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Arma Reforger uses UDP for its game, Steam query, and RCON sockets. A player-hosted server normally needs one router rule forwarding UDP port 2001 to the hosting PC. A dedicated server uses UDP 2001 for gameplay, with UDP 17777 available for Steam Query/A2S and UDP 19999 for RCON. The forwarding rule, in-game port, firewall rule, and dedicated-server configuration must describe the same endpoint unless you deliberately translate an external port to a different local port.
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The port numbers at a glance
Bohemia Interactive’s player-hosting guide, published 21 May 2024, identifies 2001 as Arma Reforger’s default public port. Its instruction is to forward a one-port range, 2001–2001, on both the public and local sides of the router rule. The dedicated-server configuration reference separates the gameplay, query, and remote-administration sockets.
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| Use | Default port | Protocol | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 2001 | UDP | Yes for the normal player-hosted or dedicated setup |
| Steam Query/A2S server listing and status queries | 17777 | UDP | Optional; enable it when your configuration or monitoring tool needs it |
| RCON remote administration | 19999 | UDP | Optional; only expose it when you intend to administer the server remotely |
These are UDP sockets. Community troubleshooting posts sometimes suggest opening TCP as a catch-all, but the dedicated-server reference identifies the game, A2S, and RCON sockets as UDP. Opening unrelated TCP ports does not correct a UDP forwarding error.
What public, local, bind, and query ports mean
Public and local router ports
A port-forwarding rule has an outside, or public, side and an inside, or local, side. The public port is where internet traffic arrives at your router. The local port is where the router sends that traffic on the hosting computer’s private network address. For the default player-hosted arrangement, both sides use the same single-port range, 2001–2001. The rule also names the host computer’s current local IPv4 address.
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Dedicated-server publicPort and bindPort
In a dedicated configuration, bindPort is the UDP socket on which the server process listens. publicPort is the port registered externally in the backend. They normally have the same number when the router forwards without translation. If a router, load balancer, or hosting platform maps an external port to a different internal socket, publicPort must contain the forwarded external value while bindPort contains the local listening value. This distinction prevents a server from advertising one endpoint while actually listening on another.
Why the local IP matters
Port forwarding targets an address such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x, not a computer name that might change. Bohemia Interactive recommends recording the hosting machine’s local IPv4 address before creating the rule. If the router later gives that computer a different DHCP address, the rule can silently point at another device and the server will appear unreachable. Reserve the address in the router, or otherwise ensure the host keeps the address used by the rule.
Player-hosted server: complete forwarding procedure
- Identify the host machine. Use the PC that will run Arma Reforger and record its local IPv4 address. Do not use the router’s public address in the destination field. The destination must be the host’s private address on your home network.
- Open the router administration page. Sign in to the home router and locate Port Forwarding. Vendors place it in sections named Security, NAT, Firewall, Advanced Networking, or Virtual Server. The label varies, but the rule requires an external port, an internal port, a protocol, and a destination device or IP.
- Create the game rule. Select the host computer’s local IP. Set the public or external start and end to 2001 and 2001. Set the local or internal start and end to 2001 and 2001. Choose UDP, not TCP-only. If the interface asks for a service name, use a descriptive name such as Arma Reforger Game.
- Match the game’s host setting. Launch Arma Reforger, choose the scenario, open the host settings, and enter the same game port used by the router rule. The game’s server-port value and the router’s public value must agree when no translation is being used.
- Check advanced host options. Confirm that the server port and bind IP refer to the expected interface and local machine. A bind setting attached to a disabled adapter, a virtual VPN interface, or the wrong private address can prevent external traffic from reaching the game even when the router rule looks correct.
- Save and start hosting. Apply the router change, save the in-game settings, and start the local host. Have another player search the server browser or accept a Steam invitation. Testing from a second device on the same home network does not prove internet reachability; an outside connection is a better check.
Bohemia Interactive’s guidance emphasizes that the numbers in the game must be identical to those in the router’s forwarding rule. If you intentionally use a translated external port, follow the dedicated-server publicPort/bindPort model instead of assuming the two values are interchangeable.
