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This guide covers Windows and Linux setup, ports, persistent server identity, mods, joining, troubleshooting, and the choice between self-hosting and a managed service.
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What an ATS dedicated server does
A dedicated server runs the Convoy session as a separate process rather than tying the session to one player’s game. It remains available when nobody is connected, so players can return to the same world without waiting for the original host to launch ATS. SCS describes this as the key difference from an ordinary Convoy, which needs its host to stay available.
The dedicated-server software is free. SCS provides builds for Windows and Linux, and the server can run without owning the full game or any DLC on that machine. Your regular ATS installation is still needed once to create the package files that describe the map, DLC and mod setup.
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What you need before installing
- A Windows or Linux computer that can remain online while your group plays.
- Steam access to install the ATS Dedicated Server, or SteamCMD if the machine has no Steam client.
- The ATS game installed somewhere for the one-time package export.
- Administrator access to the host firewall and, for public listing, the router that controls the host’s internet connection.
- One consistent server home directory. If you use
-homedir, use the same redirected home location whenever the server is launched. - The exact game version and mod set that every player will use.
Dedicated server versus a normal Convoy
| Consideration | Dedicated server | Ordinary Convoy host |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Can keep running with zero players connected. | Requires the host player’s session to remain available. |
| Installation | Separate ATS Dedicated Server tool, app ID 2239530. | Built into the normal game. |
| Game ownership on server machine | Not required for the dedicated process; package files carry the setup. | The host must run the game. |
| Administration | You manage files, updates, firewall rules and backups, or delegate them to a provider. | Most settings are controlled from the in-game lobby. |
| Network behavior | Public browsing needs a public IP or forwarded physical ports; direct Session Search can work behind NAT. | Connection behavior depends on the host’s game session and NAT conditions. |
Step 1: Install the ATS Dedicated Server
Steam installation
On a machine with the Steam client, open the Library, change the library filter to Tools, and install American Truck Simulator Dedicated Server. The documented Steam application ID is 2239530. Install it in a location with enough free space for the server files and its generated home directory.
SteamCMD installation
On a headless Windows or Linux machine, install SteamCMD and use the ATS Dedicated Server application ID 2239530 in SteamCMD’s normal app-install workflow. The full ATS game does not have to be installed on this host. Keep the SteamCMD installation directory separate from the server home so updates do not overwrite configuration files.
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Start the dedicated server once, then stop it after it has initialized. The first launch creates the server home and a default server_config.sii. On Linux, use the supplied launch script or provide the required steamclient.so library as described by SCS. If you redirect the home with -homedir, record that exact path; all subsequent launches and file copies must use it.
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Step 2: Generate the package files from ATS
The dedicated process does not discover your normal game’s map, DLC and mods automatically. Those choices are serialized into two files: server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat. Generate them from the ATS installation whose content you intend to host.
- Start ATS with the desired map DLC and mods enabled.
- Open the game’s configuration file and set
uset g_console "1". - Launch the game, open the developer console with the tilde key (
~), and runexport_server_packages. You can provide a destination if you want the files written directly to a known folder. - Confirm that both
server_packages.siiandserver_packages.datwere created. Copy both files, not just the text-based.siifile. - Stop the dedicated server and place the two files in its server home, next to
server_config.sii.
SCS states that the package files carry the map, DLC and mod configuration, so the dedicated host does not need the corresponding DLC or mod data installed locally. Players still need the actual content on their own computers.
Step 3: Configure server_config.sii
Open the generated default configuration in a text editor and adjust the session values you need. The file contains the session description, physical and virtual port settings, the game-server logon token, and moderator entries. Make a backup before each change so a typo can be reversed quickly.
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Session identity and access
- Choose a distinctive session name so friends can identify it in the Convoy Lobby.
- Set a password if the session is private, and distribute it only to the intended group.
- Add moderator identities for people who should be able to manage the session.
- Keep a written record of the active configuration and the package export date. Re-export after changing the map, DLC or mod load order.
Physical and virtual ports
The configuration separates the ports used for the actual game connection from the ports used for server queries and listing. A current connection guide lists these defaults:
| Setting | Default | Purpose | Router forwarding |
|---|---|---|---|
connection_dedicated_port |
27015 |
Physical game-connection traffic. | Forward TCP and UDP when making the server publicly reachable. |
query_dedicated_port |
27016 |
Queries used for listing and server information. | Forward TCP and UDP for public browsing. |
connection_virtual_port |
100 |
Virtual connection endpoint used by the game. | No router forwarding required. |
query_virtual_port |
101 |
Virtual query endpoint. | No router forwarding required. |
These are documented defaults, not a promise that every release will keep them. Read the values in your live server_config.sii before creating firewall or router rules. If you run multiple instances on one machine, assign different physical and virtual ports to every instance.
Step 4: Decide how players will reach the server
Public Convoy Lobby listing
For a server to appear in the public browser, SCS requires a public IP address or port forwarding. The dedicated server does not perform NAT punching. Forward both TCP and UDP for the configured physical connection and query ports from the router to the host’s private IP, and allow the same traffic through the host operating system’s firewall. Give the host a reserved local address so the forwarding rule does not break after a DHCP change.
