Arma 3 RCON usually fails for one of four reasons: the settings were written to the wrong BattlEye directory, the RCON port is missing or collides with a game port, an incorrect RConIP restricts the listener, or a firewall/NAT rule drops the connection. Stop the server, edit the active BEServer.cfg (or BEServer_x64.cfg), set a free RCON port and password, allow that port through every network layer, restart, and connect to the public IP with the exact RCON port. The procedure below isolates each failure without guessing.
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What Arma 3 RCON is—and what a failed connection means
Arma 3 RCON is BattlEye’s remote-console protocol. It is separate from the game connection: players may be able to join on the game port while an RCON tool cannot authenticate or reach the server. Conversely, an open TCP or UDP rule for the game port does not automatically expose RCON.
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Typical symptoms include “failed to connect,” a timeout, an immediate authentication error, or a client that connects and then disappears after a restart. Each symptom can come from the server configuration, the selected port, a bind address, a firewall, a provider restriction, or the RCON client itself. Work through the checks in order so that a networking problem is not mistaken for a password problem.
Fast recovery procedure
- Stop the Arma 3 server. Editing a file while the process is running can be overwritten or leave the running instance using old values.
- Identify the BattlEye working directory used by the running instance. Check the launch parameters, especially
-BEpath, and the startup log. The directory you edit must be the one the server reads. - Open the active configuration file. Use
BEServer.cfgfor a 32-bit server orBEServer_x64.cfgfor the 64-bit server. A similarly named file elsewhere has no effect. - Add the two required directives:
RConPasswordandRConPort. Choose a long private password and a free port that is not any game-server port. - Remove
RConIPwhile testing unless you have a documented multi-interface design that requires a specific bind address. - Allow and forward the selected RCON port. Check the operating-system firewall, router/NAT, cloud security group, and hosting-provider firewall. Every applicable layer must permit the same port.
- Start the server and inspect the startup log. Confirm that BattlEye loads the expected file and does not report a malformed directive or bind failure.
- Connect with the server’s public IP, the exact RCON port, and the exact password. Do not substitute the game port.
- Try a second BattlEye-compatible RCON client. A successful second connection points to the original client or its network path; failure in both clients points back to the server, port, bind, or firewall.
- After an automatic restart, reconnect manually. Bohemia Interactive documents that password-protected BattlEye servers may require a manual reconnect after BattlEye is re-enabled by an automatic restart.
Find the configuration file the server actually reads
The most common “RCON is configured but does not work” case is an edit to the wrong directory. Arma 3 installations can contain several BattlEye folders, and hosting panels may create a separate instance directory for each server. The valid file is in the BattlEye working directory of the process that is currently running.
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Check launch parameters
Inspect the service file, batch file, container definition, or hosting-panel launch command. Look for -BEpath and record its complete path. If no explicit path is supplied, use the server’s startup output and the files that change timestamp when BattlEye starts. Do not assume that the game installation directory is the active BattlEye directory.
Choose the correct filename
BEServer.cfgis used by the 32-bit server executable.BEServer_x64.cfgis used by the 64-bit server executable.
Do not maintain conflicting values in both files and hope the server will choose correctly. Determine which executable is launched, then edit the corresponding file in its active BattlEye directory.
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Save a sanitized copy of the file before changing it, restart the server, and read the BattlEye portion of the startup log. The log should show that BattlEye initialized and should not indicate that the configuration was ignored. If changing a value produces no observable startup change, you are probably editing a directory that this instance never reads.
Set the required BattlEye directives
BattlEye documents both RConPort and RConPassword as required. A minimal configuration looks like this:
RConPassword change-this-to-a-long-private-password
RConPort 2301The values are examples, not universal defaults. Replace the password and choose a port that is available on your server. Keep the password private; it grants administrative access through the RCON protocol.
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RConPort
RConPort is the port on which BattlEye RCON listens. BattlEye requires it to differ from the game server’s port or ports. Bohemia Interactive’s documentation uses 2301 as an example when the default game port is 2302, but you may use another free port appropriate to your host and firewall policy.
A port collision can produce a bind error, an unreachable listener, or behavior that appears intermittent when another service owns the port. Check the host’s listening sockets or provider port-allocation panel, select an unused port, and then use that exact number in the server file, firewall rules, NAT rule, and RCON client.
RConPassword
The client password must match the value after RConPassword, including capitalization and punctuation. BattleMetrics’ ArmA 3 troubleshooting guidance states that the password must not exceed 32 characters. Use a unique password of no more than 32 characters rather than reusing a player, operating-system, or control-panel credential.
Why you normally should not set RConIP
For an ordinary single-interface server, leave RConIP unset. BattleMetrics recommends not specifying an RCON IP in the file, and BattlEye troubleshooting guidance identifies incorrect binds as a frequent cause of failed connections.
If you set RConIP 127.0.0.1, the listener accepts connections only from the same machine. A private address, an address belonging to a different interface, or an address that changes after reboot can make RCON unreachable from the Internet. Remove the directive while diagnosing the problem, restart, and test again. Only add a specific bind later when a multi-interface or security design requires it and you have verified that the address belongs to the intended interface.
