For a default dedicated ARK: Survival Evolved server, forward UDP 7777 (game traffic), UDP 7778 (peer traffic), and UDP 27015 (Steam server-browser queries) from your internet-facing router to the computer running ShooterGameServer. Add TCP 27020 only when you enable RCON. The same protocols and port numbers must be allowed in the host operating-system firewall, and the server’s Port and QueryPort settings must match the rules.
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Default ARK dedicated-server ports
These are the ports used by a standard dedicated ARK: Survival Evolved installation. They are separate services, so forwarding only one of them can leave a server invisible or unreachable.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Game port for player traffic | Always |
| 7778 | UDP | Peer port; always the game port plus one | Always |
| 27015 | UDP | Steam server-browser query port | Always for public listing and browser discovery |
| 27020 | TCP | RCON remote-console port | Only if RCON is enabled |
The game, peer, and query services use UDP. RCON is the only port in this default set that uses TCP. Selecting TCP for the game ports, or UDP for RCON, creates a rule that looks correct in a router interface but does not carry the required traffic.
What each port does
UDP 7777: the game connection
This is the primary gameplay endpoint. Players’ clients use it to exchange real-time game traffic with the dedicated server. Your router rule should send inbound UDP 7777 to the LAN address of the machine hosting ShooterGameServer.
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UDP 7778: the peer port
The peer port is not an arbitrary second choice: it is always one higher than the game port. With the default game port of 7777, the peer port is 7778. If you move a server to another game port, calculate the peer port as that value plus one and forward both.
UDP 27015: Steam queries
Steam uses the query port to obtain server information for the browser and unofficial-server list. A server can be running locally while still failing to appear publicly when this UDP port is missing, blocked, or set differently in the launch configuration.
TCP 27020: optional RCON
RCON provides remote console access. It is not required for ordinary player connections. Leave TCP 27020 closed when you do not use RCON; opening an unnecessary administration endpoint increases the number of services exposed to the internet. If you do enable it, forward TCP 27020 and create a matching TCP firewall rule.
How traffic reaches your server
Port forwarding is a destination rule, not a setting inside ARK alone. A player connects to your public internet address. The internet-facing router then translates that connection and sends it to the private (LAN) address of the computer running the server. Finally, the operating-system firewall decides whether the packet is accepted.
All three layers must agree:
- The server computer must keep the same LAN address.
- The router must forward the correct port and protocol to that address.
- The host firewall must allow the same inbound traffic.
- The server launch settings must listen on the forwarded game and query ports.
ShooterGameServer does not support UPnP or other automatic port-forwarding protocols. As the ARK Official Community Wiki notes, “Please note manual port forwarding may be needed since ShooterGameServer does not support UPnP or other automatic port forwarding protocols.” Plan to create the rules manually in the router’s NAT or port-forwarding interface.
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Prepare the host before changing the router
Give the server a stable LAN address
Find the private IPv4 address currently assigned to the server computer, then create a DHCP reservation in the router for that device. A reservation is preferable to relying on a manually typed address because the router continues managing the address while ensuring it does not change. If the forwarding target changes after a reboot or lease renewal, the rules still exist but point to the wrong computer.
Record the reserved address and the computer’s network adapter identity shown by the router. If your router offers both a reservation and a separate static-address option, use one method consistently; do not create conflicting settings.
Decide whether RCON is needed
Make this decision before writing rules. A normal player server needs the three UDP ports in the default table. Add TCP 27020 only for an RCON-enabled setup, and protect the RCON credentials as carefully as any other administrator password.
Router port-forwarding procedure
Manufacturers use different labels, but the relevant page is usually named Port Forwarding, NAT, Virtual Server, or Inbound Rules. The exact menu layout varies by router and ISP firmware; the values below do not.
- Sign in to the internet-facing router, not an additional access point that is operating only as a bridge.
- Open the port-forwarding or NAT screen and create an inbound rule targeting the reserved LAN address of the server computer.
- Create a UDP rule for external port 7777 to internal port 7777.
- Create a second UDP rule for external port 7778 to internal port 7778.
- Create a UDP rule for external port 27015 to internal port 27015.
- If RCON is enabled, create a TCP rule for external and internal port 27020. Otherwise, do not add this rule.
- Save or apply the configuration. Some routers restart their firewall service after applying changes.
Unless you deliberately need a different external port, keep the external and internal values identical. If you do translate a port, the value presented to players and in browser favorites must be the external query value, while the server itself still listens on its configured internal value.
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Match the server configuration
Start the dedicated server with a game Port of 7777 and a QueryPort of 27015 for the default arrangement. The peer port is derived automatically as the game port plus one, so 7777 produces 7778. If you choose another instance layout, change the router rules and launch values together; changing only one side causes a silent mismatch.
After startup, verify that the process is actually listening on the selected ports. A server window that appears to start successfully does not prove that the router or firewall is passing traffic. Note any startup error that reports a port already in use before troubleshooting the internet path.