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Session Search ID
When the server starts, it displays a Session Search ID; the same identifier is available in Convoy information. You can share that ID directly. A player opens the Convoy search field, pastes the ID and joins without relying on a public browser entry. This route can work when NAT prevents public listing, although a firewall that blocks the host process will still prevent connections.
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Step 5: Create a persistent server identity
An anonymous dedicated-server launch receives a non-persistent server ID. That means the identity can change after a restart, which is inconvenient if you publish a permanent name or maintain bookmarks. A Steam game-server logon token (GSLT) can make the identity persistent.
- Open Steam’s game-server management page while signed into the account that will own the token.
- Create a token for the American Truck Simulator game application. Do not use the dedicated-server tool’s app ID
2239530for this field; the token must be associated with the ATS game app. - Copy the token into the logon-token field in
server_config.sii. - Restart the server and check its startup log for successful authentication.
Keep the token private. If it is exposed, revoke it through Steam’s management page and issue a replacement. Each simultaneous server instance needs its own non-conflicting identity and port set.
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Step 6: Start the server and verify it locally
- Launch the dedicated process with the same home directory used during setup. On Linux, run the supplied script or provide
steamclient.soas required by the installation. - Watch the console or log until the session name, ports and Session Search ID are shown.
- From another computer on the same network, try joining with the Session Search ID. This confirms the package files and session configuration before you troubleshoot the internet path.
- If local joining works, test from a player outside your home network. Confirm that the router forwards the configured physical ports to the correct host address and that both TCP and UDP rules exist.
How players join
Join by Session Search ID
- Open ATS and enter the Convoy screen.
- Choose the search field for a Session Search ID.
- Paste the ID supplied by the administrator and submit it.
- Verify the displayed session name, password requirement and required content before joining.
Join from the Convoy Lobby
- Open the Convoy Lobby and search for the server name.
- Select the matching listing and enter the password if one is set.
- Allow the game to check the server’s version and content requirements.
Every participant must run the same ATS game version and have exactly the same mods in the same load order. A player who is missing one mod, has a different version, or orders two dependencies differently may be unable to connect even when the network configuration is correct.
Hosting with mods and DLC
Build the package export from the final load order you want the server to enforce. If you add, remove or reorder content, repeat export_server_packages and replace both package files on the host. Tell players to update their local mod files and reproduce the same order before they connect.
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Troubleshooting checklist
The server is not visible in the public browser
- Confirm that the host has a public IP or that the router forwards the physical connection and query ports shown in the current configuration.
- Check both TCP and UDP firewall rules and verify that forwarding points to the host’s current private IP.
- Remember that virtual ports do not need forwarding; forwarding only those values will not publish the server.
- Use the Session Search ID as a diagnostic. If direct search works but browsing does not, the remaining problem is usually listing, NAT or query-port reachability.
Players receive a version or content mismatch
- Confirm that the server and every player are on the same ATS game version.
- Compare the complete mod list and load order character by character.
- Re-export both package files after any server-side content change and copy both to the server home.
The server identity changes after every restart
- Check that a valid GSLT is present in
server_config.sii. - Verify that the token was created for the ATS game app, not app ID
2239530. - Inspect the startup log for authentication errors and replace a revoked or expired token.
The server starts with missing settings
- Make sure you are editing the
server_config.siiinside the active server home, especially when-homediris used. - Stop the process before replacing configuration or package files.
- Restore the last known-good backup if a syntax edit prevents startup, then change one setting at a time.
Self-hosting or managed hosting?
| Factor | Self-hosted machine | Managed ATS hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | You install Steam or SteamCMD, edit files, apply updates and maintain backups. | A provider supplies a control panel and maintains the underlying service. |
| Network work | You handle public IP decisions, router forwarding and host firewall rules. | The provider handles infrastructure networking; you still configure the session. |
| Uptime | Depends on your machine, power, internet connection and maintenance schedule. | Designed for provider-maintained always-on availability, subject to the provider’s terms. |
| Mods and versions | Direct control over package exports and update timing. | Control-panel tools may simplify deployment, but players still need matching versions and load order. |
| Cost | The official dedicated-server software is free; you supply hardware and connectivity. | Recurring service charges apply and vary by provider, location and plan. |
Choose self-hosting if you are comfortable administering SteamCMD or the Steam tool, editing .sii files, exporting packages, and troubleshooting firewalls. Choose managed hosting if a control panel, provider-maintained uptime and delegated network administration are worth the recurring fee. Confirm current player limits, locations, backup policy and pricing directly with any provider before subscribing.
Quick Recap
Maintenance routine for a 2026 server
- Update the dedicated-server tool and ATS on a planned schedule rather than immediately before an event.
- Back up
server_config.sii,server_packages.siiandserver_packages.datbefore updates. - After a game update, start the server privately and test a Session Search ID join.
- Re-export package files whenever the map, DLC selection or mod load order changes.
- Review router forwarding and the host firewall after changing ports or moving the machine.
- Keep the GSLT confidential and rotate it if it may have been exposed.
- Publish the current Session Search ID and password through your group’s normal communication channel after each restart.
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