How to Port Forward a Minecraft Server Running in Docker?

When port forwarding on your router, you essentially map public ports to your private address. Docker assigns containers their own private IP addresses, but you can publish ports from these containers on your PC's IP. So, you would forward your Minecraft port to your PC's IP address on your router, and then publish the port in Docker directly to make it work. It's like setting up two levels of port forwarding!

Using Docker on WSL2 could complicate things. If you have Windows Pro, consider setting up a Hyper-V VM with a bridged virtual switch instead. This will simplify networking and help avoid a lot of the NAT issues you're facing. Docker Desktop and WSL2 create some complex setups that aren't the best for production use.

While using a VPN or complex setups is great, simplify your approach if you're new to this. Rather than using common ports that can attract hackers, opt for less commonly used ports for your Minecraft server.

Do you have a public IP? If not, your friends won't be able to connect to your server. You need a public IP for them to join.

Be careful when opening ports on your router! This can expose your network to risks. I suggest setting up a simple VPN server in another Docker container, like using WireGuard. This allows your friends to connect securely without exposing your entire network. Alternatively, you could get a domain and use Cloudflare for DNS, then set up Nginx Proxy Manager for safer access.