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Dedicated-server port configuration
A dedicated server keeps running independently of a player’s game session, but it still needs the same network path: a listening UDP socket, a firewall allowance, and an externally reachable address and port. Configure only the optional services you will actually use.
| Configuration item | Value or role | Router/firewall action |
|---|---|---|
| Game socket | bindPort listens on UDP 2001 by default; publicPort advertises the external game port |
Allow and forward the chosen external UDP game port to the server’s local address |
| Steam Query/A2S | UDP 17777 by default; used for server queries and listing integrations when enabled | Forward and allow UDP 17777 only if the configuration enables the query socket |
| RCON | UDP 19999 by default; remote administration endpoint | Forward and allow UDP 19999 only when RCON is enabled and access is secured |
The reference establishes the port roles but does not prescribe one universal firewall command: Windows Firewall, Linux firewalld or iptables, a cloud security group, and a managed host each use different controls. In every environment, create inbound UDP allowances for the enabled sockets and restrict the destination to the server instance. A cloud provider’s security group is separate from the operating-system firewall, so both layers must permit the traffic.
Router, firewall, and hosting-provider alignment
Home router
Forward traffic to the machine that actually runs the server process. If you have several PCs, game consoles, or virtual machines, verify the MAC address or hostname shown by the router before selecting a destination. Disable conflicting rules that send the same external port to a different device.
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Operating-system firewall
A successful NAT rule does not override the host firewall. Add inbound UDP permissions for the game port and, on a dedicated server, the query and RCON ports you enabled. Apply the rule to the network profile or interface used by the server. Avoid opening every port as a diagnostic shortcut; broad rules make it harder to identify the real fault and increase exposure.
Cloud or managed hosting
A VPS or managed Arma Reforger host removes the need to configure your home router, but it does not remove port administration. You still need configurable UDP mappings, a public address, and firewall or security-group access. Verify that the provider allows the game port and any optional query or RCON port, supports your required mods and configuration files, and lets you restart or back up the instance. The available plans, prices, capacity, uptime, and provider features are not established by the official port references and vary over time.
Testing a server from outside your network
- Start the server first. A closed application cannot answer a port check. Keep the Arma Reforger host or dedicated process running while testing.
- Check the listening configuration. Confirm the process is bound to the intended local interface and UDP port. A server bound only to loopback (127.0.0.1) is not reachable from the LAN or internet.
- Verify the router target. Compare the forwarding rule’s destination with the host’s current local IPv4 address. Correct the rule if DHCP has changed the address.
- Test from a different network. Ask a friend on another internet connection to search for the server or accept an invitation. A phone hotspot or other external connection can reveal problems that a same-LAN test hides.
- Check each optional service separately. If gameplay works but a server browser or administration tool cannot see the instance, inspect the UDP query or RCON mapping independently. Do not infer that a working game socket proves every optional socket is enabled.
Some routers do not support reliable hairpin NAT, so a player inside the same home network may fail to join through the public address even while internet players can connect. Treat an external test as the authoritative reachability check.
Troubleshooting: visible server, failed join, or no listing
The server is not visible at all
- Confirm the dedicated process or player host is running and listening on the configured UDP game port.
- Check that the router rule uses UDP and points to the current host IP.
- Ensure the operating-system firewall and, for a VPS, the provider security group allow the same UDP port.
- Review
publicPortandbindPortif the server uses translated ports. The advertised public value must be the externally reachable one. - If you enabled query-based listing, verify the optional UDP query socket is configured and forwarded; gameplay and listing are separate functions.
Friends can see the server but cannot join
- Recheck the host address and port for a stale router destination or a changed DHCP lease.
- Confirm the game’s host setting equals the forwarded public port when no translation is intended.
- Check whether the firewall allows inbound traffic but blocks the game executable or server service.
- Ask a player outside your home network to try. If external players fail while local players succeed, inspect NAT and the public-address path rather than the scenario settings.
- Consider carrier-grade NAT. When the internet provider does not assign your router a directly reachable public IPv4 address, inbound forwarding may not work even with a correct local rule. The official port guides do not provide a carrier-grade-NAT diagnostic procedure; contact the ISP or use a hosting arrangement with a public address.
Gameplay works but server tools do not
Keep the game port troubleshooting separate from query and RCON troubleshooting. A2S requires its configured UDP query port, while RCON requires its configured UDP administration port and credentials. Enable and expose neither service unless needed. If a tool expects a translated public port, use that value externally and retain the local bind value inside the server configuration.
