The Unturned message “not logged in” usually means the dedicated-server process has not authenticated with Steam, or that it authenticated and then lost its Steam backend connection. The message alone is not a diagnosis. Read the surrounding console lines first: Valve distinguishes an account that is not logged on, a server that lost its Steam connection, a general connection error, a timeout, and a validation process that has stalled.
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Use the matching log state to decide whether you are fixing a server network path, a Steam session, a configured port, or a player-side login. The documented default Steam authentication port is 8766; the default Steam master-server updater port is 27016. Both can be changed, so verify the values your installation actually uses before changing firewall rules.
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Unturned relies on Steam services for dedicated-server authentication and master-server connectivity. When that relationship is missing, the server can print a “not logged in” message even though the game files are present and the process itself is running.
There are several different Steam denial states behind similar wording. Valve’s Steamworks API reference defines them as follows:
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| Steam result | Documented meaning | What it points toward |
|---|---|---|
k_EDenyNotLoggedOn |
“The client is not logged on.” | A Steam account or session is not authenticated. |
k_EDenySteamConnectionLost |
“The server lost connection to steam.” | The server authenticated, then lost its Steam connection. |
k_EDenySteamConnectionError |
“The server had a general error connecting to Steam.” | A broad connectivity or Steam-backend failure. |
k_EDenySteamResponseTimedOut |
“The server timed out connecting to Steam.” | A path that is too slow, blocked, or not receiving a response. |
A separate validation-stalled message indicates that Steam validation has stopped progressing. Do not treat every one of these states as proof that the same setting is wrong. The complete log determines which branch applies.
Start with the complete server log
Do not troubleshoot from the single line shown in a launcher or hosting panel. Open the dedicated-server console or log and capture the lines immediately before and after the error. Look for wording such as:
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- not logged on;
- connection lost;
- connection error;
- timed out;
- validation stalled; or
- logged in elsewhere.
Record whether the message appears during startup, after the server has been running, or only when one player attempts to join. A failure during startup favors authentication, DNS, firewall, or port configuration. A message appearing after a previously successful session favors a dropped connection or an outage. A message seen by only one player may be a client-session problem rather than a dedicated-server failure.
Server-side fix: restore Steam connectivity
1. Confirm the host has internet access
From the machine running the dedicated server, verify that ordinary internet access works. A server can remain reachable on a local network while being unable to contact Steam. Check the host’s connection, upstream router, security software, and any provider-level network controls.
If the host temporarily lost connectivity, restore the connection and then restart the server process. Restarting causes authentication to be attempted again, but it is an operational retry, not a guaranteed fix. If the same denial returns, continue with the log-specific checks below.
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2. Check whether Steam is unavailable
Steam maintenance or an outage can prevent a healthy server from authenticating. Check Steam’s service-status information and look for reports from other operators. When service returns, restart the dedicated-server process so it can repeat authentication. Avoid repeatedly restarting while an outage is active; repeated attempts cannot repair a backend service that is unavailable.
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3. Verify the configured Steam ports
Steam’s dedicated-server documentation lists these defaults:
| Port | Default role | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| 8766 | Steam authentication | Whether the server still uses this value and whether required traffic is permitted. |
| 27016 | Steam master-server updater | Whether the server still uses this value and whether required traffic is permitted. |
The documentation also states that these ports can be changed on the command line or in settings.ini under the network heading. Check the actual command-line arguments and that file before editing a firewall rule. A rule for 8766 is ineffective if the installation has been customized to another port.
4. Allow the required traffic through every network layer
Check each layer independently:
- the operating system firewall on the server;
- endpoint security or antivirus network controls;
- the local router or NAT device;
- the hosting provider’s firewall or security group; and
- any upstream network policy that filters the server.
Allow the traffic required by the configured Steam ports and make sure the rule applies to the correct protocol and network interface. Do not assume that opening a game-play port also permits Steam authentication or master-server updates; those functions can use different configured values.
After a rule change, restart the server process and inspect the log for a new authentication result. If the message changes from a timeout to a successful connection, the rule was relevant. If it remains a generic connection error, continue checking the host path and Steam availability rather than adding random ports.
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Use Steam connection callbacks to identify the server state
Facepunch’s SteamServer documentation exposes callbacks named OnSteamServersConnected, OnSteamServersDisconnected, OnSteamServerConnectFailure, and LoggedOn. These states are useful when a console provides more than the single “not logged in” line.
Successful connection
Facepunch’s documentation states: “This means the server now is logged on and has a working connection to the Steam master server.” If your log reaches this state, the original authentication problem has cleared. A later join failure should be investigated separately as a player-session, game-port, or gameplay issue rather than as the original Steam login error.
Disconnected after success
OnSteamServersDisconnected indicates that a connection that existed has been lost. Correlate the timestamp with host network changes, provider maintenance, firewall events, or a Steam service incident. Restore the network path first; restarting the process can force a fresh login attempt once the path is healthy.
Connection failure during startup
OnSteamServerConnectFailure during startup indicates that the server did not complete the Steam connection. Compare the failure text with the Valve denial names, then verify the configured ports and outbound connectivity before changing unrelated game settings.
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If every player is affected and the dedicated-server console shows a Steam denial, treat it as a server-side issue. If the server reaches a logged-on state and only one player sees the message, investigate that player’s Steam session first.
