ProtectCord - IP Protection & Moderation for Forge Servers

Protect your modded Minecraft server from VPNs, proxies, alt accounts, and problematic players with real-time IP intelligence and automated moderation.

🛡️ What Does This Do?

ProtectCord is a server-side only Forge mod that provides two critical layers of protection:

1️⃣ IP Protection

Automatically blocks suspicious connections using real-time threat intelligence:

✅ VPN Detection - Stop ban evaders hiding behind VPNs
✅ Proxy Blocking - Prevent anonymous proxy connections
✅ Tor Detection - Block Tor exit nodes
✅ Datacenter IPs - Flag hosting providers (common for bots)
✅ Geo-Blocking - Block or whitelist specific countries
✅ Risk Scoring - AI-powered threat assessment (LOW to CRITICAL)

2️⃣ Player Moderation (NEW in v1.0.5-dev)

Manage player behavior with our automated 3-strike warning system:

⚡ Auto-Escalation - Warning → Kick → Ban progression
🔨 Warning Tracking - Complete history with timestamps
🚨 Automatic Banning - Players are auto-banned after 3 warnings
📋 Persistent Storage - Warnings saved across server restarts
🔒 Manual Controls - Ban/unban commands for administrators

🎮 Perfect For Modded Servers

Why Use ProtectCord on Your Forge Server?

✅ Server-Side Only - No client installation required ✅ Lightweight - Minimal performance impact, fully async ✅ Compatible - Works alongside other security mods ✅ Operator Commands - All commands require OP level 2+ ✅ Automated Moderation - Less time managing problematic players ✅ Free API - 32 requests per minute included

Common Use Cases

🏗️ Modded SMP Servers - Keep your community safe and fair
⚔️ PvP Modpacks - Prevent alt accounts and ban evasion
🎪 Public Servers - Block bots and malicious connections
👥 Whitelist Servers - Extra protection layer for trusted communities

📥 Installation

Requirements

Minecraft: 1.20.1
Forge: 47.3.0 or higher
Java: 17 or higher
Server-Side: Only install on the server (clients don't need it)

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Get Your Free API Key

Visit protectcord.com
Create a free account
Generate an API key from the dashboard
Free tier includes 32 requests/minute

2. Install the Mod

Download protectcord-forge-1.0.5-dev-all.jar
Place it in your server's mods/ folder
Do NOT install on client - server-side only!

3. Configure

Start your server once to generate config files
Edit config/protectcord.toml
Add your API key:

api-key = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

4. Restart & Enjoy

Restart your server
Your server is now protected! ✅

⚙️ Configuration

Config file location: config/protectcord.toml

Basic Configuration

# Your API key from protectcord.com
api-key = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

# IP Check Settings
enable-ip-check = true
block-vpn = true # Block VPN connections
block-proxy = true # Block proxy servers
block-tor = true # Block Tor exit nodes
block-datacenter = false # Block hosting/datacenter IPs
block-bogon = true # Block invalid/bogus IPs

# Risk Level Blocking
enable-risk-level-blocking = false
blocked-risk-level = "HIGH" # Options: LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, CRITICAL

[geo-blocking]
enabled = false
mode = "blacklist" # "blacklist" or "whitelist"
countries = ["CN", "RU"] # Country codes to block/whitelist

[discord-webhook]
enabled = false
url = "" # Your Discord webhook URL
[discord-webhook.events]
denied = true
accepted = false
whitelisted = true
error = true

[messages]
connection-denied = "§c§lConnection Denied\n§7Reason: {reason}\n§7Risk: {risk}"
api-error = "§c§lConnection Error\n§7Unable to verify your connection."

🎯 Commands

All commands require OP level 2+ (operator/console only)

Basic Commands

Command	Description
`/protectcord reload`	Reload config and warning data
`/protectcord stats`	View API usage and limits
`/protectcord check <player\|ip>`	Manually check an IP address
`/protectcord version`	View mod version information

Whitelist Management

Command	Description
`/protectcord whitelist add player <name>`	Whitelist a player
`/protectcord whitelist add uuid <uuid>`	Whitelist a UUID
`/protectcord whitelist add ip <address>`	Whitelist an IP address
`/protectcord whitelist remove <type> <value>`	Remove from whitelist
`/protectcord list`	View all whitelisted entries

Moderation Commands (NEW)

Command	Description
`/protectcord kick <player>`	Kick player with IP analysis
`/protectcord warn <player> <reason>`	Issue warning (3-strike system)
`/protectcord warnings <player>`	View player's warning history
`/protectcord ban <player> <reason>`	Manually ban a player
`/protectcord unban <player>`	Remove a ban