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Open the right port through every network layer
RCON will fail if any layer between the client and server drops the selected port. Opening game ports alone is not sufficient. Map the path from the client to the machine running BattlEye and check each applicable control.
| Layer | What to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Server operating-system firewall | An inbound rule for the chosen RCON port and the correct protocol required by the client | Allowing only the game-port range |
| Router or NAT | Forwarding the external RCON port to the server’s current private address | Forwarding to an old DHCP address or forwarding only game traffic |
| Cloud security group | An inbound rule for the RCON port from the administrator’s source network, where appropriate | Assuming the virtual machine firewall is the only filter |
| Hosting-provider firewall | A provider-level rule or allocated port that permits RCON | Using a port the provider blocks or has not assigned |
| Server listener | The process is listening on the selected port after startup | Configuring a file that the process does not read |
Apply the narrowest source restriction practical for administration, such as your fixed office or VPN address, but do not restrict the port to localhost unless the RCON client runs on the server itself. If your provider supplies a dedicated firewall panel, configure the rule there as well as in the operating system.
Connect with the correct endpoint
Enter the server’s public IP address (or a DNS name that resolves to it), the exact value of RConPort, and the exact RConPassword. The game port is not an RCON port merely because it is reachable. A server using game port 2302 and RCON port 2301 must be entered in the client as 2301.
When testing from inside the same home network, hairpin NAT may prevent a public-address test from working even though Internet clients can connect. Test from an external network, such as a mobile hotspot, or run the RCON client on the server itself to distinguish hairpin behavior from a server fault. Do not change several variables at once: keep the password and port fixed while changing only the test location.
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Use a second client as a control test
RCON tools differ in protocol support, authentication handling, custom-port support, and the detail of their error logs. Configure a second BattlEye-compatible client with the same public endpoint and credentials.
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- Second client connects: the BattlEye listener, password, port, and basic network path are working. Investigate the first client’s protocol mode, stored credentials, DNS behavior, local firewall, or provider integration.
- Both clients fail immediately: verify the active file, required directives, port collision, and startup log before changing client settings.
- Both clients time out: prioritize
RConIP, operating-system firewall, NAT, cloud security group, and provider firewall checks. - Both authenticate and then disconnect after a restart: perform the documented manual reconnect and check whether the host’s restart process starts BattlEye before the RCON client attempts to log in.
Diagnose by symptom
The client says “failed to connect” or times out
- Confirm that the server is running and BattlEye initialized.
- Check that the client targets the public address and configured RCON port, not the game port.
- Remove
RConIPand restart. - Check the operating-system, router, cloud, and provider firewall rules for the same port.
- Test externally and with a second client.
A timeout generally indicates that packets are not reaching a listener or that replies are being dropped; it does not prove that the password is wrong.
The client reaches the server but rejects authentication
Compare the client password character by character with RConPassword. Check for a copied trailing space, a stale saved credential, or a password longer than 32 characters. Change the password to a new private value, restart the server, and update the client once—then retest rather than repeatedly guessing.
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The server log reports a bind or port error
Another service may already own the selected port, or the configured RConIP may not exist on the host. Select a free port, remove the bind directive, update every firewall and forwarding rule, and restart. Verify the new listener in the log before attempting a client connection.
RCON worked until a restart
Check whether the restart script points to a different instance directory, executable, or -BEpath. Confirm that the post-restart process reads the same configuration file. If the restart was automatic, manually reconnect to the BattlEye-enabled, password-protected server as Bohemia Interactive advises.
It works locally but not remotely
A local success shows that BattlEye and the credentials are probably valid. Focus on the external address, NAT, provider firewall, cloud security group, and any RConIP restriction. A loopback-only bind such as 127.0.0.1 must be removed for remote administration.
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Hosting-panel and provider checks
Managed hosts often separate game-port allocation from custom administration ports. Confirm that the provider permits custom BattlEye RCON ports and that the assigned external port maps to the instance running your server. Some panels regenerate configuration files when an instance is recreated; preserve the intended directives in the panel’s startup or configuration mechanism rather than editing a disposable copy.
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Security practices after RCON works
- Use a unique password no longer than 32 characters and store it in a protected password manager.
- Restrict inbound access to trusted administrator addresses or a VPN when your environment supports it.
- Do not publish
BEServer.cfgcontents, screenshots, or logs containing the password. - Keep the RCON port separate from all game-server ports and document the mapping for future maintenance.
- Review startup and access logs after changing the password, port, bind address, or provider firewall.
What to collect before escalating
If the problem persists, prepare a reproducible report rather than a screenshot of the client error alone. Include:
- Exact Arma 3 server build and operating system.
- Whether the 32-bit or 64-bit executable is running.
- Complete launch parameters, including the effective
-BEpath. - The full path and sanitized contents of the active
BEServer.cfgorBEServer_x64.cfg; replace the real password with a neutral marker. - Configured RCON port, public endpoint, and whether
RConIPis absent or set. - Operating-system firewall, router/NAT, cloud security-group, and provider-firewall rules for that port.
- Exact client error text, client version, and results from a second client or an external-network test.
- Server-log lines covering BattlEye startup, configuration loading, and any bind or authentication error.
Use Bohemia Interactive’s Feedback Tracker for a reproducible Arma 3 defect. For failures that remain specific to BattlEye after the configuration and network checks above, provide the same sanitized evidence to BattlEye support. The official Bohemia page displayed Arma 3 version 2.22 at the time of the cited guidance; verify the current server build when reporting because version labels can change.
Quick Recap
Decision checklist
- Active BattlEye directory confirmed from the running launch configuration.
- Correct architecture-specific configuration filename edited.
RConPasswordpresent and within the documented 32-character limit.RConPortpresent, free, and different from every game port.RConIPremoved during troubleshooting unless a verified bind is required.- Exact RCON port allowed through host, NAT, cloud, and provider controls.
- Startup log confirms BattlEye loaded the intended configuration.
- Client uses the public endpoint, RCON port, and matching password.
- Second-client and external-network tests performed.
- Manual reconnect completed after an automatic restart.
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