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V Rising Server Ports and Port Forwarding Explained (PC 1.1.x)

V Rising uses UDP 9876 for game traffic and UDP 9877 for server-browser queries by default. Check the live settings, forward the right UDP ports, and troubleshoot listing, NAT, and firewall failures systematically.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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A V Rising dedicated server listens on two UDP ports: Port for game traffic (9876 by default) and QueryPort for Steam server-browser queries (9877 by default). The live values in ServerHostSettings.json are authoritative. Forward and allow both UDP values when you want browser listing; for direct connections, the game Port is the essential requirement.

The ports V Rising actually uses

Stunlock’s dedicated-server instructions define separate listeners for gameplay and server discovery. Defaults are useful as a starting point, but a running server may use different numbers if you changed its configuration, startup arguments, or environment settings.

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Setting Transport Default in the maintained settings reference What it does When to forward it
Port UDP 9876 Carries player game traffic to the dedicated server. Always, if players connect from outside your LAN.
QueryPort UDP 9877 Handles Steam server-list queries and browser visibility. When the server should appear in the public server browser.
RCON port TCP 25575 is the example shown in the current instructions Remote administration only; it requires a password. Only when you intentionally enable remote administration.

These roles and defaults are documented by Stunlock Studios in the current 1.1.x PC instructions. The older 1.0.x instructions state the practical rule plainly: both the game port and query port must be open and forwarded for server-list visibility; opening only the game port is enough for direct connection.

Why a server can work by address but not appear in the list

Direct connection uses the game port

A player who enters your public address and configured game port is attempting to reach the gameplay listener. If that UDP port reaches the server computer and the host firewall permits it, the connection can succeed even when the query listener is inaccessible.

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Browser listing also needs the query port

The Steam browser asks the query listener for server information. A blocked or misrouted QueryPort, or a disabled listing option, can leave a perfectly playable server absent from search results. Listing is therefore a separate networking path, not a confirmation that gameplay forwarding is correct.

Listing is not instantaneous

Stunlock notes that a newly launched server can take a few minutes to appear. Wait after startup before treating a missing listing as a port failure. Direct connection by external address is a useful independent test.

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Find the values your running server is using

Do not assume 9876 and 9877 until you have checked the configuration that this instance actually reads. The two principal files are ServerHostSettings.json and ServerGameSettings.json; networking values belong in the host settings file.

Default and override locations

  • Default files are supplied under VRisingServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Settings/.
  • Local overrides are read from %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingServerSettings.
  • A startup option named -persistentDataPath can point the server at a custom data directory.

Keep personal edits in the override directory, or in a copied startup script that reapplies them. Updating the server installation can replace files under the installation directory, while the persistent override location is intended for local settings.

Check for startup overrides

The official instructions support -gamePort and -queryPort command-line overrides. Environment variables and command-line parameters can also change values. If a file shows 9876 but the launch script supplies another number, use the value passed to the running process when creating firewall rules, forwarding rules, and direct-connect addresses.

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Keep one consistent pair

For each listener, the number must match in four places: the active server configuration, the host firewall rule, the router’s forwarding rule, and the address players use. A mismatch such as forwarding UDP 9876 while the process listens on 27016 produces the same symptoms as a blocked port.

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How to forward V Rising ports step by step

  1. Reserve the server computer’s private address. In the router’s LAN or DHCP settings, create a DHCP reservation for the server machine. A reservation prevents the target address from changing after a lease renewal. Write down the resulting private IPv4 address, such as 192.168.1.50; use your actual address, not this example.
  2. Read Port and QueryPort. Open the active ServerHostSettings.json, including any custom -persistentDataPath location, and record the configured values. Confirm that the dedicated server has been restarted after edits.
  3. Allow inbound UDP on the host. In Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, create an inbound rule for UDP and the configured game port. Create a second UDP rule for the query port if listing is required. Scope the rules to the server application or the intended network profile when your setup permits; do not create TCP rules for these two listeners.
  4. Create router forwarding rules. In the router’s Port Forwarding, NAT, or Virtual Server page, add one rule for the game UDP port and, when needed, one for the query UDP port. Set the destination to the reserved private address of the server computer. The external and internal port values are normally identical; follow your router’s terminology if it separates them.
  5. Enable listing options deliberately. The current instructions expose ListOnSteam and ListOnEOS. Enable the service or services on which you want the server listed. Port forwarding cannot make a disabled listing appear.
  6. Start or restart the server. A process that was already running may still be using old values. Restart after changing JSON, command-line, environment, firewall, or router settings.
  7. Test in two stages. First join from another device on the same LAN using the server’s private address. Then test from a genuinely external connection, such as a phone hotspot or a friend’s network, using the public address and game port. Do not rely only on a test from inside your LAN to the public address.

Router and firewall details that commonly matter

Forward UDP, not just TCP

The documented gameplay and query listeners are UDP. A TCP-only rule will not provide the required path. RCON is the exception: the current instructions show it as a separate TCP administration listener, with a password requirement.

Forward to the correct machine

Routers often retain old forwarding entries after a computer receives a new private address. Compare the rule’s destination with the server computer’s current address and with the DHCP reservation. Forwarding to a gaming PC, NAS, or another host by mistake leaves the V Rising process unreachable.

Open both layers

Allowing a port on the router does not override the operating system’s firewall. Conversely, a host rule cannot accept traffic that the router never forwards. Check both layers before changing server files again.

