Most Satisfactory dedicated-server failures can be isolated by testing in layers: verify that the server process is running, connect from the same LAN, and only then test from an outside network. That sequence separates a crashed process or host firewall from incorrect port forwarding, NAT, or an unreachable address. For the documented defaults, forward port 7777 over both TCP and UDP and port 8888 over TCP, keep the host’s LAN address fixed, and treat mods as a separate fault domain until a vanilla server is proven reliable.
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Start with a layered diagnosis
Do not begin by changing every router and game setting at once. A failed connection has to cross several independent layers, and each test removes a different class of causes.
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- Confirm the server process. Check that the dedicated-server service or process is running and that it has not stopped after a crash, update, or save-load failure.
- Inspect the server’s local evidence. Open
FactoryGame/Saved/Logs/FactoryGame.log. Logs rotate when the server starts, so copy the current and rotated files before restarting repeatedly. Crash reports are stored underFactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. - Test from the same LAN. A successful local connection proves that the server is listening and that the basic host configuration works. A local failure points to the process, bind address, host firewall, or server configuration—not to internet NAT.
- Test from a genuinely external network. Use a player on another connection or a phone hotspot. Some routers do not support NAT loopback, so testing your public address from inside the same LAN can give a misleading failure.
This order matters. Increasing a timeout cannot revive a stopped process, open a blocked port, or correct a wrong address. Capture the result of each layer before changing the next one.
Ports, addresses and forwarding
Documented dedicated-server defaults
The current dedicated-server documentation identifies two standard ports:
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| Purpose | Default port | Transport | Forwarding requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard server port | 7777 | TCP and UDP | Forward external 7777 to the host’s internal 7777 for both protocols. |
| Reliable messaging | 8888 | TCP | Forward external 8888 to the host’s internal 8888. |
Those are the documented defaults, not universal values for every installation. If the launch configuration uses custom -Port or -ReliablePort values, forward the resulting ports instead. Keep the external standard port aligned with the internal port when using the default setup; do not silently map public 7777 to a different internal number and then troubleshoot the wrong endpoint.
Keep the host’s LAN address stable
Port forwarding targets an internal IP address. If DHCP later assigns the server PC a different address, the router can continue showing a correct-looking rule while sending traffic to the wrong machine. Reserve the address in the router’s DHCP settings or configure a static address on the host, then verify that the forwarding rule points to that address.
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Do not confuse dedicated-server ports with multiplayer-session guidance
Coffee Stain’s multiplayer timeout and NAT troubleshooting page lists 5222 and 6666 over TCP, plus 5222, 6666, and 7777–7827 over UDP. Those values are multiplayer-session guidance and should not be substituted for the dedicated-server defaults above. A dedicated server configured for the documented defaults still needs 7777 on TCP and UDP and 8888 on TCP.
A forwarding checklist
- Confirm the server’s current LAN IP after every router or DHCP change.
- Confirm that the configured
-Portand-ReliablePortvalues match the router rule. - Create separate TCP and UDP entries where the router requires separate rules.
- Allow the server executable through the host firewall and any security suite.
- Test from outside the LAN rather than relying on a loopback request from the host.
If the server does not appear to be running
A connection test is meaningless until the process has opened its listening sockets. Check service or process status first, then read FactoryGame.log from the latest startup. Look for an immediate shutdown, a failed save load, an address or port bind error, or a crash entry. Because logs rotate on startup, preserve the older files before launching again if you need to compare failures.
Verify the installation after a crash or update
If the client or server crashes or begins behaving unusually after an update, verify the game and server files using the platform’s file-verification function. Coffee Stain’s support guidance specifically recommends verification for crash and unusual-behavior reports. Record the game/server branch and build before making changes; a main-branch and Experimental-branch mismatch can look like a networking problem when the underlying issue is version compatibility.
Collect evidence before escalating
- The current and rotated
FactoryGame.logfiles. - Any files under
FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. - The game/server branch and build number.
- The configured standard and reliable ports.
- Whether a same-LAN client can join.
- Whether the failure affects every save or only one save.
Nobody can connect, including on the same LAN
A same-LAN failure narrows the problem considerably. Internet routing and public NAT are not required for a local client to reach the host, so concentrate on the process, local address, bind settings, and host security software.
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- Confirm that the dedicated-server process remains running while a client attempts to join.
- Check that the client is using the host’s current LAN address, not an old DHCP address or public address that the router cannot loop back to.
- Inspect the host firewall and antivirus rules. Permit the server executable and the configured TCP/UDP ports.
- Check the log at the exact time of the attempt for a rejected connection, a bind failure, or a save-load error.