⚡ 3-Strike Warning System

How It Works

Strike 1 - First Warning

/protectcord warn PlayerName Griefing spawn area

→ Player receives in-game warning message (1/3)

Strike 2 - Final Warning

/protectcord warn PlayerName Continued griefing

→ Player is kicked with final warning (2/3)

Strike 3 - Automatic Ban

/protectcord warn PlayerName Breaking server rules

→ Player is permanently banned (3/3)

Features

✅ Automatic Escalation - Warn → Kick → Ban
✅ Persistent Storage - Saved to config/protectcord-warnings.toml
✅ Detailed History - View all warnings with timestamps
✅ Manual Override - Use /protectcord ban to skip warnings
✅ Ban on Join - Banned players cannot connect

Example Usage

# Warn a player
/protectcord warn Notch Using X-Ray mod
→ "Warned Notch for: Using X-Ray mod (Warning: 1/3)"

# Check their warning history
/protectcord warnings Notch
→ Shows all warnings with timestamps and reasons

# Manually ban without warnings
/protectcord ban Notch Repeated violations
→ "Notch has been banned."

# Unban a player
/protectcord unban Notch
→ "Notch has been unbanned."

🔧 Discord Integration

Get real-time alerts in Discord when players are blocked or warned!

Setup

Create a webhook in your Discord server settings
Add webhook URL to config/protectcord.toml:

[discord-webhook]
enabled = true
url = "https://discord.com/api/webhooks/YOUR_WEBHOOK_HERE"
[discord-webhook.events]
denied = true # Alert when players are blocked
accepted = false # Alert when players connect
whitelisted = true # Alert when whitelisted players join
error = true # Alert on API errors

Reload config: /protectcord reload

What You'll See

🔴 Connection Denied - Player blocked (includes IP, reason, risk)
🟢 Connection Accepted - Player allowed (optional)
🔵 Whitelisted Join - Trusted player connected
🟠 API Error - Problem with IP verification

📊 Performance & Compatibility

Performance Impact

✅ Fully Async - IP checks run in background threads
✅ No TPS Impact - Won't affect server performance
✅ Fast Checks - Most API calls complete in <100ms
✅ Lightweight - Minimal memory footprint

Mod Compatibility

Compatible With:

✅ All Forge mods (no known conflicts)
✅ Server-side mods (FTB, Sponge plugins via SpongeForge)
✅ Permission mods (LuckPerms, etc.)
✅ Other security mods

Note: ProtectCord is server-side only and doesn't modify client behavior.

Automatic Bypasses

Smart detection automatically allows:

Localhost - 127.0.0.1, ::1
Private Networks - 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x
Whitelisted Players - Configured via commands

❓ FAQ

Q: Do players need to install this mod? A: No! This is server-side only. Players don't need anything.

Q: Will this work with modpacks? A: Yes! Just add it to your server's mods folder.

Q: What if my VPN-using admin gets blocked? A: Whitelist them with /protectcord whitelist add player AdminName

Q: Is this free? A: Yes! Free API key includes 32 requests/minute.

Q: Can I customize the kick messages? A: Yes! Edit the [messages] section in config/protectcord.toml

Q: Does this work in offline mode? A: Yes, but online mode is recommended for better security.

Q: What happens if the API is down? A: Players are allowed to connect by default (fail-open behavior).

Q: Can I see how many people were blocked? A: Use /protectcord stats to view API usage and statistics.

Q: Will this conflict with my other mods? A: No known conflicts. ProtectCord only checks IPs on login.

🚧 Development Build Notice

Version: 1.0.5-dev

This is a development build with the new warning and moderation system. All features are functional but not yet fully tested in large-scale production environments.

Recommended: Test on a development server before deploying to production.

What's New in v1.0.5-dev:

✨ 3-strike warning system with automatic ban
✨ Complete warning history tracking
✨ Persistent ban storage across restarts
✨ Manual ban/unban commands
✨ Enhanced moderation tools for operators

🔗 Links & Support

🌍 Website: protectcord.com
📖 API Docs: api.protectcord.com
💬 Discord: protectcord.com/discord
🎫 Dashboard: protectcord.com/dashboard
📂 GitHub: github.com/protectcord/protectcord-minecraft

Other Platforms

ProtectCord is also available for:

Paper (1.13 - 1.21+)
Spigot (1.8.8 - 1.21+)
Folia (1.19+)
Velocity (Modern proxy)
BungeeCord (Proxy networks)

Download from Modrinth or our website.

💖 Support the Project

⭐ Star this mod on CurseForge
💬 Join our Discord for updates and support
📝 Leave a review and share your experience
🐛 Report bugs to help us improve

Protect your modded server today - Because prevention is better than moderation.

Made with ❤️ for the Minecraft community

Protectcord