XNet Mod Guide: Channels, Networking & Automation
XNet is a powerful logistics mod that replaces traditional pipe systems with a single-controller network. One Controller block manages up to 8 channels, each handling energy, items, fluids, or logic automation through color-coded cables and connectors. Configure everything from one GUI.
Overview
XNet takes a fundamentally different approach to Minecraft logistics. Instead of running separate pipes for energy, items, and fluids, XNet gives you a single Controller block that manages up to 8 independent channels through one unified GUI. Each channel can handle a different type of transfer, and every machine on the network is configured from that one screen.
The mod adds Controllers, Connectors (basic and advanced), colored Network Cables, Routers for multi-network setups, Facades for cosmetic hiding, and a Redstone Proxy block for logic integration. Cables come in four colors (Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green) plus a special Routing variant for connecting Routers. You can browse every item and recipe using the tabs on this page.
XNet excels at dedicated subsystems: ore processing chains, mob farms, smelting arrays, and any setup where machines are grouped together for a single purpose. The channel-based approach makes it easy to manage complex configurations from one place, but it's best suited for self-contained systems rather than sprawling base-wide logistics.
Getting Started
- 1
Craft a Controller and Cables
The Controller is the heart of every XNet network. It requires a Machine Frame (from RFTools if installed, otherwise a Diamond Block), Redstone, Repeaters, Comparators, Iron Ingots, and a Gold Ingot. You'll also need Network Cables to connect everything. The cheaper recipe produces 16 cables from Redstone, Gold Nuggets, and String.
- 2
Bootstrap Power Into the Controller
This is the most common stumbling point for new players. The Controller stores up to 100,000 RF but starts with zero. Even if you've connected a power source via cables, the Controller needs some initial power before it can operate. Place a battery or energy cell directly adjacent to a Connector on the Controller, then bootstrap a small amount of power in. Once the Controller has power, it can manage the rest through its own energy channel.
- 3
Place Connectors on Your Machines
Connectors are the interface between your machines and the network. Place a Connector on any side of a machine you want to connect. Right-clicking a Connector (without sneaking) lets you name it and configure which sides it can access. Always prefer Advanced Connectors if you can afford them; they allow side-selection in the GUI, have 500,000 RF storage vs 50,000, support 100,000 RF/t transfer vs 10,000, and allow faster operation speeds.
- 4
Set Up Your First Energy Channel
Open the Controller GUI and click on Channel 1. Select "Energy" as the channel type and click Create. You'll see a list of all connected machines. Click on your energy source and set it to Extract. Click on the Controller itself and set it to Insert with a high priority (so it always stays powered). Set the rate as high as needed. This is the pattern for every channel: create it, then configure each connector as either Insert or Extract.
- 5
Add Item and Fluid Channels
With power flowing, use the remaining 7 channels for items, fluids, or logic. Remember the key rule: you cannot both insert and extract from the same connector on the same channel. If you need to pull items out of a machine and also push items into it, use two separate channels. Set up filters to control exactly which items move where, and use the priority system to control insertion order across multiple machines.
The Controller cannot operate without initial power, even if you have a power source connected to the network. You must manually feed RF into the Controller (via an adjacent energy cell or battery) before it can start managing channels. Once bootstrapped, the Controller can then use its own energy channel to keep itself powered.
Network Components
Controller
The Controller is the brain of any XNet network. It stores up to 100,000 RF with a maximum input rate of 1,000 RF/t. Each Controller supports exactly 8 channels, and each channel can be independently configured as Energy, Item, Fluid, or Logic. The Controller consumes a small amount of RF per tick for each active channel (1 RF/t per channel) plus 2 RF/t per operation performed. In practice, power consumption is negligible for most setups.
Connectors
Connectors attach to machines and act as the interface between the machine and the network. The basic Connector stores 50,000 RF and supports energy transfer rates up to 10,000 RF/t and fluid rates up to 1,000 mB per operation. The 
Advanced Connector is a significant upgrade: 500,000 RF storage, 100,000 RF/t energy transfer, 5,000 mB per fluid operation, and access to faster operation speeds. Most importantly, Advanced Connectors let you select which side of the adjacent machine to interact with, regardless of which side the Connector is physically placed on. This is essential for sided machines like Furnaces.
You can upgrade a basic Connector in-place using the 
Connector Upgrade item. Just sneak-right-click it onto an existing Connector and it transforms into an Advanced Connector, keeping all settings intact.
