Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA Soulmask “connection timed out” message means the game did not complete a network connection in time. It does not identify the cause by itself: Steam availability, Wi‑Fi, a firewall, VPN or proxy filtering, router forwarding, a stopped server, an incorrect password, or a client/server build mismatch can all produce the same symptom. Start with checks that cannot damage a server, then work outward from your computer to the host, router, and dedicated-server configuration.
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What the timeout means—and what it does not
A timeout is a connectivity symptom, not a diagnosis. Your Soulmask client sent or expected network traffic and did not receive the response needed to finish joining before the connection window expired. The failed response might be blocked on your computer, lost on the local network, rejected by a router, aimed at the wrong public address or port, or never generated because the server is still starting or running a different build.
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This distinction matters because reinstalling game files will not repair a blocked UDP port, and changing router rules will not help during a Steam-wide outage. Work through the least invasive tests first and change one variable at a time. Record the client build, server build, region, timestamp, address type (LAN or internet), configured game port, query port, and the exact error or log line. That record makes it easier to undo an unhelpful change and to give support a reproducible case.
Fixes to try first
1. Check whether Steam is having an outage
Open Steam’s Server Status page and confirm that the platform is operating normally. Steam Support specifically recommends checking system-wide status before troubleshooting an individual connection. If Steam services are unavailable or degraded, wait and test again later rather than editing Soulmask files or rebuilding a server.
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A normal status page does not prove that your particular ISP, campus network, or server is reachable; it only removes a broad platform outage as the first suspect.
2. Restart the router and isolate Wi‑Fi
Power-cycle the home router, wait for it to finish reconnecting, and then launch Soulmask again. If you are using Wi‑Fi or a powerline adapter, temporarily connect the playing computer directly to the router with Ethernet. Steam identifies wireless and powerline links as possible sources of intermittent failures, so a wired test is a useful diagnostic even when other online games appear to work.
A Cat6 cable can help you test the local link; it cannot repair a server outage, an incorrect port rule, or a firewall that is deliberately denying traffic. If Ethernet works while Wi‑Fi fails, focus on wireless signal quality, router wireless settings, or interference instead of changing the Soulmask server.
3. Check firewall, VPN, proxy, and antivirus filtering
Allow Steam and Soulmask through the host computer’s firewall. Also inspect VPNs, system proxies, antivirus network filters, university or workplace network controls, and ISP restrictions. Steam notes that a firewall can begin blocking Steam after an update and that some networks or ISPs block ports needed by Steam services.
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Do not leave protection disabled as a “fix.” Create a narrowly scoped allow rule for the required applications and ports, test the connection, and restore normal protection. If disabling a VPN makes the join succeed, leave the VPN off for this test or configure split tunneling according to its documentation; do not assume the game server is broken.
Determine whether you are joining over LAN or the internet
The correct address depends on where the players are located. Two computers in the same home network can communicate through the host’s private IPv4 address. A player outside that home network must use the host’s public address, and the router must forward the server’s ports to the host computer or dedicated-server machine. A private address such as an address beginning with 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16–172.31.x.x is not a remotely reachable server address.
| Connection path | Address to enter | What must be permitted | Typical owner of the fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAN, same home network | Server computer’s private IPv4 address | Inbound Soulmask traffic in the server computer’s firewall; both devices must be on the same reachable network | Host or LAN administrator |
| Internet, self-hosted at home | Home network’s public address and the configured server port | Host firewall rules plus router forwarding to a fixed local address; correct UDP protocol | Host and router administrator |
| Internet, managed or rented server | Address and port shown by the provider or server panel | Provider-side exposure, server firewall, and a running instance on the matching build | Server administrator, with provider support if required |
For a LAN test, use the private address only after confirming that the server process is running and Windows Firewall allows inbound traffic. For an internet test, do not substitute that private address; copy the public address and port supplied by the host or server panel.
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Confirm the host is actually in the game
Have the host start the world completely and remain in it while another player joins. A timeout during world creation or while the host is closing the session can look identical to a bad port. If the host can play but nobody else can join, continue with firewall and address checks. If the host cannot start or stay connected, solve that local or platform problem first.
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Use the right address for the test
For players in the same home, obtain the host computer’s current private IPv4 address and use that for the LAN attempt. Local addresses can change after a router restart, so verify the address again if the test worked previously and then stopped. Players outside the home should never be asked to use the LAN address; they need the public address and router forwarding.
Check the password exactly
Re-enter the join password character for character. Confirm that the host did not change it, add a trailing space, or provide a password for a different session. A wrong password usually produces an authentication failure, but a server that cannot complete the exchange may present a timeout instead, so this simple check belongs in the same branch.
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Match the client and server builds
Update the player’s Soulmask installation and the dedicated server to compatible builds. Hosting guidance identifies a client/server build mismatch as a common reason for failed joins. Leave unsupported beta branches, restart the dedicated server after updating, and wait until startup has completed before attempting to connect.
Write down both build numbers. If one player can join while another cannot, compare the failing player’s build with the working player’s build before changing network settings. A server that is still downloading an update or loading its world is not ready merely because its process appears in a task list.
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Use the configured game and query ports
Dedicated servers expose a game port and a separate Steam query port. The exact values depend on the server configuration or provider; community examples are not universal defaults. Copy the assigned values from the server panel, launch configuration, or container documentation instead of assuming a number found in a forum post.
