Handshake

Handshake is the first packet sent in the protocol. Its used for deciding if the request is a client is requesting status information about the server (MOTD, players etc) or trying to login to the server.

The host and port fields are not used by the vanilla server but are there for virtual server hosting to be able to redirect a client to a target server with a single address

• port.

Some modified servers/proxies use the handshake field differently, packing information into the field other than the hostname due to the protocol not providing any system for custom information to be transfered by the client to the server until after login.