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Player-side checks
- Have the player bring Steam online and confirm that the account is authenticated.
- Ask the player to reauthenticate if the session has expired or entered offline mode.
- Close any other active Steam session using the same account, then try again.
- Retry after Steam reports the account as online.
Valve documents client-side results including k_EResultNotLoggedOn, k_EResultLoggedInElsewhere, k_EResultPasswordRequiredToKickSession, and account-login-denied outcomes. “Logged in elsewhere” is therefore a distinct account-session condition, not evidence that the dedicated server’s ports are wrong.
How to tell which scope applies
- All players fail and the server log reports a denial: troubleshoot the server’s Steam connection, host network, or configured ports.
- Only one player fails while the server reports a successful Steam connection: troubleshoot that player’s Steam login and other active sessions.
- The server was working, then reports a lost connection: investigate a dropped transport path or Steam availability at the time of failure.
Handle IPv4 and IPv6 without guessing
A community report shows the exact wording Unturned is not logged in (...) beside an IPv6 UDP connectivity-test failure. That report is useful for matching a symptom, but it is anecdotal and does not establish IPv6 as the root cause for every server.
Test the two paths separately:
- Check whether the host has working IPv4 connectivity to Steam.
- Check whether its IPv6 route is valid and not filtered by the router, provider, or firewall.
- Compare the timestamps of any IPv6 UDP test failure with the Steam denial in the log.
- Only after isolating a protocol-specific failure should you change address-family settings or disable a protocol.
Do not disable IPv6 merely because the message appears next to an IPv6 line. If IPv4 is also failing, changing address preference will not fix the underlying outage, firewall block, or missing route.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Branch by the exact failure state
“The client is not logged on”
This points to authentication state. Confirm that the relevant Steam session is online, check for an account logged in elsewhere, and inspect whether the message belongs to the dedicated server or to one player. A server process that never reaches a logged-on callback needs host-side authentication and connectivity checks.
“The server lost connection to steam”
The server connected previously and then lost its backend session. Check for an internet interruption, firewall change, provider event, or Steam incident at the failure time. Once connectivity is restored, restart the server process if it does not reconnect on its own.
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“The server had a general error connecting to Steam”
This result is intentionally broad. Verify the host’s internet path, Steam availability, configured 8766 and 27016 values, and all firewall layers. Use the surrounding lines to narrow the cause instead of treating the generic result as proof of one specific port problem.
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A timeout means the expected response did not arrive in time. Check outbound filtering, provider security controls, routing, and IPv4/IPv6 reachability. Confirm that a customized port is permitted; a rule for the documented defaults does not help when the server uses different values.
Validation has stalled
Leave the validation wording intact when reporting the problem and note how long it remains stalled. Check Steam availability and the host’s connection before making configuration changes. A stalled validation line is a distinct state and should not be rewritten as a simple “not logged on” diagnosis.
Default ports versus customized ports
Port assumptions are a frequent source of misleading fixes. Use this decision table while reviewing the installation:
| Configuration state | Correct next action |
|---|---|
| Defaults are still in use | Check traffic for 8766 and 27016 through the host firewall, router, provider controls, and security software. |
| Ports were changed on the command line | Read the launch arguments and permit the values actually supplied there. |
Ports were changed in settings.ini |
Inspect the network heading and align firewall and provider rules with those values. |
| Configuration is uncertain | Determine the active values before opening or forwarding additional ports. |
Changing a port without updating every corresponding network rule can replace one error with another. Keep a record of the active values so a later restart or host migration does not silently restore an old assumption.
A practical recovery sequence
Work in this order so each step produces useful evidence:
- Capture the complete console context and identify the specific Steam state.
- Decide whether the message affects all players or only one account.
- Verify host internet access and check Steam service availability.
- Read the command line and
settings.ininetwork heading to find the active authentication and updater ports. - Check the operating-system firewall, security software, router, provider firewall, and upstream policy for those exact values.
- Test IPv4 and IPv6 paths independently if the log contains an IPv6 or UDP connectivity-test line.
- Restore connectivity or correct the rule, then restart the server process to retry authentication.
- Confirm that the log reaches a successful logged-on state before investigating unrelated join problems.
Stop when the server reaches the documented successful state. Additional port changes after a confirmed Steam connection can create new exposure without addressing the original symptom.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Restarting without reading the log: a restart retries authentication but does not reveal whether the cause is a timeout, lost connection, or account state.
- Opening only one default port: authentication and master-server updating have separate documented defaults.
- Assuming defaults are active: both values can be customized on the command line or in
settings.ini. - Disabling IPv6 immediately: the reported IPv6 association is anecdotal; isolate the failing path first.
- Fixing the server for one player: an account logged in elsewhere or offline can produce a client-side error while the server is healthy.
- Treating “not logged in” as a complete diagnosis: Valve’s denial states describe materially different conditions.
When the error persists
Escalate with evidence rather than a single screenshot. Include the full denial wording, the lines around it, whether the server ever reached OnSteamServersConnected, the active 8766 and 27016 values (or customized replacements), the host’s IPv4/IPv6 test results, and which firewall or provider layers were checked. This information separates an account-session problem from a transport failure and prevents repeated changes to settings that are not involved.
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