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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 errorsWhen Vintage Story cannot connect to the master server, first determine whether the failure affects the public server list or only one server. A blank list or list timeout usually points to the client’s firewall, the masterserverUrl setting, or an overly short webRequestTimeout. If other servers appear and work but one server does not, investigate that server’s address, port forwarding, host firewall, whitelist, password, game version, and mods instead.
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Identify which connection is failing
Vintage Story uses the master server to retrieve the public list of multiplayer servers. That is a different network path from joining a particular server. A master-server problem can leave the list blank or make it time out, while a host-specific problem can affect only one entry. Starting with the scope prevents you from changing router settings when the client cannot reach the list service, or reinstalling the game when a friend’s server simply is not reachable.
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| What you observe | Most useful first suspects | Where the fix usually belongs |
|---|---|---|
| The public list is blank or times out | Client firewall, masterserverUrl, webRequestTimeout, damaged client settings |
Your computer and Vintage Story configuration |
| Other public servers work, but one server does not | Server address, changed host IP, port forwarding, host firewall, whitelist, password, version, or mods | The target server and its host |
| “Host has failed to respond” | Unreachable host, incorrect or changed IP, or missing TCP/UDP forwarding | Host router, host firewall, or address |
| “Host has actively refused” | A firewall rule commonly blocking Vintage Story | Client or host firewall permissions |
| Only a modded server fails | Version mismatch or incompatible mod set | Client and server installation |
The Vintage Story Wiki does not publish an authoritative rate for this exact error. The checks below are therefore a diagnostic sequence, not a claim that one cause accounts for a fixed percentage of failures.
Run a quick scope test
- Open Vintage Story’s multiplayer browser and try another server.
- Include the Official Public Test Server in the test if it is available to you.
- If another server loads and you can join it, the master-server path and your basic client connection are working. Concentrate on the original server’s address, whitelist, password, version, mods, host firewall, and router.
- If the public list itself stays empty or times out, continue with the client-side checks below.
This test also separates a friend’s temporary outage from a general Internet-access problem. Do not change port forwarding on your router merely because one entry fails while unrelated servers work.
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Fix a blank or timing-out public server list
Allow Vintagestory.exe through the firewall
The official multiplayer troubleshooting guidance says the firewall must not block Internet access for Vintagestory.exe. Check the firewall on the computer running the game and allow the executable on the network profiles you actually use. A reinstall does not necessarily alter an existing firewall rule, so reinstalling alone may leave the same block in place.
After changing the rule, fully close Vintage Story, start it again, and refresh the multiplayer browser. If the list now loads, the failure was a local permission issue rather than a master-server outage.
Verify the master-server endpoint
Vintage Story stores client preferences in clientsettings.json. A forum reply identifies the expected masterserverUrl value as:
https://masterserver.vintagestory.at/api/v1/servers/Open the file with a text editor and check that the value is spelled exactly, including the https:// protocol, the /api/v1/servers/ path, and the final slash. Do not replace it with a guessed address. Forum advice is a practical report from users, not a guarantee that editing this value fixes every list failure.
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Allow more time for the list request
Forum users also report that increasing webRequestTimeout can help when downloading the full list takes longer than the client’s default timeout. If the list eventually appears after a long wait, a timeout adjustment is a reasonable test. The reports do not establish one correct value for every connection, so increase it conservatively and change only that setting. A longer timeout cannot repair a blocked firewall rule or an incorrect endpoint; it only gives a slow request more time to complete.
Reset clientsettings.json as a last client-side step
If the endpoint and firewall rule look correct, the official guide suggests deleting the settings file and restarting the game. On Windows, the path is:
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When one server will not let you join
If the public list works and other servers are reachable, treat the problem as a connection to that particular host. Ask the operator to confirm the address and port they are currently publishing, and check whether the server is online. A home Internet connection can receive a new public IP address; an address that worked last week may no longer point to the host.
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Confirm the server address and current host IP
Re-enter the address rather than relying on an old saved entry. If the host recently restarted its modem or router, ask for the current public IP or hostname. The multiplayer troubleshooting page specifically recommends re-checking the host IP when a connection worked previously and then stopped.
Check the host firewall
The host computer must allow Vintage Story to accept incoming traffic. “Host has actively refused” commonly indicates a firewall rule blocking Vintage Story. The operator should inspect the host firewall and permit the server process on the intended network profiles, then restart the server and test again. A client-side reinstall does not correct a rule on somebody else’s computer.
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A reachable server can still reject a player for application-level reasons. Have the operator verify that your account or player name is on the whitelist, that you have the current password, and that both sides run the same Vintage Story version. For modded play, the client and server also need a compatible, matching mod set. A useful isolation test is to reduce the server to the vanilla Survival, Creative, and Essential mods and try again. If the vanilla test works, add the additional mods back in a controlled way to identify the incompatible set.
What “Host has failed to respond” means
The Vintage Story Wiki describes this condition as: “A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connect failed because connected host has failed to respond.” In practical terms, your client sent traffic but did not receive a usable response from the destination. For a home-hosted server, the wiki says this is likely to be a port-forwarding error.
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- Verify the host’s current public IP or hostname.
- Confirm that the server is running and listening on the expected port.
- Check the router’s forwarding rules for both TCP and UDP.
- Check the host computer’s firewall after changing the router.
- Test again from outside the host’s home network, because a local test may follow a different path.
If the server worked before, prioritize the changed-IP check. If the host moved the computer to a different network, replaced the router, or reset its configuration, the old forwarding rule may point to the wrong device.