Network Cables
Network Cables come in four colors: Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green. Cable color matters for routing. Different colored cables create separate network segments, which becomes important when using Routers. The cheaper recipe (Redstone + Gold Nugget + String) produces 16 cables, while the more expensive version (Redstone Blocks + Gold Ingot + String) produces 32. There is also a Routing Cable variant specifically for connecting Routers together.
Facades
Facades let you hide cables and connectors behind the appearance of other blocks. Right-click or sneak-right-click a 
Facade on any block to copy its appearance, then place the Facade on a cable or connector to disguise it. This is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect network function. You can also apply Facades directly to Connectors to hide them.
Connector Comparison
| Basic Connector | Advanced Connector | |
|---|---|---|
| RF Storage | 50,000 RF | 500,000 RF |
| Max RF/t | 10,000 RF/t | 100,000 RF/t |
| Max Fluid Rate | 1,000 mB/op | 5,000 mB/op |
| Side Selection | No | Yes |
| Fastest Speed | 20 ticks | 10 ticks |
| Upgrade Recipe | Cheap (Redstone, Gold) | Diamond + Ender Pearl |
Channel Types
Each of the 8 channels on a Controller can be configured as one of four types. Understanding what each type does and how to configure it is the core of mastering XNet.
Energy Channels
Energy channels move RF (or FE) between machines. Each connector on the channel is set to either Insert (push energy into the machine) or Extract (pull energy from the machine). You can set a custom transfer rate, a priority value (higher priority connectors are served first), and a min/max threshold. The threshold prevents over-filling or complete draining: for insertion, it sets the maximum energy level to fill to; for extraction, it sets the minimum energy to keep in the source.
Item Channels
Item channels are the most configurable channel type. Each connector can be set to Insert or Extract, with an 18-slot filter inventory for whitelisting or blacklisting specific items. You can match items by metadata, NBT data, or Ore Dictionary tags. The speed setting controls how often transfers occur (fastest is every 10 ticks with Advanced Connectors), and you can choose between single-item or full-stack transfers. The count setting lets you maintain a specific item count in the destination inventory.
A critical rule for items: you cannot both insert and extract from the same connector on the same channel. If you need a machine to receive inputs and output products, use two separate item channels. For example, a super-smelter needs one channel to insert raw ores (from the top side) and another to extract smelted ingots (from the bottom).
Fluid Channels
Fluid channels work similarly to item channels but for liquids. Each connector is set to Insert or Extract with configurable rates (up to 1,000 mB for basic or 5,000 mB for advanced per operation), speed settings, priority, and a single-fluid filter. The threshold system lets you set maximum fill levels or minimum keep amounts for fluid tanks.
Logic Channels
Logic channels enable automation by reading sensors and outputting Redstone signals. Each connector in a logic channel operates in one of two modes: Sensor or Output. Sensor mode monitors a connected block and checks conditions; Output mode emits a Redstone signal when triggered.
Each sensor connector supports up to 4 independent sensors. A sensor can monitor item count, fluid level, energy stored, or incoming Redstone signal strength. You configure a comparison operator (equals, not-equals, less-than, greater-than, etc.) and a threshold value. When the condition is true, the sensor activates a specific color channel. There are 15 available signal colors. On the output side, a connector watches for a specific color and emits a Redstone signal (0 to 15 strength) when that color is active. A Redstone Proxy block is useful here for cleanly interfacing with Redstone-powered machines.
When distributing items across multiple machines (like a bank of Furnaces), set the channel's priority mode to Round Robin. Without this, XNet fills up the first machine before moving to the next. Round Robin spreads the load evenly across all inserting connectors, keeping all machines busy.
Multi-Network Routing
A single Controller handles 8 channels, which is plenty for simple setups. But for larger builds, XNet provides Routers to connect multiple networks together. This is where the four cable colors (Blue, Red, Yellow, Green) become important. Each color creates a separate network segment, and Routers bridge between them.
Router Basics
A Router must be connected to at least two different colored networks via their respective cables. To share a channel between networks, you must give the channel a name on each Controller and then type the same name into the Router's publish field. The names must match exactly. For example, if the Blue network has an energy channel named "power" extracting from a generator, and the Red network has an energy channel also named "power" set to insert into machines, the Router will bridge them. Up to 32 published channels are supported per routing network (configurable).
Long-Distance Routing
For networks that are far apart, connect two Routers together using Routing Cables (the special routing-colored cable variant). This lets them communicate over any distance without needing continuous colored cable runs. The Routing Cable creates a routing-specific network segment that only Routers participate in.
