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Arma 3 Server Ports: Which to Open and How to Forward Them

Forward UDP 2302–2306 to your Arma 3 server’s fixed LAN address, allow the range through the host firewall, and use matching offsets when changing ports or running multiple instances.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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For a default Arma 3 dedicated server, forward UDP ports 2302–2306 from your router to the server computer’s fixed private IPv4 address, and allow the same range through the host firewall. Port 2302 carries game and voice traffic, 2303 handles Steam queries, 2304 handles Steam master/reporting traffic, 2305 is the allocated voice-port offset, and 2306 is used by BattlEye. The router rules and firewall rules must point to the same machine.

Default Arma 3 server ports

Arma 3’s standard dedicated-server configuration reserves a five-port UDP block beginning with game port 2302. The roles are assigned by offset from that base port:

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Port Protocol What it does
2302 UDP Main Arma 3 game traffic. Voice-over-network traffic is part of this main game port because separating it can create NAT problems.
2303 UDP Steam query service used to answer server-browser information requests.
2304 UDP Steam master-server and reporting traffic, including communication used for server discovery.
2305 UDP Voice-over-network port allocated by the server. The current official note identifies this offset but says it is not presently used.
2306 UDP BattlEye traffic for the server.

For ordinary home hosting, the important inbound rule is therefore UDP 2302–2306. These are not five TCP ports, and opening only 2302 is insufficient for reliable browser visibility and anti-cheat communication.

What you need before creating a forwarding rule

A stable private IPv4 address

Port forwarding points at an internal address such as 192.168.1.50. If the router later gives that computer a different DHCP address, the forwarding rule still exists but sends traffic to the wrong device. Create a DHCP reservation in the router, or configure a static address on the server that is outside the router’s automatic address pool. Record the address before proceeding.

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The server’s actual base port

The default base is 2302, but a launch script, hosting panel or second instance may already specify another value. The forwarding numbers must match the server’s configured base port, not merely the values in an example guide. If the command line contains -port=2402, the corresponding block is 2402–2406.

Permission to receive traffic

You need administrative access to the router and to the operating system running the dedicated server. The Arma 3 server executable must also be allowed to listen for UDP traffic. A correct NAT rule cannot overcome a host firewall that silently drops the packets.

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How to forward UDP 2302–2306

  1. Reserve the server address. In the router’s LAN or DHCP section, bind the server’s MAC address to a permanent private IPv4 address. Rebooting the server should not change that address.
  2. Open the NAT page. Routers label this section Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, NAT Rules or a similar term. Do not use a port-triggering rule; the server needs unsolicited inbound packets to reach it.
  3. Create a UDP rule. Set the protocol to UDP, enter external port 2302 and internal port 2302, and set the destination to the reserved server address. Keep the external and internal numbers identical unless you have deliberately configured a different internal port.
  4. Add the remaining offsets. Create equivalent UDP entries for 2303, 2304, 2305 and 2306. If the router supports ranges, one rule covering UDP 2302–2306 is equivalent to five individual rules.
  5. Save and apply. Some routers require an explicit Apply, Commit or reboot operation. Confirm that the rule is enabled after the router returns to its normal status page.
  6. Allow the range on the server. In the operating-system firewall, create an inbound rule for UDP ports 2302–2306, restricted to the dedicated-server program or service where the firewall supports program scoping. Confirm that the executable is not blocked by a separate application rule.
  7. Start the server and test externally. Use a player on a different Internet connection, such as a phone hotspot or a friend’s home network. Testing from another device on the same LAN can produce a false failure when the router lacks NAT loopback (also called hairpin NAT).

Do not assume that a successful local connection proves the Internet path works. A local client may reach the private address directly while outside players still cannot traverse the router.

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Inbound forwarding versus BattlEye outbound access

The five-port block is primarily an inbound server requirement. The official BattlEye information also lists outbound destinations at UDP and TCP 2344 and TCP 2345 for arma31.battleye.com. These are egress allowances for a restrictive outbound firewall, not additional home-router port forwards in the normal setup.

Traffic direction Ports Where to configure it
Internet to your server UDP 2302–2306 Router port forwarding and the server’s inbound firewall rule.
Your server to BattlEye services UDP 2344, TCP 2344 and TCP 2345 Outbound firewall or egress policy, only when such policy is restrictive.

Opening TCP 2302–2306 does not substitute for the required UDP rules. Conversely, adding outbound BattlEye allowances does not make the game server reachable from the Internet.

Why a server may not appear in the browser

The router forwards to the wrong computer

Compare the destination address in the NAT rule with the server’s current private IPv4 address. A changed DHCP lease is one of the most common causes of a suddenly unreachable server. Re-establish the reservation, update the rule, and restart the dedicated server.

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Only the game port was opened

Port 2302 carries gameplay, but Steam query and reporting use the adjacent offsets. If 2303 or 2304 is missing, the server can be running while browser information is incomplete or the listing is absent. Verify the entire five-port UDP block rather than adding random TCP rules.