- Try a fresh save if the problem appears only when loading one existing world.
If the process is running, the address is correct, security software permits it, and a fresh save also fails locally, preserve the logs and verify the installation before rebuilding the network configuration.
LAN works but internet players cannot connect
When local clients join successfully, the game process and most host settings are functioning. The remaining path is the router, public address, upstream firewall, or internet provider.
Forward the right ports to the right machine
For the documented defaults, forward 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP, and 8888/TCP to the host’s static LAN address. If custom launch arguments changed either port, use those values instead. Ensure that the router’s rule is enabled and that no second router is performing an additional NAT layer.
Test from a real outside connection
Ask a player on another network to connect, or use a phone hotspot for a controlled test. A router without NAT loopback may reject an inside-LAN test even when outside players can join, while a test from outside cannot succeed if the public address or forwarding target is wrong.
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Some homes have an additional modem/router, carrier-grade NAT, or an upstream firewall. In that situation, a rule on the local router may never receive the traffic. Put the upstream device in the appropriate bridge or forwarding arrangement, or ask the provider whether inbound connections are available. Do not treat a successful local test as proof that the public address is reachable.
Timeouts and infinite loading
Timeouts can result from blocked ports, a stopped process, a bad address, a slow host, a damaged save, or a version mismatch. The documented default for both InitialConnectTimeout and ConnectionTimeout is 30 seconds. These settings are available in Engine.ini and can be raised when slow hardware or a slow link genuinely needs more time.
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What a timeout change can and cannot do
- It can help: a server that is healthy but takes longer than 30 seconds to initialize or complete a connection.
- It cannot help: a blocked 7777 or 8888 port, a stopped process, a wrong LAN/public address, a missing forwarding rule, or a client/server build mismatch.
Change the timeout only after the process and network path have passed the layered tests. Apply the setting in the server’s Engine.ini, restart the server, and keep the new value documented so it is not mistaken for a port fix later.
Use Coffee Stain’s host and client checks
For timeout or endless-loading symptoms, Coffee Stain recommends changing the host, asking every player to set Network Quality to Ultra in the options menu, restarting the game, trying a fresh save, checking firewall and antivirus permissions, and checking ports. These steps are useful because they separate a host-specific problem, a save-specific problem, and a connection-quality problem.
If only one save times out, stop changing network settings and test another world. Back up the affected save before replacing, migrating, or switching branches.
Strict or unknown NAT
Strict or unknown NAT generally indicates a routing or security path problem involving the router, firewall, or antivirus. It is not fixed by waiting longer for a connection.
Reset and re-create security rules
Remove stale firewall rules, restore the relevant firewall profile if it has been modified, and add an explicit allow rule for the game or dedicated-server executable. Check antivirus network protection separately; a Windows firewall allow entry does not necessarily override a second security product.
Recheck forwarding and NAT topology
Verify the host’s static LAN address, the three default dedicated-server forwarding entries, and whether another router sits upstream. A double-NAT arrangement can leave the inner router configured correctly while the outer router drops the traffic.
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pfSense-specific guidance
Coffee Stain’s support guidance for pfSense calls for Hybrid or Manual NAT with an outbound mapping. Apply that advice only to the pfSense device actually handling the traffic, and confirm that the rule targets the current host address. After changing NAT mode, repeat both a same-LAN test and an outside-network test.
When an update or one save breaks the server
Record the branch and build before troubleshooting. Main and Experimental branches can differ, and a client that updated while the server did not may fail before a useful in-game error appears.
Use a controlled update check
- Write down the branch and build for the server and each affected client.
- Back up the save files before switching branches, verifying files, or changing mods.
- Verify the installation on the platform that hosts the server.
- Start a new test save and attempt a local connection.
- Only after the new save works, test the original save and compare its logs.
Coffee Stain specifically asks users with timeout problems to check whether the issue is limited to a particular save. A fresh world is therefore a diagnostic control, not merely a workaround.
Modded servers that will not accept clients
Mods are a separate fault domain. The fastest reliable path is to prove that the vanilla dedicated server works, then reintroduce server-compatible mods in small groups.
Return to a known-good vanilla state
- Back up the save, configuration, and current mod information.
- Remove mods from both the server and every client for the test.
- Start the unmodded server with a fresh save if necessary.
- Confirm that a local client and then an outside client can connect.
If vanilla fails, continue with process, firewall, port, NAT, and save diagnostics. Do not blame the mod loader for a failure that occurs without mods.
