Fix Minecraft "Internal Exception: ReadTimedOutException"

The "Internal Exception: io.netty.handler.timeout.ReadTimeoutException" error means the client and server stopped hearing from each other long enough for Minecraft to drop the connection. It is usually network trouble or an overloaded server, not a corrupted install. Here is how to narrow it down and fix it for good.

A read timeout just means one side stopped hearing from the other. The trick is knowing whether it's the server, your connection, or a slow modpack join — match your situation and go straight to the fix:

Cause 1: the server is overloaded (low TPS)

If the server can't keep up, it stops responding in time and clients time out. Check TPS and fix lag — see "Can't keep up". This is the most common cause on busy/modded servers.

Cause 2: network / packet loss

Wi‑Fi drops, a bad route or congestion cause read timeouts. Test with a continuous ping; if you see loss, go wired and check the route — see packet loss.

Cause 3: a huge join (modpacks)

Heavy modpacks send a lot of data on join; a low timeout can trip before it finishes. On the server, raising network-compression-threshold and ensuring enough CPU helps big modpacks connect.

Read timeout = no response in time. Fix server TPS, rule out packet loss, and give modpack joins enough CPU.

Cause 4: a firewall, VPN or NAT dropping idle connections

Some routers, VPNs and corporate firewalls silently drop a TCP connection that goes idle, for example while you are AFK or tabbed out. Minecraft sends keepalive packets, but a strict NAT timeout or an overloaded VPN hop can still eat them, which shows up as the exact same read timeout. Try connecting without a VPN, or from a different network, to rule this out.

Cause 5: an outdated client, server or proxy

A version mismatch between the client, the server and any proxy (Velocity/BungeeCord) can cause stalls during the handshake that look like a read timeout. Make sure every part of the stack is on a supported, matching version — see outdated server/client.

How to prevent read timeouts

• Keep TPS at 19-20 with sensible lag-reduction settings rather than letting it dip under load.
• Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi‑Fi for anything latency-sensitive.
• Do not overload a small plan with too many mods/plugins or player slots.
• Host on a low-latency, DDoS-protected network so floods don't masquerade as random timeouts.
• Watch server health over time rather than only after a crash — a status page catches TPS drops early.

Related errors

If this looks like a different connection problem, check "Connection Refused" (the server never accepted the connection at all), outdated server/client version mismatches, or general lag and ping troubleshooting.

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