The host firewall still blocks the process

Check both the port rule and the application permission. On systems with multiple firewall profiles, the active network profile may not be the one for which the rule was created. Temporarily observing firewall logs can show whether packets arrive and are then rejected; restore a least-privilege rule after diagnosis.

You tested from inside the same network

NAT loopback behavior varies by router. A failed test from a second computer on the home LAN does not establish that the public address is broken. Test through a genuinely external connection, and use the server’s public address or browser listing from that external client.

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Your Internet connection uses carrier-grade NAT

Some providers place customers behind carrier-grade NAT, so the router has no unique public IPv4 address to which unsolicited traffic can be forwarded. Compare the router’s reported Internet address with the address shown by an independent Internet service. If they differ, or the router shows a private or shared address, ask the provider for a public address or use a managed Arma 3 server instead of attempting more local rules.

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Changing the Arma 3 game port

Bohemia Interactive’s dedicated-server documentation defines the initial port with the command-line argument -port= ****, where the asterisks represent the new number (for example, -port=2302). In an actual launch command, replace the placeholder with the chosen base:

-port=2402

Changing the base moves the related services by fixed offsets. A base of 2402 creates the following block:

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Offset Port with base 2402 Role
+0 2402 Game and main VON traffic
+1 2403 Steam query
+2 2404 Steam master/reporting
+3 2405 Allocated VON offset
+4 2406 BattlEye

After changing -port, update the router forwarding rule, operating-system firewall rule, any hosting-panel configuration and any documentation given to players. If you change only the command line, the server may start successfully but remain unreachable because the router still forwards the old block.

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Running more than one Arma 3 server

Each instance needs its own five-port UDP block. The official example uses 2302–2306 for the first server and 2402–2406 for the second. Keep at least 100 unused ports between instances; the documentation suggests offsets of +200 or +1000 for additional safety. Wide spacing reduces the chance that Steam query or reporting traffic overlaps and causes one instance to be identified as another.

Instance Base argument Reserved UDP block
First -port=2302 2302–2306
Second example -port=2402 2402–2406

For every additional instance, assign a distinct base, forward that complete five-port block to the correct machine or container, and create matching firewall rules. If two processes attempt to bind the same port, one will fail to start or will report a bind error in its log. If both start but the browser displays the wrong name, inspect query-port assignments and spacing before changing unrelated settings.

BattlEye and RCON port selection

BattlEye uses the base-port-plus-four position: 2306 when the base is 2302. The BattlEye RCON port must not be inside the reserved Arma 3 range from base through base-plus-four. At the default, that means avoiding 2302–2306 for RCON. With a base of 2402, avoid 2402–2406 instead.

For multiple servers, RCON must also be outside every other instance’s five-port block. Choose a separate, unused port, document which instance owns it, and permit it only from the administration addresses that need access. Do not solve an RCON conflict by reusing the game, query or BattlEye port.

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A practical troubleshooting sequence

  1. Confirm the process is listening. Start the intended instance and check its log for the configured base port and any bind error. If another process owns the port, fix that conflict first.
  2. Verify the address path. Confirm the router rule targets the current private IPv4 address and that the server is connected to the same router whose public address players are using.
  3. Check all five UDP entries. Ensure 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305 and 2306 are present for the default base, or the corresponding offsets for a custom base.
  4. Inspect the host firewall. Confirm an inbound UDP rule allows the range and that the Arma 3 executable is permitted on the active network profile.
  5. Check outbound restrictions. If the network uses egress filtering, allow UDP/TCP 2344 and TCP 2345 to arma31.battleye.com for BattlEye services.
  6. Test outside the LAN. Have a remote player search for the server and attempt to join. Do not treat a same-LAN NAT-loopback failure as proof of an Internet failure.
  7. Read the symptom precisely. A visible listing with failed joins points toward the game port or firewall; an entirely missing listing points toward query/reporting offsets, public-address issues or a custom base that was not forwarded.

When forwarding is not the right approach

Home forwarding is practical when you control a public IPv4 address, the router permits inbound NAT, and you can maintain the host. It becomes unsuitable when the provider uses carrier-grade NAT, the router is locked by an apartment or campus network, inbound traffic is prohibited, or you cannot keep the server patched and available. In those cases, a managed Arma 3 server-hosting service can supply a public endpoint and handle the network layer, while you manage the game configuration. Confirm the provider’s current pricing, region availability and port policy before committing.

Final configuration checklist

  • Identify the server’s fixed private IPv4 address.
  • Confirm the base port used by the launch command.
  • Forward the complete UDP block from base through base-plus-four.
  • Keep external and internal port numbers equal unless you intentionally remap them.
  • Allow the same UDP block in the host firewall.
  • Permit outbound BattlEye traffic to arma31.battleye.com on UDP/TCP 2344 and TCP 2345 when egress filtering requires it.
  • Use a separate, widely spaced five-port block for every additional server instance.
  • Place RCON outside every reserved five-port block.
  • Validate from an external network rather than relying only on a same-LAN test.

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