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If Rust reports rcon.login failure, check the connection in layers rather than repeatedly changing the password. The usual causes are an unfinished server startup, a missing or overridden RCON configuration, using the UDP game port instead of the TCP RCON port, a blocked or unforwarded port, an unreachable private address, or an incorrect password. Five bad password attempts trigger a temporary five-minute IP ban by default, so stop retrying while you verify each setting.
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What a Rust RCON login actually needs
RCON is a separate remote-console service. A player can join the server normally while RCON remains inaccessible because the two services use different ports and protocols. Facepunch documents server.port as the game port using UDP and rcon.port as the RCON port using TCP. A client pointed at the game port will fail even when the server is healthy and accepting players.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe server must be fully started, RCON must be enabled with a password, the client must use the effective RCON port and a reachable host, and every network device between the client and server must allow TCP traffic. Authentication then has to succeed with the exact configured password. Treat those as separate tests; a successful port test does not prove that the password is correct, and a correct password cannot help if the TCP port is unreachable.
Fix rcon.login errors in the correct order
- Wait for the server to finish booting. Open the dedicated-server console or log and find the exact message
Server startup complete. Do not test RCON while the process is still loading maps, plugins, or world data. - Inspect the configuration that is actually loaded. Facepunch says
server.cfgis read at startup and takes priority over command-line values. A stale file can therefore override a corrected launch command. Check both places and remove contradictory entries. - Verify the three RCON convars. A minimal
server.cfgentry is:
rcon.port 28016
rcon.password "use-a-long-unique-secret"
rcon.web 1In server.cfg, write the convars without the + prefix used by launch arguments. If you launch the server with command-line arguments instead, the equivalent form is +rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "use-a-long-unique-secret" +rcon.web 1. Keep one authoritative value for each setting so a panel, startup script, and configuration file do not fight one another.
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- Use the RCON port, not the game port. Enter the value of
rcon.portin the RCON client. Do not assume the familiar game port is correct. Facepunch’s documentation identifies the game service as UDP and RCON as TCP. - Test the port from outside the server’s network. A local test can succeed even when internet clients are blocked by a router or cloud firewall. Test from a different internet connection, such as a phone hotspot, when possible.
- Use a routable host address. Internet clients need the server’s public IP address or a hostname that resolves to it. Private addresses such as
192.168.x.x,10.x.x.x, and172.16.x.xthrough172.31.x.xwork only inside the appropriate private network or through a correctly configured VPN. - Compare the password exactly. Match the client value to
rcon.password, including capitalization and punctuation. A trailing space is enough to cause authentication failure. If a control panel changed the password, restart the server so the new value is loaded. - Stop after several failed attempts. Facepunch’s 2024 security update says that after five bad-password attempts, the source IP is banned for five minutes. The documented defaults are
rcon.maxpasswordfailures 5andrcon.banduration 300seconds. Wait for the ban to expire, or clear the failed-login state from the server console if your setup provides that control. - Disconnect competing RCON clients. Some clients request an exclusive session. Close or disconnect RustAdmin, RCON.IO, dashboards, scripts, and other active consoles before trying again.
Configure RCON without an override
Understand configuration precedence
Rust can receive convars from a launch command, a generated panel configuration, and server.cfg. Facepunch states that server.cfg is read at startup and takes priority over command-line values. This explains the common situation in which an administrator edits the startup command, restarts, and still sees the old port or password: the file being loaded later contains the old value.
- Locate the server’s active
server.cfg, rather than an unused template or backup. - Search for every occurrence of
rcon.port,rcon.password, andrcon.web. - Remove duplicate or contradictory entries, then save one intended value.
- Restart the dedicated server. RCON settings changed on disk are not reliably active until a new startup reads them.
- After startup completes, copy the effective port and password into the client instead of relying on an old saved profile.
Choose a strong password that Rust will accept
Use a long, unique secret generated for this server. Do not reuse an administrator, Steam, hosting-panel, or operating-system password. Facepunch warns that weak passwords can prevent RCON from starting; an apparently correct network configuration cannot compensate for a rejected or unsafe credential. Keep the password out of public screenshots, chat, shell history, and shared configuration repositories.
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Quote the value when it contains spaces or characters that your shell or panel treats specially. In a configuration file, the quoted example is rcon.password "use-a-long-unique-secret". In a hosting panel, use the panel’s password field rather than adding a second command-line argument that may later be overridden.
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Game port versus RCON port
| Service | Convar | Protocol | What it is used for | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player game service | server.port |
UDP | Player connections and gameplay traffic | Entering this port in an RCON client |
| Remote console | rcon.port |
TCP | Administrative commands from an RCON client | Opening only the UDP game port |
The numbers may be adjacent or completely different; the value is whatever your effective configuration specifies. Opening the game port in a firewall does not open RCON, and forwarding UDP does not forward the TCP service. Create a separate TCP rule for the RCON port.
Prove whether the TCP port is reachable
Windows
From a Windows machine outside the server’s network, run:
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName your.public.host -Port 28016Replace the host and port with your actual values. A successful result indicates that a TCP handshake reached a listening service. It does not validate the RCON password. A failure points to startup, listening, firewall, NAT, cloud security, or an incorrect host/port.
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Use netcat from an external machine:
nc -zv your.public.host 28016The command should report a successful connection when TCP traffic can reach the port. If it times out, investigate filtering or routing. If it is refused, the host is reachable but no service is accepting that port, which usually means the server is not listening there or the port number is wrong.
Check every network boundary
- Operating-system firewall: allow inbound TCP on the exact
rcon.portand ensure the rule applies to the network profile in use. - Router or NAT: forward that TCP port to the server’s current LAN address. Reserve the server’s address so a DHCP change does not silently break the rule.
