Connecting to your Bukkit Server

gistfile1.txt

Here is for starters. with Windows OS's (This is windows 7/8 but its the same idea for Vista and XP)

Connecting locally (Within your router):

hit your Windows Start button 
where it says search programs and files type CMD and push enter
a black box will come up. This is your Command Prompt.
type "IPCONFIG" and push Enter
find where it says...
Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Or
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Use Ethernet if you are wired to the router or Wireless if you are wireless.
find where it says...
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.9
This is mine, yours will be different.
This is the IP you want on to connect to.

Same Machine

The easiest thing to do here is just type one of these for server address
0
localhost
127.0.0.1
Now add server/direct connect.

Outside your firewall:

Hamachi/LAN Bridger Method:
First i would not recommend this, this method it mainly for people who can't get their router info.

First install Hamachi or LAN Bridger (Google it)
Create a Mesh network on Hamachi or just create a network on LAN Bridger
when your friends install the same program you used and connect to your channel, they can copy your IPV4 address and use that.

Port Forwarding:

This is mainly for more advanced users, if you are under 13 i would highly recommend asking your adult before doing this.

Get your IPV4 address (scroll up for instructions) and open a web browser.
in URL type the default gateway you have in your command prompt, for example:
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
(Most gateways are 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1)
Login with your Router's username and password
Navigate to Port forwarding, probably under advance
add a port, name it whatever you want, but make sure the port is opened to your IPV4 address and the port number is 25565. (You can change this as long as you change it in your server.properties file)
Add port, and your done! One problem, chances are your router doesn't save your MAC address so you have the same IP every time. Continue to setting up a static IP

Setting up a Static IP:

Right click on your Wireless Bars/ Wired connection window in the bottom right hand corner, open network and sharing center. in the left side click change adapter settings. right click on whatever connection you are using and hit properties. You will have to be an administrator on this PC. Click on internet protocol version 4 (TCP/IPV4) 
and hit the Properties button a little lower down. Click obtain the IP address manually.
Change this to whatever you port forwarded to. When you click on Subnet mask it fills automatically. the default gateway should stay the same, along with the DNS servers if you don't really know what your doing. For alternate DNS server put 8.8.8.8 this is a Free Google DNS anyone can use. Click the Validate settings upon exit and hit OK! 
Open up your web browser and if you can connect to the internet your good!
Windows troubleshooter might pop up, but that doesn't mean anything, if you lose internet connection but are connected see if you did anything wrong. some computers that I've worked with just don't like Static IPs (Mainly Windows 8 PCs)

Now your done! Get your External IP from whatismyip.org or you can download NoIp from No-ip.com so you can put in stuff like Server_Test.no-ip.org or whatever you want!
Have Fun!
- Jeff