How to Allow Non-Premium Versions on Your Minecraft Server

Important Warning

Allowing non-premium versions on your server presents risks:

• Reduced security: Anyone can impersonate a player
• No Mojang authentication: Accounts are not verified
• Risk of duplicate usernames: Multiple players can have the same name
• Possible violations: May violate Mojang's Terms of Service

Recommendation: Use this configuration only for private servers with friends or for testing purposes.

Prerequisites

• Administrator access to your game panel
• A Minecraft server (Spigot, Paper, or vanilla)
• Understanding of security risks

Method 1: Basic Configuration (Single Server)

This method works for a standard Minecraft server without BungeeCord.

Step 1: Disable Online Authentication

1. Log in to your game panel
2. Go to the Files or File Manager section
3. Open the server.properties file
4. Find the following line:

online-mode=true

5. Change it to:

online-mode=false

6. Save the file

Step 2: Restart the Server

1. Return to the panel homepage
2. Restart your Minecraft server
3. Wait for the server to fully start

Step 3: Test the Connection

Players with non-premium versions can now connect with any username.

Method 2: With Authentication Plugin (Recommended)

To improve security, use an authentication plugin like AuthMe.

Step 1: Install AuthMe

1. Download AuthMe from https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/authmereloaded.6269/
2. Place the JAR file in the plugins folder
3. Restart the server

Step 2: Disable online-mode

As in Method 1, change in server.properties:

online-mode=false

Step 3: Configure AuthMe

Open plugins/AuthMe/config.yml and verify these settings:

settings:
  # Force registration
  force:
    forceRegister: true
    forceLogin: true
  
  # Spawn protection
  isTeleportToSpawnEnabled: true
  
  # Sessions
  sessions:
    enabled: true
    timeout: 10

# Messages in English
messages:
  language: 'en'

Step 4: Player Commands

Players will need to register and login:

First connection:

/register <password> <password>

Subsequent connections:

/login <password>

Change password:

/changepassword <old> <new>

Method 3: Configuration with BungeeCord

If you're using a BungeeCord network, the configuration is different.

BungeeCord Configuration

Step 1: Modify config.yml on the Proxy

Open config.yml on the BungeeCord server:

online_mode: false

WARNING: On BungeeCord, it's online_mode with an underscore, not a hyphen.

Step 2: Configure Backend Servers

On all backend servers, in server.properties:

online-mode=false

In spigot.yml:

settings:
  bungeecord: true

Install an Authentication Plugin

For BungeeCord, use JPremium or AuthMe in BungeeCord mode.

Option A: JPremium (Recommended for BungeeCord)

1. Download JPremium
2. Install it on the BungeeCord proxy AND on all backend servers
3. Configure it to allow non-premium connections

JPremium configuration (config.yml):

# Mixed mode: premium and non-premium
online-mode: auto

# Allow non-premium connections
allow-premium-users: true
allow-offline-users: true

Option B: AuthMe with BungeeCord

1. Install AuthMeBungee on the proxy
2. Install AuthMe on all backend servers
3. Configure synchronization between them

Security and Protection

Protection Against Identity Theft

With online-mode=false, anyone can take an administrator's username. Here's how to protect yourself:

1. Mandatory Authentication Plugin

Use AuthMe or JPremium to force players to register.

2. Administrator Account Protection

In AuthMe (config.yml):

settings:
  security:
    # Block important usernames
    unregisteredGroup: 'unregistered'
    
protection:
  # List of protected usernames
  enableProtection: true
  countries: []
  
  # Forbidden usernames
  UnrestrictedNames:
  - 'Admin'
  - 'Moderator'
  - 'Owner'

3. Whitelist for Admins

Enable whitelist and manually add administrators:

white-list=true

Then in-game:

/whitelist add AdminName
/whitelist on

Recommended Security Plugins

AuthMe Reloaded:

• Login/registration system
• Anti-spam protection
• Anti-bot captcha

LoginSecurity:

• Alternative to AuthMe
• Lighter
• Easy to configure

nLogin:

• Modern and performant
• Database support
• Intuitive interface

Advanced AuthMe Configuration

MySQL Database

For a server with many players, use MySQL:

In AuthMe's config.yml:

DataSource:
  # Database type
  backend: 'MYSQL'
  
  # Connection information
  mySQLHost: 'localhost'
  mySQLPort: '3306'
  mySQLDatabase: 'authme'
  mySQLUsername: 'root'
  mySQLPassword: 'your_password'
  mySQLTablename: 'authme'

Limit Login Attempts

security:
  captcha:
    # Enable captcha after X attempts
    useCaptcha: true
    maxLoginTries: 5
    captchaLength: 5

Automatic Sessions

To avoid asking for password on every connection:

settings:
  sessions:
    enabled: true
    # Duration in minutes
    timeout: 10

IP Protection

Link accounts to an IP address:

settings:
  restrictions:
    # One account = one IP
    maxRegPerIp: 1
    
    # Maximum number of accounts per IP
    maxLoginPerIp: 1

AuthMe Administrator Commands

Player Management

/authme register <player> <password>

Manually register a player

/authme unregister <player>

Delete a player's account

/authme forcelogin <player>

Force a player to login

/authme changepassword <player> <new>

Change a player's password

Information

/authme version

Display AuthMe version

/authme reload

Reload configuration

/authme debug

Enable debug mode

Common Issues and Solutions

Premium Players Can No Longer Connect

If you have players with official Mojang accounts:

Solution 1: Use JPremium in mixed mode (supports premium AND non-premium)

Solution 2: Keep online-mode=true and install a plugin like FlexibleLogin

"Failed to verify username" Error

• Check that online-mode=false in server.properties
• Completely restart the server
• Clear Minecraft launcher cache

AuthMe Not Working

• Check that the plugin is in the plugins folder
• Check logs for errors
• Make sure online-mode=false
• Verify AuthMe version is compatible with your server

Players Bypass Authentication

• Check that forceRegister: true in config
• Install ProtocolLib (AuthMe dependency)
• Enable spawn protection in AuthMe

Duplicate Usernames

With online-mode=false, two players can have the same username if they connect simultaneously.

Solution: AuthMe automatically prevents simultaneous connections with the same username.

Modern Alternatives

1. FastLogin

Modern plugin that allows automatic connections for premium accounts:

• Automatically detects premium accounts
• No need to authenticate for official accounts
• Supports BungeeCord and Velocity

2. nLogin

Modern alternative to AuthMe:

• More intuitive interface
• Native BungeeCord support
• Optimized database

3. JPremium

Ideal for BungeeCord networks:

• Mixed premium/non-premium mode
• Transparent authentication
• Full BungeeCord support

Final Recommendations

For a Server with Friends

Simple configuration:

1. online-mode=false
2. Whitelist enabled
3. Manual addition of authorized usernames

For a Public Server

Secure configuration:

1. online-mode=false
2. AuthMe with MySQL
3. Protection of important usernames
4. Login attempt limitation
5. Anti-bot captcha

For a BungeeCord Network

Complete configuration:

1. BungeeCord with online_mode: false
2. JPremium in mixed mode
3. Shared database
4. Enhanced security on the proxy

Conclusion

Allowing non-premium versions requires disabling online-mode and installing an alternative authentication system like AuthMe to maintain a minimum level of security. This configuration is acceptable for private servers but requires increased vigilance on public servers. Always remember to protect administrator accounts and monitor suspicious connections.