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To host a private BeamNG.drive session, install the BeamMP server, set Private = true in ServerConfig.toml, allow the server’s port through your firewall, and forward that port on your router. BeamMP uses port 30814 by default for both TCP and UDP. You connect on the host with 127.0.0.1; friends connect through your public IPv4 address and the configured port.
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What a private BeamNG server actually is
BeamNG.drive does not provide this workflow through a normal in-game host button. BeamMP is the multiplayer mod and dedicated server software used to run multiplayer sessions. The server process runs separately from the game, while each player joins through BeamMP’s Direct Connect screen.
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A private BeamMP server is invitation-only in practice: it is configured not to appear in the official public server list, and you give the connection details only to the people you want to play with. This is different from a password system. The authentication key in the server configuration identifies the server to BeamMP; treat it as a secret, but do not assume that publishing the address is harmless simply because the server is marked private.
There are two practical hosting choices:
- Home PC: free, but remote players require router port forwarding and firewall rules. Exposing a service through a residential connection also creates additional security and availability concerns.
- Virtual private server (VPS): hosted away from your home network. BeamMP describes VPS hosting as easier and more secure because it avoids home-router changes; it can also remain available without leaving your gaming PC on. You pay the VPS provider and remain responsible for its operating-system maintenance.
Home PC or VPS: choose before installing
| Consideration | Home PC | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cost | No separate hosting fee, assuming you already own the PC and internet connection. | Recurring charge set by the VPS provider; the BeamMP documentation does not specify a universal price. |
| Router work | Required for players outside your home network: forward the BeamMP port to the host PC. | No home-router port forward is needed; configure the VPS firewall and networking instead. |
| Exposure | Your residential connection receives inbound TCP and UDP traffic on the selected port. | The game service is isolated from your home network, which BeamMP characterizes as easier and more secure. |
| Availability | The server is reachable only while the host computer, game-server process, and internet connection are running. | A VPS is designed to run continuously, subject to the provider and your maintenance. |
| Maintenance | You manage Windows or Linux, the router, firewall, and BeamMP files. | You manage the VPS operating system, firewall, BeamMP files, and provider account. |
For a short session with friends, home hosting is the simplest zero-cost starting point. Choose a VPS when you do not control the router, your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, you want a server available while your PC is off, or you prefer not to expose your home network.
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Requirements and information to collect
Before downloading the server, have the following ready:
- A Windows or Linux computer on which the BeamMP server executable can run.
- BeamNG.drive with BeamMP installed for every player who will join.
- Administrator access to the host computer so you can install Windows dependencies and create firewall rules.
- Administrator access to the home router if you are hosting at home.
- The host computer’s stable local IPv4 address, so a router forward does not point at the wrong machine later.
- A server name, an authentication key, and a decision about which port to use. The default is
30814.
BeamMP’s current server workflow supports IPv4. Its setup documentation describes IPv6 support as planned, so do not design this procedure around an IPv6-only connection.
Install the BeamMP server
Windows installation
- Download the BeamMP server executable for Windows from the official BeamMP project.
- Install the required Microsoft Visual C++ redistributables. Without these runtime components, the executable may fail to start even though the file downloaded correctly.
- Create a dedicated folder for the server, such as a folder used only for BeamMP files. Keeping the executable and generated configuration together makes backups and updates easier.
- Place
BeamMP-Server.exein that folder and run it once. The first launch generates the supporting files, includingServerConfig.toml. - Close the process after the first launch so you can edit the configuration before accepting connections.
Linux installation
- Download the BeamMP server build for Linux from the official project.
- Extract or place the server in its own directory and launch it once using the normal executable method for your distribution.
- Stop the first run after the supporting files, including
ServerConfig.toml, have been created.
The server and the game do not have to run on the same computer. If you use a separate machine on your home network, that machine becomes the destination of the router forward and the local address used by players on the LAN.
Configure privacy in ServerConfig.toml
Open the generated ServerConfig.toml in a text editor. Set a recognizable server name, confirm the port, add an authentication key, and leave the privacy flag enabled:
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Private = true
Port = 30814
Name = "Your private BeamNG session"
AuthKey = "your-secret-authentication-key"The exact file generated by your server build may contain additional settings. Change only the values you understand and preserve the TOML syntax. In particular, do not remove quotation marks from text values or add extra punctuation to the Boolean setting.
Why each value matters
Private = truekeeps the server out of BeamMP’s official public server list. Set it before inviting anyone.Port = 30814selects the network port. BeamMP requires both TCP and UDP on this port unless you deliberately changed it.Nameis the label players will recognize when you describe the session to them.AuthKeyauthenticates the server. The official guide recommends an authentication key for private servers and treats it as sensitive. Do not post it in a public chat, stream overlay, or screenshot.
If you choose another port, substitute that number consistently in the server file, router rule, firewall rules, and every Direct Connect address. A correct forward for 30814 will not help a server configured for a different port.
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Open the firewall and forward the port
Firewall rules on the host
The BeamMP server must be allowed to receive and send both TCP and UDP traffic on the configured port. Create or approve firewall access for the BeamMP executable, or create explicit inbound and outbound rules for the selected port. Apply the rule to the network profile the host actually uses.
When Windows first asks whether to allow the server through the firewall, allowing it only on the appropriate private network is safer than enabling every profile. If you later change the network from private to public, re-check the rule rather than assuming the old approval still applies. On Linux, configure the distribution’s firewall in the same way: the selected port must be open for both protocols, and the rule must apply to the interface receiving the traffic.
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Router port forwarding for a home server
- Give the host PC a stable local IPv4 address, either by configuring a static address on the computer or by creating a DHCP reservation in the router.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding or virtual-server page.