The connection breaks after a router restart
Inspect the host’s local address first. Dynamic DHCP leases commonly change after reboots. Reserve the address or update the forwarding destination, then restart the server so it binds to the intended interface. Also check whether the router restored the rule with TCP selected, a narrowed range, or a different device.
Player hosting versus a dedicated server
| Decision factor | Player-hosted session | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Port control | Usually one forwarded UDP game port, with the game and router set to the same value | Separate game, optional query, and optional RCON sockets; public and bind values can differ when translated |
| Availability | The hosting player’s PC and game session must remain online | Designed for an always-on process independent of a player’s client |
| Router administration | Required on a home network unless another service supplies the public endpoint | Required on self-hosted hardware; normally replaced by provider networking controls on managed hosting |
| Firewall work | Allow the game’s inbound UDP port on the host computer | Allow every enabled UDP socket on the operating system and any cloud security group |
| Public-address handling | Router forwards to the host’s private address; public IP can normally remain on automatic detection | Configure the advertised public port and the local bind port, especially when a load balancer or NAT translates them |
| Query and RCON | Not required for ordinary play | Available as optional UDP services on their documented defaults |
| Configuration and mods | Controlled through the host session’s settings and available game content | Offers persistent server files, startup configuration, and independent mod administration, subject to the platform used |
| Recurring cost | No hosting price is established by the cited port guides; you use your own hardware and internet service | Provider pricing and included features are not stated in the official port references and must be checked for the specific host |
Security and reliability practices
- Forward only UDP ports that your configuration uses. Do not add TCP rules merely because a troubleshooting post lists them.
- Keep the host computer’s local address stable so the forwarding rule cannot drift to another device.
- Limit RCON exposure whenever the platform supports source-address restrictions or a private management network. Use strong credentials and disable RCON when it is unnecessary.
- Keep the game server, operating system, router firmware, and mods updated. A port-forwarded machine is directly exposed to unsolicited internet traffic.
- Document the external port, local port, destination IP, protocol, and enabled optional services. This makes recovery after a router replacement or hosting migration faster.
- For multiple servers behind one public address, assign distinct external game ports and map each to a different local socket or host. Update each server’s publicPort so listings point to the correct instance. Never send one external port to two destinations.
Changing the default game port
You can choose a different game port when another service already occupies the default or when your provider assigns a specific external port. The important rule is consistency: set the game or dedicated configuration, the router’s public mapping, and every firewall layer to the chosen UDP value. With a one-to-one mapping, the local port is the same. With translation, advertise the external value as publicPort and bind the process to the internal value. Friends must use the externally reachable address and port shown by the server, not an old default saved in an invitation or bookmark.
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Practical decision checklist
- Choose player hosting when one person can keep the PC and game session online and you can administer the home router.
- Choose a dedicated machine or managed service when the group needs an always-on world, persistent configuration, or independence from the host player’s session.
- Before paying for hosting, confirm configurable UDP mappings, a public address, firewall or security-group control, mod support, backups, and the ability to use the query and RCON services if required.
- Before troubleshooting gameplay, write down the host IP, public game port, local bind port, protocol, and every enabled optional port. Compare that list with the router and firewall one item at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arma Reforger require TCP port forwarding?
The documented game, Steam Query/A2S, and RCON sockets are UDP. A TCP rule is not a substitute for the required UDP mapping.
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The default player-hosted rule is a one-port range: the public and local start and end are all 2001. Use a broader range only when your chosen configuration explicitly needs additional ports.
Why does a browser listing work while RCON fails?
Listing and RCON use different optional UDP sockets. Confirm that the RCON service is enabled, its UDP port is allowed through every firewall, and the client is using the external port when translation is present.
Is a public IP setting required in the player-hosted game?
Bohemia Interactive’s player-hosting guidance says public IP can normally remain on automatic detection. The local forwarding destination still must be the host computer’s private IPv4 address.
What if I cannot change my router?
Use a dedicated host or managed service that supplies a public address and configurable UDP mappings. The host still needs the documented game port and any optional query or RCON rules, plus corresponding firewall permissions.
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