Wireless Routers
For extreme distances or even cross-dimensional routing, Wireless Routers with Antennas provide cable-free connections. A Wireless Router must be connected to a regular Router via Routing Cable and requires an Antenna placed on top. There are three antenna options: a basic Antenna (moderate range, low power), stacked Antennas (greater range, more RF per channel), and the Antenna Dish (near-infinite range including cross-dimensional, but significantly higher power cost). Wireless Routers require continuous RF to operate, so make sure both ends have reliable power before relying on them.
When routing channels between networks, both channels must have the exact same published name. This means you'll see duplicate names in the Router GUI (e.g. "energy" and "energy") with no indication of which Controller they belong to. Keep channel names short and descriptive, and maintain a mental map or written notes of which name belongs to which network.
Automation with Logic Channels
Logic channels turn XNet from a simple pipe system into a basic automation controller. The most common use case is conditional item processing: only run a machine when certain conditions are met.
Example: Stock-Keeping Smelter
Suppose you want a smelting setup that only runs when your output Chest has fewer than 64 Iron Ingots. Set up a Logic channel with a sensor on the output Chest. Configure the sensor to monitor items, set the operator to "less than", the amount to 64, filter for Iron Ingots, and choose an output color (say, Red). On the item extraction channel, enable the "Enable on color" option and set it to Red. Now the extraction channel only operates when the sensor condition is true, meaning items only flow when stock is low.
You can also use the Output mode to emit a physical Redstone signal to control machines that respond to Redstone directly. The Redstone Proxy block is designed for this purpose, giving you a clean block to emit signals from without needing to place Redstone Dust everywhere. Each sensor connector supports 4 independent sensors, so you can monitor multiple conditions simultaneously and combine them for complex logic.
Configuration
XNet's configuration file lets you adjust transfer rates and power consumption. All values below are defaults that can be changed in the config.
Default Configuration Values
| Normal Connector RF Storage | 50,000 RF |
| Advanced Connector RF Storage | 500,000 RF |
| Normal RF Transfer Rate | 10,000 RF/t |
| Advanced RF Transfer Rate | 100,000 RF/t |
| Normal Fluid Rate | 1,000 mB/operation |
| Advanced Fluid Rate | 5,000 mB/operation |
| Controller Base Cost | 0 RF/t |
| Cost Per Active Channel | 1 RF/t |
| Cost Per Operation | 2 RF/t |
| Max Published Channels (Router) | 32 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Controller not working even though I connected a power source?
The Controller needs bootstrapped power before it can manage channels. Even with a generator connected via XNet cables, the Controller can't extract energy until it has some initial RF. Place a charged battery, energy cell, or other power source directly adjacent to a Connector on the network and manually push some RF in. After that, set up an energy channel to keep the Controller fed automatically.
Why can't I insert and extract on the same connector?
Each connector entry on a channel can only be set to either Insert or Extract, not both. This is by design. Use two separate channels to handle input and output for the same machine. You have 8 channels available, so dedicating separate channels for input and output of a machine is standard practice.
What's the difference between basic and Advanced Connectors?
Advanced Connectors offer 10x RF storage (500,000 vs 50,000), 10x energy transfer rate (100,000 vs 10,000 RF/t), 5x fluid rate (5,000 vs 1,000 mB), faster operation speeds (minimum 10 ticks vs 20), and the ability to select which side of the adjacent machine to interact with. The side selection alone makes them worth the cost for any sided machine like a Furnace.
How do Routers work and when do I need one?
You need a Router when you've exceeded 8 channels on a single Controller or when you want to share resources between separate network segments. Routers bridge between different colored cable networks. Give the channels the same published name on each Controller, then configure the Router to map them together. For long distances, connect Routers using Routing Cables or Wireless Routers with Antennas.
Do the cable colors matter?
For a single-controller network, cable color is purely cosmetic. All four colors (Blue, Red, Yellow, Green) function identically. Color only matters when using Routers, because Routers use different cable colors to distinguish between separate network segments that need to be bridged.
Does XNet work with modded machines from other mods?
Yes. XNet uses Forge's standard capability system. Any machine that supports Forge Energy (RF/FE), IItemHandler (item inventories), or Fluid Handler (fluid tanks) will work with XNet's energy, item, and fluid channels respectively. Some mods add their own XNet channel types for mod-specific resources (like Mekanism gases). If a machine works with other pipe mods, it will almost certainly work with XNet.