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For a self-hosted Don’t Starve Together dedicated server, forward the server’s configured UDP server_port from your router to the host computer’s private LAN address. The default is UDP 10999. Permit that same UDP port in the host firewall, and give every server or shard running on one machine its own port. The master_port is for communication between shards and normally should not be forwarded to the public internet.
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The rule must match the value the server actually uses. A router forwarding UDP 10999 will not help if the launch command changes the server to another port, if the rule points at an old LAN address, or if the operating-system firewall blocks the packet.
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Which port does Don’t Starve Together use?
A dedicated server’s player-facing listener is the UDP server_port. Klei’s default is 10999/UDP. This is the port remote players reach after the router translates an internet connection to the computer hosting the server.
The setting can be changed in the shard’s server.ini under the [NETWORK] section, or supplied at launch with -port. The command-line value takes precedence over the value in server.ini, so always check the effective launch command as well as the file. If the two disagree, forward the command-line port.
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Keep ports unique on one computer
Each dedicated server process on the same machine needs a different server_port. Two processes cannot both listen on UDP 10999. Assign a separate value to every independent world and to every player-facing shard in a cluster.
| Situation | Recommended port arrangement |
|---|---|
| One dedicated server | UDP 10999, unless you deliberately configure another value |
| Several servers on one host | A unique server_port for each process, such as 10999, 11000 and 11001 |
| Master and Caves shards | Separate server.ini values and separate forwarding rules for the player port of each shard |
| Players on the same LAN using the server browser | Keep the port in the documented 10998–11018 range for listing visibility |
Klei’s documented LAN-listing range is 10998–11018. A server using a value outside that range may not appear in the listing for players on the same local network, even though the process can be configured and reached in other ways. Staying inside the range avoids that particular discovery problem.
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For a dedicated server that friends must reach over the internet, yes. Dedicated servers do not use the same client-hosted punch-through connection method as a game hosted from a player’s client. The router therefore needs an inbound destination rule for the server’s UDP listener.
A normal client-hosted session is a different connection model; do not use its behavior to diagnose a dedicated-server port. Port forwarding is relevant when a separate server process is running on a computer inside your home network.
What is the difference between server_port and master_port?
server_port: player traffic
server_port is the UDP port on which a shard accepts player connections. It is the value that belongs in the router’s forwarding rule and in the host firewall’s inbound exception. If you change it, change every matching rule.
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master_port: shard-to-shard traffic
master_port is used for communication between the master shard and non-master shards in a cluster. It is an internal inter-process or inter-shard channel, not normally a public player endpoint. Do not forward it to the internet simply because the name contains “port.” Klei’s guidance describes it as communication between the master and other shards and says it is not exposed to the internet.
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Configuration references may also contain master_server_port, a Steam-related setting. A maintained configuration reference lists 27016 as its default, but that name does not turn master_port into a public player port and is not a reason to create an indiscriminate router rule. Forward only the player-facing UDP ports that your running shards require.
Before you create a forwarding rule
- Have administrative access to the router and to the computer running the dedicated server.
- Know the host’s current private IPv4 address, such as 192.168.1.50 or 10.0.0.25.
- Know the effective
server_portfor every running process, including any-portargument. - Decide which shards are player-facing. A Master-plus-Caves cluster normally has one player port per shard.
- Confirm that your internet service gives the router a reachable public address. Carrier-grade NAT can prevent unsolicited inbound connections even when local settings are correct.
How to forward a DST port step by step
1. Read the effective port from the server configuration
- Open the relevant shard’s
server.iniand locate[NETWORK]andserver_port. - Inspect the script, shortcut or service that starts the server for a
-portargument. - Use the command-line value when both are present, because
-portoverrides the file setting. - Write down the value for each shard. For example, a Master shard might use 10999 and a Caves shard 11000.
Do this while the server is stopped or before making changes, then verify the startup log or configuration after launching. The value in the router must match what is actually listening, not what you intended to configure.
2. Give the host a stable private address
Port forwarding targets a LAN address. If the router later gives the host a different address through DHCP, the rule can silently point to another device. Create a DHCP reservation in the router for the host’s network adapter, or configure a correctly managed static address outside the router’s automatic pool. Record the reserved address before proceeding.
3. Add one UDP rule per player-facing port
- Sign in to the router’s administration page.
- Open the section labeled Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, NAT or a similar term.
- Create a rule with protocol set to UDP.
- Set the external or public port to the shard’s
server_port. - Set the internal or private port to the same number unless your router explicitly supports and you intentionally use a different internal mapping.
- Set the destination to the host’s reserved private IP address.
- Save or apply the rule, then repeat for every other player-facing shard.
For a single default server, the practical rule is UDP 10999 from the router’s public side to UDP 10999 on the host. In a Master-plus-Caves example using 10999 and 11000, create two rules with the same respective external and internal port numbers. Do not add a rule for master_port as part of this normal setup.