Both ports may need to be allowed through the host firewall and forwarded on the router, using the UDP protocol required by the server configuration. A TCP-only rule, a UDP rule pointing at the wrong machine, or forwarding the game port while omitting the query port can produce a timeout or leave the server missing from a list.
| Setting to verify | Correct question | Failure symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Game UDP port | Is the configured game port allowed in the host firewall and forwarded to the server’s fixed local address? | Direct joins fail even when the server process is running |
| Steam query UDP port | Is the separate query port exposed with the value assigned to this instance? | Server does not appear in a list, or list visibility is inconsistent |
| Protocol | Do firewall and router rules use UDP rather than an accidental TCP-only rule? | Rules appear present but no connection completes |
| Destination address | Do forwarding rules point to the current, fixed local IPv4 address of the server machine? | Rules worked until a DHCP address changed |
| Port conflict | Is another service already using either assigned port? | Server fails to bind, starts partially, or is unreachable despite open rules |
Make the server’s local address stable
Router forwarding is tied to a destination device. If the router gives the server computer a different private IPv4 address, an otherwise correct rule can silently point to the wrong machine. Reserve the address in the router’s DHCP settings or configure an appropriate fixed local address, then update the forwarding destination to match. Keep the address inside the network’s valid range and avoid assigning an address already used by another device.
Check server visibility separately from direct joining
If the server appears in a list but a direct connection times out, inspect the query-port exposure, firewall scope, and the address and port being used for the direct attempt. If the server is invisible, check that it is fully started, registered for listing, exposing the query settings, and running the same build as the client. Visibility and gameplay traffic are related but not identical; a query response can be blocked even when the game process is active.
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Windows firewall and router procedure
Allow the applications on the host
- Open Windows Security and choose Firewall & network protection.
- Select Allow an app through firewall, choose Change settings, and allow Steam and Soulmask on the network profile you actually use.
- If the server is dedicated, create inbound rules for its configured UDP game and query ports rather than opening unrelated ports.
- Apply the rule, restart the game or server, and test from one other player. Re-enable any protection you temporarily paused.
Menu wording can vary slightly by Windows release or security product. The important properties are application scope, inbound direction, the correct UDP ports, and the correct network profile. Avoid a blanket “allow everything” rule.
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- Sign in to the router’s administration page and locate Port Forwarding, NAT, or a similarly named section.
- Create a rule for the configured Soulmask game UDP port and another for the separate query UDP port when the server documentation requires both.
- Set the destination to the server computer’s fixed private IPv4 address. Do not forward to a laptop or console that is not running the server.
- Save the rules, restart the server, and have a player outside the home network test using the public address and assigned port.
Testing from inside the same network can be misleading because some routers do not support hairpin NAT. A successful LAN test proves that the server and local firewall can communicate; it does not prove that an internet player can reach the forwarded ports.
Choose the right troubleshooting path
| Path | Firewall and router control | Update responsibility | Recovery and support considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAN play | You control the host firewall and local network; no internet forwarding is needed | Every player and the host must stay compatible | Fastest isolation test; limited to the local network |
| Non-dedicated internet host | You control the host firewall and home router, including forwarding | The host updates the game and must remain online | Simple for short sessions; the session ends when the host leaves or loses connection |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | You control the server firewall, router, address reservation, and port assignments | You maintain the server installation and updates | More control and persistence, but more exposure to configuration errors and hardware or ISP limits |
| Managed dedicated hosting | The provider controls infrastructure-side networking; you control settings exposed in its panel | Responsibilities depend on the service agreement | Often offers a fixed location and support channel; verify the assigned ports, backups, recovery process, player limit, and support response terms |
Use LAN first when everyone is local, because it removes public routing from the equation. Use a managed server when you cannot forward ports or keep a home host online, but still verify build updates, location and latency, backups, recovery options, player capacity, and support responsiveness before relying on it for a persistent world.
A controlled retest plan
- Test an official or otherwise known-good server. If that works, your Steam client and basic internet path are probably functional; focus on the private server.
- Test the same server from a second player or a different network. A failure for everyone points toward the server, port exposure, or host firewall; a failure for only one player points toward that player’s network or installation.
- Compare LAN and internet attempts. LAN success with internet failure points toward public addressing, NAT, forwarding, ISP filtering, or the external firewall.
- Change one setting only—such as adding the query-port rule—then restart the server and repeat the same join attempt.
- Record the result, timestamp, region, build numbers, address type, configured ports, and exact log line before making the next change.
This method prevents several simultaneous edits from hiding which change helped. It also gives support a useful reproduction rather than a list of unrelated guesses.
When to contact support
Escalate after reproducing the timeout on a known-good server or network and confirming that the client and server builds match. Soulmask’s Steam support listing gives Qooland Games’ support address as [email protected].
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Include the client and server build numbers, region, timestamp with time zone, server address and port (redacting passwords and private credentials), whether the attempt was LAN or internet, the firewall and forwarding configuration, and relevant client and server logs. State which tests succeeded—for example, “LAN works but an external network times out”—so support can distinguish an account or game problem from a routing problem.
Common wrong turns
- Using a private IP for a remote friend: private IPv4 addresses work for LAN play, not across the public internet.
- Forwarding only one port: the game and Steam query ports are separate; use the values assigned to your instance.
- Opening TCP when the server needs UDP: a rule with the wrong protocol does not expose the required traffic.
- Assuming a listed server is fully reachable: list visibility depends on query traffic and does not guarantee that gameplay traffic can complete.
- Leaving a firewall or antivirus disabled: use a narrow allow rule and restore protection after the test.
- Updating only the player: a dedicated server on another build can continue running while every join attempt fails.
- Changing everything at once: without a controlled retest, you cannot tell whether the router, firewall, address, password, or build change mattered.
What a successful fix looks like
The final test should be repeatable: the server reaches a completed startup state, the client and server report compatible builds, the player uses the correct LAN or public address, the exact password is accepted, and the configured UDP game and query ports are allowed through the relevant firewall and router. If one network or player still times out while another connects normally, keep the server configuration unchanged and investigate the failing network path rather than rebuilding the world.
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