Allow the same ports in the host firewall
Windows
Create inbound firewall rules on the computer running the server. The Windows example documented by the ARK Official Community Wiki groups UDP 7777–7778 in one rule and adds UDP 27015 in the same rule or an additional rule. Create a separate TCP rule for 27020 only when RCON is enabled. Apply the rules to the active network profile and allow the server executable or the specified local ports as appropriate for your firewall policy.
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Check both the rule’s direction and protocol. An outbound allow rule does not replace an inbound rule, and an “all protocols” rule can hide a mistaken port number. If a security suite supplies its own firewall, check that product as well as Windows Defender Firewall.
Linux
Mirror the same port/protocol pairs in the firewall system enabled on the host. For UFW, firewalld, or iptables, allow inbound UDP 7777, UDP 7778, and UDP 27015; add inbound TCP 27020 only for RCON. Distribution defaults, interface names, zones, and persistence commands differ, so confirm that the rule is attached to the interface receiving internet traffic and survives a reboot.
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Do not open a broad UDP range merely to avoid identifying the required ports. Narrow rules make testing and later auditing easier. Remove temporary diagnostic rules after the connection problem is resolved.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Confirm that the server is visible
- Start
ShooterGameServerwith the samePortandQueryPortvalues that you forwarded. - Wait for the server to finish loading before judging its listing status.
- Search ARK’s unofficial-server list for the server name and map.
- Check Steam’s server browser using the query port. A Steam favorite can use the form
IP:QUERYPORT. - If the query port is above 27019, specify it explicitly in the Steam favorite rather than relying on the browser’s default behavior.
Test from a different network, such as a phone hotspot or a friend’s connection. A test from the same LAN may succeed through local routing while outside players still cannot reach the public address. Ask a remote player to check both listing and direct connection; those tests exercise the query and game paths separately.
Running more than one ARK server
Every instance needs its own game, peer, query, and (when used) RCON port. The peer value remains one greater than that instance’s game value. The documented three-instance sequence is:
| Instance | Game (UDP) | Peer (UDP) | Query (UDP) | RCON (TCP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7777 | 7778 | 27015 | 27020 |
| 2 | 7779 | 7780 | 27016 | 27021 |
| 3 | 7781 | 7782 | 27017 | 27022 |
Forward each row to the same host address only if all instances run on one computer; otherwise target each row at the appropriate machine. Set each process’s Port and QueryPort to its row, and create corresponding host-firewall rules. Do not let two processes share a game or query port. If an instance does not use RCON, leave its RCON port closed rather than forwarding it.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The server works on LAN but not for friends
- Check that the router rule targets the server’s current reserved LAN address.
- Confirm that all three required services are forwarded as UDP, not TCP.
- Verify matching inbound rules in the host firewall.
- Have an external tester use the public address, not the private 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x address.
- Check whether the ISP uses carrier-grade NAT or otherwise blocks unsolicited inbound connections. Router rules cannot override an upstream NAT that you do not control; consult the ISP or use a hosting arrangement with a reachable public address.
The server is running but absent from the browser
- Recheck UDP 27015 and the configured
QueryPort; a game-port rule alone is insufficient for listing. - Confirm that the server has completed startup and is not reporting that the query port is already in use.
- Use Steam’s browser with
IP:QUERYPORTto test the query endpoint directly. - If the query port is above 27019, enter it explicitly in the favorite.
Players see the listing but cannot join
- Check UDP 7777 and UDP 7778 in both the router and host firewall.
- Compare the launch
Portvalue with the forwarded game port. - For a second or third instance, confirm that the player is selecting the correct instance and that no port is shared with another process.
RCON does not connect
- Ensure RCON is enabled in the server configuration.
- Forward TCP 27020 (or the chosen per-instance RCON port), not UDP.
- Allow the same TCP port through the host firewall.
- Keep the RCON port closed to the internet when remote administration is not required.
A port-check website reports “closed”
Many generic checkers test TCP only, while ARK’s game and query endpoints are UDP. A failed TCP test does not prove that UDP 7777, 7778, or 27015 is unavailable. Use an ARK/Steam browser test and verify the router, firewall, and running process together. If you are checking RCON, a TCP test is relevant only when the RCON service is enabled and listening.
VPS and hosted-network considerations
On a VPS, there may be two firewalls: the operating-system firewall described above and a provider-level network firewall or security group. Permit the same UDP and optional TCP ports in both layers, following the provider’s networking instructions. Also confirm that the VPS has a public, reachable address and that the assigned virtual interface is the one receiving the traffic. Provider consoles and terminology differ, so do not assume a local firewall change automatically updates the provider perimeter.
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- The server computer has a DHCP reservation or otherwise stable LAN address.
- UDP 7777 and UDP 7778 are forwarded to that address.
- UDP 27015 is forwarded for Steam queries.
- TCP 27020 is forwarded only when RCON is enabled.
- The host firewall mirrors those protocol/port choices.
Port=7777andQueryPort=27015(or the selected per-instance values) match the forwarding rules.- Each additional instance has unique game, peer, query, and RCON ports.
- An external Steam or ARK browser test confirms the query path, and a remote player confirms the game path.
When those checks agree, manual forwarding provides the complete network path a dedicated ARK server needs; no UPnP rule is required.
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