection route before creating a world around it. This is a Bedrock server; the setup does not add Java-to-Bedrock interoperability.
2. Create the server
In MaximusHost, open My Account → My Servers → Create New Server, then choose Create Minecraft Bedrock. The current form asks for a server name, location, RAM, CPU, and version mode. The creator currently recommends 2–6 GB RAM and 1.5–4 vCPU, while allowing a wider range. Treat this as starting guidance rather than a player-count guarantee.
Review the live estimate, including the one-time creation charge, before submitting. The values displayed in the creator are authoritative and may change. The Bedrock creation documentation has the current field names and version choices. Wait for the server to become ready in My Servers; the guide does not promise a fixed provisioning duration.
3. Check the connection with one player
When the manager shows the server is ready, start it if needed. Open Overview → Connection Addresses and copy the hostname and displayed port. Current Bedrock 1.26.50+ servers use a TCP NetherNet signaling port; players enter that port in Minecraft's usual connection field while MaximusHost automatically handles the UDP gameplay range. Do not substitute a generic UDP port or assume 19132. Test with one compatible Bedrock client before inviting the rest of the group. A real Bedrock client has successfully joined a live MaximusHost NetherNet server, but we have not completed connection tests for the separate Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch workarounds. That first successful join does not establish universal device compatibility. Connection instructions and platform limits explain the differences.
If a player cannot connect, diagnose in this order:
- Confirm the server is started and copy the current address again.
- Compare the player’s Bedrock version with the server’s selected version.
- New servers default to allowlist off, so authenticated players can join without being preapproved. If a player sees “You're not invited to play on this server”, check the allow-list setting in Properties and the permitted names in `allowlist.json`. An enabled but empty list rejects all players. The official Bedrock server guide describes how to add a gamertag and reload a manually edited list. Keep online-mode enabled for Microsoft authentication.
- Review Console & Logs for startup, authentication, or connection errors.
- Confirm the player’s device supports the connection method being used. Third-party Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation connection workarounds are not yet validated against MaximusHost NetherNet signaling.
Changing RAM does not fix a client-version mismatch. The Console and Logs guide explains how to review server output.
4. Set the first world rules
The Overview tab presents game mode and difficulty quick settings along with a PvP switch. The Properties tab also provides a separate World Gameplay → PvP switch with its own Save PvP action. Both controls operate the active world's PvP game rule: this is not a `server.properties` key. The server must be running; MaximusHost reads the live world rule, sends the requested change, and confirms the result before treating PvP as saved. The value persists with that world across normal restarts, although a different world can have a different rule. If you want to verify actual combat behavior, join with a second player and test PvP on/off in that world before organizing an event.
Other Properties controls include server name, allow-list, view distance, tick distance, and level name. New Bedrock servers start with allow-list disabled for easier first joins. If your group wants a private server, first add the approved gamertags to `allowlist.json`, then enable allow-list in Properties and follow the required apply/restart procedure. For manual changes to `allowlist.json`, use the supported reload command or restart to make the new entries available. An enabled empty list denies everyone, including the owner if they are not listed. Leave `online-mode` enabled. Start with a small set of decisions your group understands: survival or creative, privacy, and distance settings that suit the workload.
Use the Overview documentation for quick settings and the Properties documentation for the full fields and separate PvP save action. Ordinary `server.properties` edits are queued for node synchronization; a successful Save response confirms queueing, not immediate application. Allow the node synchronization job time to finish, check the relevant server files or Console & Logs if the new value seems missing, and restart when the particular setting requires it. A queued response alone is not proof of application. PvP applies while the server is running, and the management controls confirm the live gamerule separately. A `level-name` change may select a different world, so create a backup through an owner account or a collaborator explicitly permitted to manage backups first.
5. Set up administration
Use the manager’s supported sharing controls when another person needs help. Give only the permissions needed for the task; do not share account credentials. Keep owner access for owner-controlled operations such as backups. The manager also provides Properties, resources, files, and console/log tools, with access depending on the user’s assigned permissions.
Keep expectations clear
Bedrock supports a range of devices, but that does not mean every platform has identical discovery, account, or network behavior. Confirm the selected version and route with your group. Do not promise universal console connectivity or Java cross-play based only on the game name.
For the live estimate and current creation options, review Minecraft Bedrock hosting before you create the world.
