Understanding BungeeCord and Velocity: How Minecraft Server Networks Work

When playing on large Minecraft servers (like Hypixel or Mineplex), you log in to a single IP address and seamlessly warp between a main Lobby, Survival SMP, Skyblock, and Minigame worlds without ever logging out. This multi-server setup is powered by a Proxy Server—most commonly BungeeCord or Velocity.

This guide explains how proxy networks function, the difference between BungeeCord and Velocity, and how to structure a secure multi-server network on Cubes Hosting.

How a Minecraft Proxy Network Architecture Works

Instead of running everything inside a single heavy Minecraft server instance (which can cause severe lag as your player base grows), a proxy network splits your server into specialized sub-servers connected by a central gateway.

                     [ Public Internet ]
                              │
                              ▼
                     ┌─────────────────┐
                     │ Velocity Proxy  │  <-- Public IP (Port 25565)
                     └────────┬────────┘
                              │
         ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
         ▼                    ▼                    ▼
┌─────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐
│  Lobby Server   │  │ Survival Server │  │ Minigames Server│
│ (Internal Port) │  │ (Internal Port) │  │ (Internal Port) │
└─────────────────┘  └─────────────────┘  └─────────────────┘

1. The Proxy (BungeeCord or Velocity): Listens on your public IP address and port (25565). It authenticates players with Mojang, manages global chat, and handles network-wide commands like /server survival.
2. Backend Sub-Servers (Paper / Spigot / Fabric): Host the actual gameplay (Lobby, Survival, Factions). These sub-servers run on internal ports (e.g., 25566, 25567) and handle block breaking, entity AI, and world rendering.

BungeeCord vs. Velocity: Which Proxy Should You Choose?

• Velocity (Recommended): The modern, high-performance proxy designed for Minecraft 1.16 through 1.21+. It offers superior CPU thread efficiency, advanced anti-packet-spam protection, and modern player IP forwarding via Modern Velocity Secret Forwarding.
• BungeeCord: The classic proxy software created by SpigotMC. While reliable and supported by thousands of legacy plugins, Velocity is generally preferred for new server networks due to performance improvements.

Linking Sub-Servers in config.yml

To link your backend servers to your proxy, open config.yml (on BungeeCord) or velocity.toml (on Velocity) in your Game Panel File Manager:

servers:
  lobby:
    motd: "&aWelcome to the Lobby!"
    address: 127.0.0.1:25566
    restricted: false
  survival:
    motd: "&bSurvival SMP Server"
    address: 127.0.0.1:25567
    restricted: false

Players joining the proxy can type /server survival or step through Multiverse Portals to instantly warp between servers!

⚠️ Essential Security Warning: Preventing BungeeCord Setup Mode Exploits

Because backend sub-servers rely on the proxy to authenticate players, sub-servers must run with online-mode=false.

CRITICAL SECURITY RISK: If your sub-server ports are exposed publicly without protection, players can bypass your proxy and log directly into backend sub-servers under any username (including yours!) with full OP permissions.

How to Secure Your Proxy Network:

1. Enable BungeeGuard: Install the BungeeGuard plugin on both your proxy and all backend sub-servers to validate secure authentication tokens. Check out our detailed guide on How to Fix BungeeCord Setup Mode Vulnerabilities!
2. Enable Forwarding: In paper.yml or spigot.yml, set bungeecord: true or enable Velocity modern forwarding.

Conclusion

BungeeCord and Velocity allow you to scale your Minecraft community infinitely by connecting multiple lightweight servers into a unified network. Set up your proxy server, configure your sub-servers with BungeeGuard security, and build your dream server network!