Reintroduce compatible mods carefully
Dedicated servers require mods specially compiled for dedicated-server use. Keep the client and server versions, profiles, and load order aligned. Add a small group at a time, restart, and test after each group so the offending package can be identified.
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Do not copy a client’s entire mods folder to the server. The FICSIT documentation warns that this is unsupported and that installing packages one by one with ficsit-cli or a mod manager can create client/server version mismatches that prevent joining. Use packages explicitly marked as dedicated-server compatible and keep a written record of versions on both sides.
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Symptoms that point to a mod mismatch
- Vanilla clients connect, but clients with the mod profile do not.
- The failure begins immediately after adding or updating one package.
- Clients and server report different mod versions or profiles.
- The server starts but hangs while loading a modded save.
Remove the newest group, retest the vanilla or last-known-good profile, and inspect logs before attempting another combination.
Save, shutdown and recovery practices
Backups are essential before branch changes, file verification, mod removal, or configuration edits. Keep an untouched copy of the save outside the active server directory and retain the logs that show which build and settings created it.
Preserve the right files
- Save files from the server’s documented save directory.
- The active and rotated files under
FactoryGame/Saved/Logs. - Crash reports under
FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. - The server configuration, including the selected ports and timeout settings.
- A list of installed mod packages and their versions.
Recover without destroying evidence
Do not delete the only copy of a save or logs while trying to make the server start. Rename or move a suspect configuration or save only after creating a backup, then test with a fresh file. If the fresh setup works, compare the old save or configuration one item at a time.
Third-party hosts may restrict access to saves, logs, crash reports, or configuration files, and modding documentation notes that support for third-party systems is limited. Before choosing a managed host, confirm that it provides the files and backup controls needed for this recovery process.
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Neither operating model eliminates troubleshooting; it changes which layer you control. Self-hosting gives direct access to the router and machine. Managed hosting can simplify internet reachability but may limit ports, files, update timing, or mod support.
| Decision point | Self-hosted server | Managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Router and firewall rules | You control forwarding, firewall exceptions, NAT mode, and the LAN address. | The provider controls the network edge; you need clear documentation for allowed ports and public reachability. |
| Custom ports | Custom -Port and -ReliablePort values are under your control. |
Confirm whether custom ports are permitted and which external ports are assigned. |
| Static IP or VPN options | You can use a DHCP reservation, static address, or your own VPN design. | Check whether a fixed endpoint or VPN access is included. |
| Saves, logs and crash reports | Direct access to FactoryGame/Saved and its subdirectories. |
Verify SFTP or equivalent access to saves, logs, and crash reports. |
| Backups | You must schedule and test them yourself. | Confirm frequency, retention, restore procedure, and whether backups include saves and configuration. |
| Updates | You choose when to update and can coordinate clients and server branches. | Check update timing and whether Experimental or main-branch builds are supported. |
| CPU, RAM and storage | You size the machine and storage yourself. | Check guaranteed headroom rather than assuming a generic game-server plan is sufficient. |
| Dedicated-server mods | You can install compatible packages while maintaining the exact profile. | Confirm explicit support for dedicated-server-compatible mods and version pinning. |
Choose the model based on the layer you are prepared to operate. If you cannot access logs or restore a save, a provider’s convenience may not compensate for limited recovery control; if router configuration is the recurring failure point, managed networking may remove that specific burden.
A concise decision tree
- Process absent or log shows a crash: verify files, inspect crash reports, confirm branch/build, and test a fresh save.
- Process running but LAN fails: check the host firewall, bind address, configured ports, and local save/configuration.
- LAN succeeds but internet fails: make the LAN address static, forward 7777 TCP/UDP and 8888 TCP (or the custom ports), check upstream NAT, and test externally.
- Connection reaches the server but times out: check firewall and port reachability first, then try Network Quality Ultra, a different host, a fresh save, and a carefully increased timeout for genuinely slow links.
- NAT is strict or unknown: reset security rules, allow the executable, correct forwarding and double NAT, and apply the appropriate pfSense Hybrid or Manual NAT/outbound mapping guidance.
- Only the modded profile fails: remove mods, prove vanilla connectivity, then add dedicated-server-compatible packages in small, version-matched groups.
What to include when asking for help
A useful report lets someone reproduce the correct layer instead of guessing. Include the server and client branch/build, whether the server is self-hosted or managed, the configured standard and reliable ports, the host’s LAN topology, the exact symptom, and the result of a same-LAN test versus an outside-network test. Attach the relevant current and rotated logs and crash reports, state whether a fresh save works, and list every mod with its client and server version. Remove passwords, public credentials, and unrelated personal data before sharing files.
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