Simple Voice Chat, often shortened to SVC, is a popular proximity voice plugin: players hear each other based on how close they are in-game. This guide covers the one setup step that matters most on GuavaHost, getting its voice port reachable.
Why the port matters
Voice traffic runs over UDP, a network protocol built for real-time data like audio. For voice to work, SVC needs its UDP port open and reachable from the outside. On many hosts a random voice port is not reachable, so players connect fine but hear nobody. The fix is to point SVC at your server's own main port, which is already open.
Good news: TCP and UDP can share the same port number without clashing, so pointing voice at your main port does not interfere with normal gameplay traffic.
Set the voice port
First, install the Simple Voice Chat plugin like any other plugin, by dropping its .jar into the plugins folder and restarting. On the first start it creates its config files. Then:
- In the panel, note your server's main port, shown at the top of the server view.
- Open the Files tab and go to plugins/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties.
- Find the port= line and set it to your server's main port number, for example port=25565 if that is your assigned port. Use your actual port from the panel, not necessarily the default.
- Save the file.
- Open the Console tab and restart the server.
- After it starts, check the console. SVC logs whether its voice port bound successfully and is reachable. If it reports a problem, the message usually points at what to fix.
Java only: no Bedrock through Geyser
Worth being upfront about this. Simple Voice Chat is a Java-only plugin. Players joining through Geyser, the bridge that lets Bedrock players onto a Java server, cannot use SVC. The voice mod simply does not exist on Bedrock, so those players are connected but cannot join voice. There is no workaround for that on the server side.
Troubleshooting
Players connect but hear no one. The classic symptom of an unreachable voice port. Confirm port= in voicechat-server.properties matches your main server port exactly, then restart and check the console for a successful bind.
The console warns the voice port is not reachable. Double-check the port number against the panel. If it still complains after matching the main port, get in touch and we will look at it with you.
Only some players have voice. Every player needs the Simple Voice Chat mod installed on their own client. Anyone without it will not hear or transmit. And remember, Bedrock players through Geyser cannot use it at all.
Voice is choppy or cuts out. That points at the players' own connections, or the server being under heavy load, rather than the port setup. Check general server performance if it is happening to everyone at once.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.