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4. Allow the same UDP port through the host firewall
The router can deliver a packet to the computer while the operating-system firewall rejects it. Create an inbound firewall exception for UDP 10999, or for each configured shard port. On Windows, use Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, choose Inbound Rules, create a new rule for a port, select UDP, enter the exact local port, allow the connection for the profiles that match your network, and give the rule a clear name. On Linux systems using UFW, an equivalent rule for the default port is:
sudo ufw allow 10999/udpReplace 10999 with each actual server_port. Limit the rule to the required ports rather than opening a broad UDP range. If you use a third-party firewall or security suite, make an equivalent exception there too.
5. Start the server and verify that it is listening
Launch the dedicated server after the router and firewall changes. Check its console or log for startup errors and confirm that each process has its intended port. A duplicate-port error, a failed bind, or a shard that stops immediately usually indicates that two processes were assigned the same value or that the configuration was not read from the location you edited.
6. Test from outside the home network
Ask a friend on another connection to join, or test from a device using mobile data rather than the same Wi-Fi. A test from inside the LAN may use local routing and does not prove that the public forwarding path works.
Make sure any port-checking tool tests UDP. A TCP-only scanner can report “closed” even while the DST UDP listener is available. The server should also be running during the test; a stopped process gives no useful result for an on-demand UDP service.
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Setting up Master and Caves correctly
A multi-shard cluster is more than one world file. The Master and Caves shards have separate server configurations and separate player-facing listeners. Configure a unique server_port in each shard’s server.ini, then forward every one of those UDP ports to the same host.
Example layout
| Shard | server_port |
Router rule | Firewall rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master | 10999/UDP | UDP 10999 to the host | Allow UDP 10999 |
| Caves | 11000/UDP | UDP 11000 to the host | Allow UDP 11000 |
The numbers in this example are choices, not a requirement that every cluster use exactly them. The important properties are uniqueness and consistency: each shard’s configuration, router entry and firewall exception must agree.
The shards also need their internal coordination settings to agree locally. If a Caves world fails to connect while the surface world works, compare the shard configuration files and startup arguments before changing public forwarding. A missing or incorrect master_port value is generally an inter-shard configuration problem, not evidence that the router needs another internet-facing rule.
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Local players can see the server, remote players cannot
This pattern narrows the problem to the path between the internet and the host. Recheck the router destination IP, confirm the rule is UDP rather than TCP, and verify that the host firewall allows the same port. Then check whether the internet provider uses carrier-grade NAT. With carrier-grade NAT, the address shown by the router may not be a directly reachable public IPv4 address, so a home port-forwarding rule cannot receive unsolicited traffic from the wider internet.
The server port changed after a reboot
Check for a new DHCP address on the host and replace it with a reservation. Also inspect launch scripts for a -port argument that differs from server.ini. The command-line override is a frequent reason a seemingly correct file does not match the running listener.
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A port scanner says “closed”
Confirm that the server is running and that the scanner sends UDP probes. TCP-only checks are not decisive for a UDP service. Some scanners also cannot reliably classify a UDP port without an application response, so a failed scan should be compared with an actual remote join attempt and the server log.
The Master works but Caves does not
One forwarded port is insufficient for a multi-shard cluster. Verify that Caves has its own unique server_port, that the router forwards that exact UDP value to the host, and that the firewall permits it. Check for a duplicate port assignment or a launch command overriding the Caves file.
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Errors mention master_port
Treat these as shard-configuration or local communication errors first. Confirm that the Master and non-master shard settings point to the intended host and internal port, that both processes can communicate on the LAN, and that no local firewall rule blocks their coordination. Publicly forwarding master_port is not the normal fix.
Security and reliability practices
- Forward only the specific UDP ports required by the running shards; avoid placing the host in the router’s DMZ.
- Use a DHCP reservation so a reboot does not invalidate the destination.
- Keep the dedicated-server software and operating system maintained, and remove forwarding rules for worlds you no longer host.
- Document which shard owns each port. This prevents a later edit from assigning the same value to two processes.
- Use Ethernet for the host when practical to reduce local packet loss, but understand that a cable cannot replace public port forwarding.
- Do not expose internal coordination ports merely to make a listing appear. Public reachability belongs to the player-facing
server_portrules.
Quick verification checklist
- Read every shard’s effective
server_port, including any-portoverride. - Confirm every port is unique on the host.
- Keep values in 10998–11018 when same-LAN browser listing is important.
- Reserve the host’s private LAN IP in the router.
- Forward each player port as UDP to that IP.
- Allow those exact UDP ports in the operating-system firewall.
- Leave
master_portunforwarded unless a specific deployment design explicitly requires otherwise. - Test with the server running from a genuinely external network and with a UDP-aware method.
Bottom line
For most single-server homes, the complete setup is UDP 10999 forwarded to the host’s stable private IP and allowed through its firewall. Change the number only when you need to, and then change it consistently everywhere. A cluster with Master and Caves needs one unique, reachable player port per shard; master_port remains an internal coordination setting rather than a port to publish on the router.
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