Set up a home server so players can reach it
Try Open to Internet first
Vintage Story’s multiplayer setup guide documents an Open to Internet option that attempts to configure the router with UPnP. The guide estimates that this works instantly “about 60%” of the time when UPnP succeeds. That is a setup-success estimate from the Vintage Story Wiki, page accessed 2026—not the frequency of master-server errors and not a guarantee for any particular router or ISP.
Start the world, choose the Internet-sharing option, and have a player outside the home network try the supplied address. If the attempt fails, do not assume the game is broken; UPnP may be disabled, unsupported, or blocked by the network.
Forward TCP and UDP port 42420 manually
The documented default for Vintage Story home hosting is port 42420, using both TCP and UDP. In the router’s port-forwarding section, create rules that send TCP 42420 and UDP 42420 to the local IP address of the computer running the server. Then allow the same application or traffic through the host computer’s firewall. The forwarding destination must remain the host computer; if its local address changes, the rule can silently point at the wrong device.
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Because router interfaces differ, the exact menu names are not universal. Look for labels such as port forwarding, virtual server, or NAT rules, and make sure the protocol is selected separately where the router requires separate entries. Save the rules, restart the server, and test from an external connection. A successful local connection does not prove that the WAN path is open.
Use a dedicated server when the world must stay available
A temporary Open to LAN or Internet session depends on the host computer and its home connection staying online. The official setup guide also documents dedicated servers and paid hosting. A dedicated process is more suitable when the world should remain available while the original player is offline, when several players connect regularly, or when the operator wants configuration independent of a desktop session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why ISP and router limits can defeat correct settings
Port forwarding only works when incoming traffic can reach your router and the router can pass it to the server computer. UPnP can fail even when the Vintage Story setting is correct, and a router may be behind another router or an ISP-managed gateway. In those situations, a rule on the inner router does not necessarily expose the server to the public Internet. The practical implication is that repeated edits to clientsettings.json will not solve a host-side reachability problem.
If the operator cannot obtain a reachable public path, a managed Vintage Story server is a reasonable fallback. The official guide documents paid hosts, but availability and terms vary; choose a service that states how it handles the game version, mods, backups, and access controls. Hosting changes the network path and removes the need to maintain home-router forwarding, but it does not remove the need to match versions and mods.
A complete troubleshooting sequence
- Classify the scope. Try another multiplayer server, including the Official Public Test Server. Decide whether the failure is the whole list or one destination.
- For a list failure, check the client firewall. Ensure Internet access for
Vintagestory.exe; restart the game after changing the rule. - Inspect
clientsettings.json. ConfirmmasterserverUrlishttps://masterserver.vintagestory.at/api/v1/servers/. If the list is merely slow, test a higherwebRequestTimeout. - Reset only after recording settings. Delete
%appdata%VintagestoryDataclientsettings.json, restart, and test with a clean configuration. - For one-server failures, verify identity and access. Reconfirm the address, current host IP, whitelist, password, and server status.
- Align software. Match the Vintage Story version and mod set. Reduce to vanilla Survival, Creative, and Essential mods to isolate a mod problem.
- For home hosting, verify the network path. Try Open to Internet with UPnP; if it fails, forward TCP and UDP 42420 and permit the traffic through the host firewall.
- Escalate the hosting model. If router or ISP constraints prevent a reachable endpoint, move the world to a dedicated or managed server.
Choose the fix by scope, control, and permanence
| Situation | Primary control | Best next action | Persistence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every server-list request fails | Player-side client | Firewall check, endpoint check, timeout test, then settings reset | Usually persistent once the client setting is corrected |
| Only one public server fails | Server operator and host network | Recheck IP, port forwarding, firewall, whitelist, password, version, and mods | Depends on the host’s configuration |
| Friends cannot reach a home world | Router and host computer | UPnP first; otherwise TCP/UDP 42420 forwarding and firewall permissions | Persistent until the IP or router rules change |
| Home network cannot accept inbound traffic | Hosting arrangement | Use a dedicated or managed Vintage Story server | Designed for an always-on world |
Common mistakes that waste time
- Reinstalling before checking the firewall: the old firewall permission can survive a reinstall.
- Editing the router for a global list failure: a blank public list is usually a client path issue, not proof that every server is offline.
- Testing only from inside the host’s LAN: that does not verify public port forwarding.
- Forwarding only one protocol: the documented setup calls for both TCP and UDP on port 42420.
- Keeping an old IP in a saved server entry: the host’s public IP may have changed.
- Changing many settings at once: alter one layer, retest, and record the result so you know which change mattered.
- Resetting clientsettings.json without a backup: the reset removes keybinds, graphics preferences, saved servers, and other customizations.
- Blaming the master server for a mod mismatch: if other servers work and one modded server fails, align versions and isolate the mod set first.
Keeping future connections reliable
Save the server’s current address and note whether it is a hostname or a numeric IP. The operator should document the local address used by the forwarding rule and update it if the router assigns a different address. Keep the client and server on the same Vintage Story version before adding mods, and retain a known-good vanilla configuration for testing.
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For a home server, record that the documented default is TCP and UDP 42420, check the host firewall after operating-system changes, and retest from an external network after router changes. For an always-on community world, a dedicated or managed arrangement avoids many home-network dependencies, although access credentials, versions, and mods still need administration.
When to stop troubleshooting locally
Move beyond client edits when the public list works, the target address is current, and the host still reports no response after TCP/UDP forwarding and firewall checks. At that point the remaining variables are on the host’s network path, ISP, router topology, or server installation. Likewise, if a clean client configuration cannot reach the master-server endpoint while other Internet services work, provide the operator with the exact symptom and the settings you verified rather than repeatedly reinstalling.
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