The Tool Desk
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What RCON does on a Rust server
RCON (remote console) lets an administrator send console commands without being physically logged into the machine running the server. It is useful for moderation, scheduled maintenance, player management and emergency actions when you are away from the server console.
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WebRCON is separate from the game connection. The game server and query traffic use UDP, while RCON uses TCP. Rust+ also uses TCP. A typical installation therefore has separate game, query, RCON and Rust+ traffic rather than one universal port.
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Prerequisites before changing the launch command
- Administrative access to the machine or hosting control panel that starts the Rust server.
- The server’s public IP address, or the private address reachable through your VPN.
- A TCP port that is not already assigned to another service.
- A long, unique RCON password that is not used for Steam, SSH, the host panel or any other account.
- Permission to create a firewall or provider port rule. On a managed host, you may need the host to expose the port for you.
Do not copy the official wiki’s sample password. It is an example only. An empty password leaves RCON unusable and is not a safe configuration.
Add the three required launch options
Put all three settings in the command or startup configuration that launches RustDedicated:
+rcon.web 1 +rcon.password "<strong-password>" +rcon.port <port>For example, using port 28016:
+rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "<strong-password>" +rcon.web 1The order is not important, but each option must be present in the same launch configuration used after every restart. Replace the password and port variables; do not leave the angle-bracket text in production.
| Option | Purpose | Required value |
|---|---|---|
+rcon.web 1 |
Selects the web (WebSocket) remote-connect method. | 1 |
+rcon.password |
Sets the credential clients must provide. | A unique secret; never blank. |
+rcon.port |
Sets the TCP port used by RCON clients. | An explicit, available port such as 28016. |
Linux or other shell-based startup
- Open the script, service definition or control-panel field that starts the server.
- Append the three options to the existing launch line. Keep the password quoted if your shell or panel requires quoting.
- Save the configuration and restart the server process, rather than only reconnecting as a player.
Do not place the options in a random text file that the startup service never reads. If a panel regenerates the command, make the change in the panel’s startup-variable section so it survives a restart.
Windows or panel-based startup
- Open the shortcut, batch file or host-panel startup command used for
RustDedicated. - Add
+rcon.web 1,+rcon.passwordand+rcon.portto that command. - Restart from the same control that normally starts the server, then confirm that the new process has loaded the edited command.
Keep the password out of screenshots, public paste sites and shared support tickets. A startup command often appears in process lists or panel logs, so restrict operating-system and panel access as well.
Choose the RCON port instead of relying on a disputed default
Documentation is inconsistent about Rust’s default RCON port. The official wiki describes the default as the same as server.port, commonly 28015. Several community guides describe 28016, one above the game port. Because those statements conflict, do not design a firewall rule around an assumed default.
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| Traffic | Typical protocol | What to allow |
|---|---|---|
Player game connection (server.port) |
UDP | Keep the game port reachable over UDP for players. |
| Query traffic | UDP | Use the query-port setting configured for your server. |
| RCON | TCP | Allow only the explicit +rcon.port, preferably from an administrator IP or VPN. |
| Rust+ | TCP | Configure separately if you use Rust+; it is not the RCON port. |
Firewall and NAT rule
- Create an inbound rule for the selected RCON port and choose TCP, not UDP.
- If the server is behind a router, forward that TCP port to the machine’s private IP.
- Restrict the source to your office or home IP, VPN subnet or other administrator allow-list whenever possible.
- Leave the game UDP rule separate. Opening the game port does not open RCON, and opening RCON over UDP will not make WebRCON work.
Managed hosts may assign a nonstandard RCON port or hide it completely. Check the host’s port list and mapping first; do not assume that the port in your launch line is automatically reachable from the internet.
Restart and verify the server is listening
- Stop the existing Rust server process cleanly.
- Start it with the edited launch command.
- Review the startup output or host-panel status for a successful RCON bind/listen event and confirm that no other service is using the selected port.
- Check the host firewall and any cloud or router firewall for an inbound TCP rule matching the same number.
- From an administrator network, test the address and port with your WebRCON client. Use the server’s reachable public address, not an internal address that exists only on the server’s LAN.
If the process starts but the port is not listening, revisit the startup command actually being executed. A common mistake is editing a template while the service launches a different script or panel profile.