Consider upstream ISP equipment

If your internet service uses an ISP modem plus your own router, you may have two NAT devices. Forward the ports through both, or place the downstream router in the upstream device’s supported bridge or equivalent configuration. Avoid exposing an administration interface to the internet while doing this.

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Testing: private address, public address, and listing

LAN test

Use another device on the same home network and the server’s private IPv4 address. This isolates the game process and host firewall from internet routing. If the LAN test fails, port forwarding is not yet the primary problem: verify that the server is running, that the address is correct, and that the host firewall allows the configured UDP game port.

External test

Use a phone hotspot, a friend’s connection, or another network that is not behind the same router. Connect to the public IPv4 address and game port. If this fails while the LAN test works, inspect the router rule, upstream NAT, host firewall, and ISP restrictions.

Why testing your own public address can mislead you

Some routers lack NAT loopback (also called hairpin NAT). They cannot send a device inside the LAN back through the public address and return it to another device on that same LAN. An internal failure using the public address can therefore occur even when outside players connect normally. Always include a truly external test.

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Listing test

After external direct connection works, allow several minutes for the browser to update. If the server remains missing, verify the query port’s UDP firewall rule and forwarding rule, confirm the relevant ListOnSteam or ListOnEOS setting, and make sure the query value matches the running process rather than an unused copy of the JSON file.

Failure symptoms and targeted fixes

Symptom Likely cause What to check
LAN players cannot join. Server is stopped, wrong private address, or host firewall blocks UDP. Process status, active settings file, private address, and inbound UDP game-port rule.
LAN works; outside players cannot join. Router forwarding, upstream NAT, ISP limitation, or host firewall. Reserved address, destination of the UDP rule, both NAT devices, and an external test.
Direct connection works; server is absent from browser. Query port is blocked or not forwarded, listing is disabled, or propagation is still pending. UDP query rule, QueryPort value, listing settings, and a few minutes of wait time.
Rules look correct but nothing changed. The server reads a different override file or startup argument. -persistentDataPath, -gamePort, -queryPort, and the launch script.
Hosting works intermittently after reboots. The server computer’s private address changed. DHCP reservation and the router rule’s destination.
No inbound hosting despite correct local setup. Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) or DS-Lite prevents unsolicited inbound IPv4 traffic. Whether the router has a real public IPv4 address and whether the ISP offers one.
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CGNAT, DS-Lite, and the public-address requirement

Traditional forwarding assumes that your router owns a reachable public IPv4 address. Under CGNAT or DS-Lite, the ISP may place another NAT layer in front of your router or provide IPv6-only access with shared IPv4 translation. In those arrangements, a correctly configured home router may still be unable to receive unsolicited IPv4 connections.

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Compare the router’s reported internet-facing IPv4 address with the address shown by an independent external service. If they differ in a way that indicates shared translation, ask the ISP about a public IPv4 option. If inbound IPv4 cannot be provided, a managed game-server host or another network with a reachable address avoids home port forwarding.

RCON is not a player port

RCON is an administrative interface, separate from both gameplay and Steam queries. The current instructions show a TCP example port of 25575 and require a password. Do not add RCON to the normal player forwarding recipe. If remote administration is necessary, expose only the chosen TCP port, use a strong unique password, and restrict the source addresses in the host and router firewalls where supported. Otherwise, leave RCON disabled or reachable only from the private network.

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Self-hosting or managed hosting?

The free V Rising Dedicated Server application is available through Steam’s Tools section, and Stunlock’s current instructions target PC version 1.1.x. Self-hosting gives you direct control, but it also makes you responsible for networking, updates, restarts, backups, and security.

Consideration Self-hosted at home Managed server host
Files and settings Full control over configuration, save files, mods where supported, and startup arguments. Control depends on the provider’s panel and file access.
Router and ISP Requires stable LAN addressing, inbound forwarding, and a reachable public address. Usually avoids home-router forwarding and CGNAT problems.
Maintenance You install updates, restart after changes, monitor uptime, and secure the machine. The provider supplies infrastructure; you still need to manage game settings and backups according to its terms.
Recurring cost No server rental fee, but uses your electricity, bandwidth, and hardware. Recurring rental charge; current prices and terms vary by provider and plan.
Backups You must schedule and store copies of the world and settings. Backup frequency and restoration options depend on the service; verify them before relying on the host.
Inviting players Share your public address and game port, or wait for browser listing. Players generally use the host-provided address or listing entry.

Managed hosting is the practical route when your ISP will not provide a public IPv4 address, your router cannot support the required rules, or you do not want to maintain a continuously running server. It trades local control for a recurring service and provider-dependent backup and update policies.

Security and maintenance checklist

  • Forward only the configured UDP game port and, when needed, the UDP query port.
  • Do not forward RCON unless remote administration is required; protect it with a strong password and restrictive firewall rules.
  • Reserve the server’s private address so forwarding survives DHCP renewals.
  • Keep custom settings in the persistent override location or a maintained startup script rather than editing files that updates may replace.
  • After every port or settings change, restart the server and repeat a LAN and external test.
  • Back up world data and configuration before updates or major edits.
  • Record the active Port, QueryPort, listing settings, private address, and router rule destinations so troubleshooting is reproducible.

Practical decision rule

For a home server, first prove that another LAN device can connect, then prove an external device can reach the game port. Only after direct connection works should you troubleshoot browser visibility through the query port and listing settings. If the external test fails despite matching configuration and forwarding, investigate CGNAT, DS-Lite, or a second NAT device instead of repeatedly changing the port numbers.

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