Minecraft · Networks
What a proxy is for, and when it is overkill.
Velocity and BungeeCord do not run a world. They sit in front of servers that do, and route players between them behind a single address. Useful for the right server — and unnecessary complexity for the wrong one.
What a proxy actually does
A proxy is a small program that accepts player connections and forwards them to a backend server. The player connects once to the proxy address; from then on, moving between servers is handled behind the scenes, often by a command or a portal plugin.
The proxy owns the public door; the backend servers own the worlds, plugins, mods and player data.
The mental model
One address, many servers. The player sees a single Minecraft server in their list. Behind that address, the proxy decides which backend they land on and moves them when they ask to go somewhere else.
Velocity and BungeeCord
Both are proxies and both are installable from the Rynox panel. They differ in age and momentum.
Velocity
Maintained by the Paper team, built for current versions, and designed with performance and modern forwarding in mind. For a new network it is the default choice, and it has its own plugin ecosystem.
BungeeCord
The original proxy from SpigotMC. It has years of plugins written against it and still works well, which is why some established networks stay on it. New projects rarely need to start here.
When you need a network, and when you do not
- You need a network when you are running genuinely separate servers — a lobby, a survival world, a minigame arena — and players should move between them without disconnecting.
- You need a network when one server is outgrowing a single machine and you want to split gameplay across two.
- You do not need a network for a single server, however many worlds it holds. One Paper server already has the overworld, nether and end, and world plugins add more.
- You do not need a network for a private server shared with friends. The added pieces only make sense past the size where a single server is straining.
The cost is real: every backend server is a separate plan with its own memory and processor, and the proxy is another one on top. A network is worth building when the gameplay justifies that, not because it sounds more serious.
Addresses, ports and how players connect
Each Rynox server is reached at its own address and port. A Java server typically listens on 25565, with additional servers on nearby ports such as 25566. In a network, the player should only ever be told the proxy address; the backend addresses are plumbing.
The proxy is configured with a list of backend servers. When a player runs the switch command or steps through a portal plugin, the proxy hands them to the chosen backend. Nothing appears to disconnect.
Forwarding and security
Here is the part that trips up most first networks. When a proxy sits in front of a backend, the backend sees every connection coming from the proxy, not from the individual player. Left unconfigured, that breaks IP bans, per-player plugins and any log that needs to know who someone really is.
- Forward player information. Velocity and BungeeCord both support forwarding the original player address and profile to the backend, using either a shared secret or a legacy mode.
- Keep authentication on the proxy. The proxy handles online-mode logins; the backend is configured to accept the forwarded identity instead. Do this carefully and space to get it right.
- Do not expose backends publicly. The whole point of the proxy is that it is the only door. If players can connect to a backend directly, they bypass the proxy and everything it enforces.
- Keep a current backup. A network has more moving parts than a single server, and a misconfigured forwarding setting can lock everyone out until it is corrected.
A simple network that works
Most small networks do not need more than three servers, and they all belong in the same region so players never pay an extra network hop for switching.
- One Velocity proxy, which owns the public address players type into their client.
- One lobby server, a small Paper world whose only job is to be a quiet place to stand while choosing where to play.
- One or two gameplay servers, each running the software and world that suit it — Paper for a survival map, Fabric or Forge for a modded map.
- Everything on the same node or at least the same region, so server-to-server switches stay quick.
If that sounds like more infrastructure than your community needs today, it probably is. Start on a single Paper server, run it well, and split into a network later when one world genuinely is not enough.
Building it on Rynox
The flow is the same as any other server: choose a plan, pick a region, and install the software you want from the panel. Install Velocity or BungeeCord on one server and Paper on the backends, then point the proxy at them.
The panel gives you console and file access for each server, which is where the proxy configuration and forwarding secret live. Because a network mixes several servers, the panel is the place to keep an eye on which one is working hardest; the status page shows the node health beneath them.
Proxy networks — questions
Do I need a proxy to run multiple worlds?
No. A single Paper server already has three dimensions, and world management plugins can add more without a proxy at all. A proxy is for multiple separate servers that players travel between, not for multiple worlds inside one server.
Velocity or BungeeCord?
Velocity is the newer, actively developed proxy maintained by the Paper team, and it is the sensible default for a new network. BungeeCord is the original proxy and still works, and some older plugins only support it, but new projects should generally start on Velocity.
Will players keep their inventory across servers?
Not by default. Each backend server holds its own world and player data, so a proxy alone does not carry inventory, ender chests or statistics between them. That needs an additional synchronisation plugin, which is a separate decision from choosing a proxy.
How many servers do I need for a network?
At minimum one proxy and two backends, because a network only makes sense when there is somewhere to switch between. Most small networks run a lobby server plus one or two gameplay servers, and grow from there.
Start with one server. Add a proxy when you need one.
Every plan can run Paper, Velocity or BungeeCord, so a network is a matter of buying the servers you need rather than a different product. Current prices are on the pricing page.