Connect with RustAdmin
RustAdmin is a desktop administration client that supports WebRCON. Configure it as follows:
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- Open the client’s Configuration tab.
- Enter the server IP address or hostname.
- Enter the explicit RCON port, not the player game port.
- Enter the exact RCON password from the launch configuration.
- Set the server type to WebRcon, then save and connect.
A red status bar can indicate a connection or authentication failure. One documented cause is a password containing special characters such as # or a double quote, which can break parsing in the client. If the server is listening and the password is correct but RustAdmin still fails, test with a newly generated, unique password that avoids characters known to be parsed incorrectly, update the launch setting, restart, and try again.
Do not select a legacy RCON mode when the server is configured with +rcon.web 1. The client and server must use the same protocol.
Connect with Facepunch’s browser client
Facepunch maintains a WebRCON project that runs in a browser and connects over WebSockets. A hosted client is available at facepunch.github.io/webrcon.
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- Open the hosted client in a modern browser.
- Provide the server address, the explicit RCON port and the RCON password when prompted.
- Start the connection and wait for the console interface to report a successful WebSocket session.
- Send a harmless read-only command first, then verify that the returned output comes from the intended server.
The browser client still needs network access to the TCP port. A browser page cannot bypass a closed firewall, a missing provider mapping or a server that is listening only on a private interface.
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Why an HTTP “web panel” is the wrong test
WebRCON is a WebSocket service. Typing http://server-address:rcon-port into a normal address bar is not a valid protocol test and may produce a blank page, an error or no response. Use a WebRCON-aware client instead.
Security: keep RCON private
WebRCON sends the password in the connection URL without encryption. Treat an internet-exposed RCON port as a credential exposure risk even when the password is long.
- Prefer a VPN, private network or source-IP allow-list over an open-to-everyone firewall rule.
- Use a long, random password unique to this server.
- Change the password if it appears in a log, screenshot, process listing or support ticket.
- Do not reuse the server’s owner, game-panel or operating-system password.
- Limit who can read the startup script and host-panel variables.
- Remove temporary broad firewall rules after testing.
A firewall protects the endpoint, while the password authenticates the client. Use both; neither replaces the other.
Troubleshooting WebRCON connections
The client times out
- Confirm the Rust server was restarted after adding the options.
- Confirm the client uses the explicit RCON port, not 28015 merely because that is the game port.
- Check that the rule is TCP and that router, cloud and operating-system firewalls all permit the same port.
- Verify the managed host has exposed or mapped the port externally.
- Check the server’s listening address and test from a network that can reach it.
The client immediately rejects the login
- Re-enter the password exactly, including capitalization.
- Make sure the startup command contains only one active RCON password setting.
- Restart after changing the password; editing a panel field does not necessarily alter a running process.
- In RustAdmin, test a password without parser-sensitive characters such as
#or"if the status bar remains red.
RCON works on the server but not remotely
This normally points to network scope rather than the Rust command: a local test can succeed while an external firewall, NAT rule or provider mapping blocks TCP. Compare the local address, public address, selected port and every firewall layer.
The browser client loads but cannot connect
Loading the page proves only that the browser reached the hosted client. It does not prove that your server’s WebSocket endpoint is reachable. Recheck the TCP rule, public address, port mapping and +rcon.web 1 setting.
A legacy RCON tool fails while WebRCON works
Older tools may expect the legacy protocol. Select WebRcon in a compatible client or switch to a client that supports WebRCON. Facepunch’s WebRCON project says web mode is intended to become the default and that the legacy protocol will eventually be removed, but no removal date has been announced.
The host changes or hides the port
Use the port shown in the host’s current allocation list. Some managed services do not expose the conventional port, and a launch argument alone cannot override a provider-level mapping or firewall policy.
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Quick Recap
Final setup checklist
+rcon.web 1is present in the command that actually starts the server.+rcon.passwordcontains a unique, non-empty secret.+rcon.portis set explicitly and is not assumed from a default.- The server has been restarted and is listening on that port.
- The RCON port is allowed over TCP; the game port remains a separate UDP rule.
- RustAdmin is set to WebRcon, or the Facepunch browser client is being used.
- Access is restricted by a firewall, VPN or allow-list.
- The password has not been exposed in a screenshot, log or shared command line.
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