- Cloud security group: add an inbound TCP rule when the server runs on a virtual machine. The operating-system firewall and the provider’s security group are separate controls.
- Upstream NAT or CGNAT: if your internet provider does not give you a publicly reachable address, ordinary port forwarding may never work. Ask the provider for a public address or use a private network/VPN design instead of exposing RCON.
Restrict the source range to trusted administrator addresses where practical. If you must allow broad internet access, compensate with a strong unique password, patching, and monitoring.
Interpret the symptom before changing settings
| Symptom | Most likely layer | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Connection times out | Firewall, NAT, cloud rule, wrong public host, or server still booting | Confirm Server startup complete, then run an external TCP test and inspect forwarding rules. |
| Connection is refused immediately | No listener on that host/port or the wrong port | Recheck the effective rcon.port, protocol, and startup configuration. |
| Port test succeeds but login fails | Wrong password, stale client profile, temporary ban, or client conflict | Stop retries, wait out the five-minute default ban if triggered, compare the exact password, and disconnect other clients. |
| Players connect but RCON does not | Game port opened while TCP RCON port is closed or misrouted | Create a separate TCP rule and forward the RCON port. |
| It worked until a restart | Generated configuration or server.cfg override |
Inspect the file loaded at startup and the panel’s generated command; remove duplicate values. |
| Only one RCON tool fails | Client protocol, saved credentials, or exclusive-session behavior | Close other tools, create a fresh connection profile, and test with another compatible client. |
Recover from the five-minute temporary ban
Do not keep submitting the same password while an IP ban is active. Facepunch’s 2024 update sets the default threshold at five failed attempts and the default duration at 300 seconds. The ban is tied to the source IP, so switching between clients on the same network does not necessarily help; it can instead create more failed attempts.
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- Stop all automated reconnect loops and close every RCON client.
- Confirm the intended password in the active configuration or hosting panel.
- Wait at least five minutes from the final failed attempt unless your server has a different
rcon.banduration. - Restart only if you need to reload a corrected password or configuration; do not restart repeatedly as a substitute for fixing the credential.
- Reconnect once with the verified host, TCP port, and password.
If your administrator intentionally changed rcon.maxpasswordfailures or rcon.banduration, use those effective values rather than the defaults. A panel may expose these convars, while a file or launch argument may override what the panel displays.
Client conflicts and protocol details
RCON tools differ in how they negotiate sessions and whether they request exclusive access. RustTools notes that an active RustAdmin, RCON.IO, script, or another dashboard can prevent a second client from connecting. Disconnect every existing session before diagnosing the server.
Also verify that the client is designed for Rust’s current web RCON mode when rcon.web 1 is enabled. Do not assume that a generic game-console client speaks the same protocol. A protocol mismatch can look like a bad password even when the network path is open. Use the tool’s Rust-specific host, port, and password fields, and remove obsolete saved profiles before retesting.
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Self-hosted server versus managed hosting
| Decision point | Self-hosted machine | Managed host or panel |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall and NAT | You configure the operating-system firewall, router forwarding, and possibly CGNAT workarounds. | The provider may handle perimeter routing, but you still need to know whether an inbound RCON rule is enabled. |
| Where the port and password are edited | Usually server.cfg or startup arguments under your control. |
A panel field may generate files or arguments and can overwrite manual edits. |
| Applying changes | Restart after changing startup convars or server.cfg. |
Use the panel’s save-and-restart workflow; verify that it completed before testing. |
| Diagnostics | Use server logs, local firewall tools, and an external Test-NetConnection or nc -zv test. |
Look for panel reachability tests, allocation status, audit history, and firewall controls. |
| Multiple administrators | Coordinate client sessions and protect the password manually. | Role controls and audit history may reduce sharing, but an exclusive-session client can still block another connection. |
Managed hosting removes some router work, not the need to identify the effective configuration. When a panel shows one port but generates another, trust the value in the startup command or loaded server.cfg, then restart and test externally.
Security practices that prevent future lockouts
- Generate a long, unique RCON password and store it in a password manager.
- Never publish it in server advertisements, screenshots, support tickets, or shared chat.
- Allow TCP RCON only from trusted administrator IP addresses when your network permits.
- Keep the RCON port separate from the game port and document both labels.
- Disable or remove abandoned scripts and dashboards that reconnect with old credentials.
- Review logs and panel audit history after changing the password or granting administrator access.
- Expect a restart after edits so you do not test an old in-memory value.
Final verification checklist
- The log contains
Server startup complete. - The active
server.cfgand launch command do not contain conflicting RCON values. rcon.web 1is enabled and the password is strong and exact.- The client uses the effective
rcon.portover TCP, notserver.portover UDP. - The client host is a public, routable address when connecting over the internet.
- Inbound TCP is allowed in the operating-system firewall, router/NAT, and cloud security group as applicable.
- An external port test succeeds.
- At least five minutes have passed since any fifth failed password attempt.
- Other RCON clients and reconnecting scripts are disconnected.
When all nine checks pass, a remaining rcon.login error is most likely a client-specific protocol or credential-profile problem. Create a new client profile, enter the values manually, and test once rather than relying on cached settings.
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Can I use Rust’s game port for RCON?
No. Facepunch documents the game service on server.port as UDP and RCON on rcon.port as TCP. Open and forward the RCON port separately.
How long does the RCON password ban last?
With Facepunch’s documented defaults, five failed password attempts trigger a five-minute, or 300-second, IP ban. A server operator may have changed rcon.maxpasswordfailures or rcon.banduration.
Why does RCON fail while players can join?
Player traffic and RCON are separate services. The game’s UDP port can be reachable while the RCON TCP port is closed, unforwarded, or overridden by server.cfg.
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