More Players LAN
Hosting a Minecraft LAN world with friends is one of the most classic ways to play, but it comes with a frustrating built-in limit. By default, the game caps your LAN server at just eight players. If you have a bigger group, a classroom full of students, or a community event, you hit a wall. That is where the More Players LAN mod steps in. It is a client-side utility that removes that restriction and adds several quality-of-life features that make hosting a local game far less painful.
Why the Default 8-Player Cap is a Problem
Mojang set the LAN limit to eight players for performance and simplicity reasons. However, modern computers can easily handle more connections on a local network. The cap is arbitrary, and it becomes a real bottleneck when you want to host a larger gathering. Instead of forcing you to rent a server or mess with port forwarding, More Players LAN for Minecraft simply raises the ceiling. You can set the maximum player limit to whatever you want, whether that is 10, 20, or even more, depending on your hardware and network strength.
Key Features of More Players LAN
This mod is not just about increasing the player count. It bundles several other handy tools that address common LAN hosting annoyances. Here is what you get when you install it:
- Custom Max Players: Change the player limit when hosting a LAN world, breaking the default 8-player barrier.
- Toggle Online-Mode / Auth: Enable or disable player authentication. This is a lifesaver for offline or local players who get the dreaded error: "Failed to log in: The authentication servers are currently not reachable…"
- Numerical Ping Display: View exact latency values in milliseconds instead of the vague signal bars in the player list. Press Tab + P to toggle between the two display modes.
Fixing the Authentication Error
If you have ever tried to play LAN with someone who is not connected to the internet, you know the pain of that authentication error. The game tries to verify the player's account and fails, locking them out. With the toggle in More Players LAN, you can simply turn off the auth requirement for your hosted session. This makes it incredibly easy to play with friends who are using offline accounts or have a spotty internet connection.
Supported Versions and Loaders
The mod is available for a range of Minecraft versions, and it primarily supports the Fabric mod loader. You will need to ensure you have Fabric API installed alongside it. It is always best to check the specific version compatibility for your game build, as updates to the game can break older mods. The mod works on both the client and the server side, but since it is client-side, you can often use it just on the host's machine to affect the LAN world.
How to Install More Players LAN
Installing this mod is straightforward, especially if you have used Fabric before. To download More Players LAN, you will need to grab the correct JAR file for your Minecraft version. Once you have it, you just drop it into your mods folder. If you are looking for a more streamlined experience, the foxygame.net launcher offers a curated add-on catalog where you can find and install More Players LAN with a single click, and it handles version compatibility checks automatically to save you the headache of mismatched files.
For a manual setup, the process is simple. First, make sure you have the right version of Fabric Loader installed. Then, navigate to your Minecraft directory, find the mods folder, and place the downloaded JAR file there. Launch the game with the Fabric profile, and the mod will be active. You can verify it is working by hosting a LAN world and checking if the player limit option appears in your settings.
Testing Your New LAN Settings
Once you have the mod running, you will want to test it out. Start a single-player world and open it to LAN. You should see a new option to adjust the maximum number of players. Set it to a higher number, like 16, and have your friends join. You can also test the ping display by pressing Tab to bring up the player list. The default signal bars will be replaced with precise millisecond readings, which is perfect for diagnosing network issues during intense gameplay.
Conclusion: The Essential LAN Utility
If you regularly host Minecraft games for larger groups, More Players LAN is an essential tool. It removes the arbitrary player cap, fixes the authentication error that plagues offline play, and gives you a professional-grade ping readout. It is a small mod with a big impact, making local multiplayer sessions smoother and more inclusive. Whether you are a teacher running a classroom server or just someone with a lot of friends on the same Wi-Fi, this mod is worth the minute it takes to install. Give it a try, and you will never go back to the default 8-player limit again.