Common server errors and fixes

Every server owner hits errors eventually. The good news is that 90% of common issues have simple, repeatable fixes.

Port already in use

Symptom: Server fails to start with BindException: Address already in use

Fix:

• Check the panel console for a zombie process and click Kill if present
• Verify no other server is using the same port in your account
• Restart the node from the panel if the port stays stuck

Out of memory (OOM)

Symptom: Server crashes randomly with java.lang.OutOfMemoryError

Fix:

• Increase RAM in the panel by one tier and monitor for 24 hours
• Remove recently added plugins one by one to isolate leaks
• For Minecraft, use Spark to generate a heap dump and analyze it
• Check for oversized worlds — inspect world/ folder size

Connection timed out

Symptom: Players see Connection timed out or cannot join at all

Fix:

• Verify the server status dot is green in the panel
• Confirm players use the correct IP and port
• Test from an external tool like mcsrvstat.us
• If using a custom domain, verify the DNS A record points to the correct IP
• Check the panel firewall rules — the game port must be open

Plugin/mod incompatibility

Symptom: Server crashes on startup or specific commands fail

Fix:

• Check each plugin's supported version on SpigotMC or CurseForge
• Update all plugins before updating server software
• Isolate by moving half of your plugins to a temp folder and testing

Database connection failures

Symptom: Plugins report Communications link failure or Access denied

Fix:

• Double-check host, port, username, and password in plugin configs
• Ensure the database user has privileges for the correct database name
• Restart the database service from the panel if connections are stale

High tick time / lag spikes

Symptom: Periodic freezes, rubber-banding, or TPS drops

Fix:

• Pre-generate the world with Chunky to eliminate generation lag
• Use /lag or Spark to identify the laggiest chunks or entities
• Set entity limits in bukkit.yml or via plugins like ClearLagg
• Reduce view-distance by 1-2 chunks to lower chunk load pressure