- Create a forward for the BeamMP port, normally
30814, from the router’s internet-facing interface to the host PC’s local IPv4 address. - Create entries for TCP and UDP. BeamMP requires both; forwarding only one protocol produces an incomplete setup.
- Save the router configuration and restart the BeamMP server if the router requires it.
The router forward is only for players outside your home network. Players on the same LAN can normally use the host computer’s local IP address. Do not give friends the local address unless they are actually connected to that network.
VPS networking
On a VPS, replace the home-router step with the provider’s network firewall or security-group rule. Allow the configured TCP and UDP port to the VPS, then permit the same traffic through the VPS operating-system firewall. The BeamMP server configuration and Direct Connect format remain the same.
Start the server and connect
- Start the BeamMP server executable and leave it running. Watch its console for startup errors, configuration parsing failures, or messages indicating that the port could not be opened.
- Launch BeamNG.drive with BeamMP installed and open the Direct Connect tab.
- If the game and server are on the same computer, enter
127.0.0.1as the address and30814as the port, unless you changed the port inServerConfig.toml. - If the server is on another computer in your home, enter that computer’s local IPv4 address and the configured port.
- Friends connecting from outside your home should enter the host’s public IPv4 address and the configured port in Direct Connect.
Keep the address and port together when you send the invitation, for example: public-address:30814. Replace the example address with your actual public IPv4 address, and never send the authentication key with the invitation.
Private does not mean invisible to everyone
Private = true prevents listing in the official server browser; it does not make the process unreachable to someone who knows the public address and port. Share the address only with your group, keep the authentication key confidential, and stop the server when you are finished if you are hosting from home.
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If you later want a public session, change the privacy setting deliberately and review the firewall and access implications first. A public listing attracts connection attempts from people you did not invite and is a different operating model from a private Direct Connect session.
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1. Confirm the server itself starts
- Run the executable directly and look for a startup error.
- Check that
ServerConfig.tomlis in the location the executable reads and that the TOML syntax is valid. - Verify that the port in the running configuration is the port you are testing.
- Make sure another program is not already using the same port.
2. Test locally before involving the router
On the host PC, use Direct Connect with 127.0.0.1. If this fails, port forwarding and CGNAT are not yet relevant: fix the server process, configuration, BeamMP installation, or local firewall first.
3. Test from another device on the LAN
Use the server computer’s local IPv4 address from a second computer on the same home network. A successful LAN connection shows that the server is listening and the local firewall is probably allowing traffic. If local connections fail, verify the host address, firewall profile, and both TCP and UDP rules.
4. Re-check forwarding and protocol coverage
For an outside player, confirm that the router forwards the configured port to the current local address of the server computer. Check separate TCP and UDP entries, not just a single rule that covers one protocol. Confirm that the server and router use the same port number.
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5. Investigate carrier-grade NAT
Some internet providers do not assign a dedicated public IPv4 address. BeamMP’s FAQ notes that port forwarding may be impossible in this situation even when the router includes a port-forwarding menu. Ask the provider whether the connection is behind carrier-grade NAT and whether a dedicated public IPv4 address is available. If inbound IPv4 traffic cannot reach your router, no change to the BeamMP configuration can make a home server reachable from the internet.
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A VPS bypasses the residential router and ISP inbound-path problem. Install the same BeamMP server there, open the configured port in the VPS firewall and operating-system firewall, and give friends the VPS’s public IPv4 address. This is also the option BeamMP presents as easier and more secure when you do not want to expose a home network.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Only TCP was forwarded: add UDP on the same port.
- The port was changed in the file but not elsewhere: update the router, firewall, and Direct Connect entry to the new number.
- Friends received a local address: send the public IPv4 address to internet players; reserve the local address for LAN players.
- The router points to an old host address: restore the host’s DHCP reservation or static local IPv4 address and edit the forward.
- The server appears in the public list: stop it, set
Private = true, save the file, and restart. - The authentication key was exposed: replace it in the configuration and distribute the new key only through a private channel.
- Local connection works but remote connection fails: inspect the router forward, both firewall protocols, and CGNAT status in that order.
- Remote connection works intermittently: check whether the host PC sleeps, the server process stops, or the local address changes.
A repeatable private-server checklist
- Choose a home PC for free hosting or a VPS to avoid home-router exposure.
- Install BeamMP and the server build for Windows or Linux.
- Run the server once to generate
ServerConfig.toml. - Set the server name, authentication key, port, and
Private = true. - Allow incoming and outgoing TCP and UDP traffic for the configured port.
- For home hosting, forward that TCP and UDP port to the host’s stable local IPv4 address.
- Start the server and test
127.0.0.1locally. - Test the local IPv4 address from another device if you need to verify LAN access.
- Give outside friends the public IPv4 address and port through Direct Connect.
- If outside access still fails, check forwarding and firewall rules before asking the ISP about CGNAT.
When each hosting option makes sense
Use a home PC when
- You want a free, occasional session.
- You control the router and can create both TCP and UDP forwards.
- Your ISP provides reachable IPv4 service rather than carrier-grade NAT.
- You are comfortable stopping the service when the group is finished.
Use a VPS when
- Your ISP blocks inbound hosting or you cannot change the router.
- You want the server to remain available independently of your gaming computer.
- You prefer not to expose a service on your residential network.
- You accept a recurring hosting cost and the responsibility of maintaining another operating system.
BeamMP’s official home-server guidance explicitly presents VPS hosting as easier and more secure, while home hosting remains the no-fee option. The correct choice is therefore less about game performance than about who controls the network path, how much maintenance you accept, and whether the server needs to stay online.
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