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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted 7 Days to Die servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
If 7 Days to Die remains on “Connecting to server,” start by checking that the host and every player use the same game build, mods, and world files. Then verify the join method, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) and crossplay settings, local security software, and—if the server is hosted at home—the required router ports. A single-player failure usually points to that player’s PC or network; a failure for everyone usually points to the server, its settings, or port forwarding.
Identify where the connection fails
The loading screen does not identify one specific fault. The right first test depends on who is affected and what kind of server you are joining.
| What you observe | Most useful first checks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only one friend cannot join | That player’s VPN, firewall, antivirus, EAC installation, network driver, and local connection | The server is reachable by other players, so a client-side block is more likely. |
| Everyone is stuck or times out | Server and client versions, mods, world files, server settings, host firewall, and router forwarding | A shared server-side condition affects every connection attempt. |
| Same-platform players can join but cross-platform players cannot | Crossplay, EAC, and dedicated-server configuration | Cross-platform sessions require additional compatibility and security settings. |
| The server appears in a browser but joining never completes | Version/content matching, EAC, firewall rules, and ports | Discovery can work even when the actual game traffic or authentication is blocked. |
Make one change at a time and retry. If you change several settings together, you will not know which one solved the problem or which one introduced a new security risk.
1. Match the game version, mods, and world
A connection can stall before the map loads when the server and a player do not have identical required content. Confirm the exact game version shown by the platform and the server, not merely that both are on the same major release.
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Check the version on every machine
- Exit the game on the host and every player.
- Start the platform client and allow any pending 7 Days to Die update to finish.
- Have the host start the server once and record its displayed build number.
- Have each player record the build number shown in their game menu or launcher.
- Do not attempt to join until all numbers match. If one machine updated recently and another did not, restart the platform client and check for an interrupted download.
Do not use an experimental, beta, or preview branch on one machine while the others use the standard branch unless the server explicitly runs that same branch. A server update can also make an older saved world or mod set incompatible until the host updates the files.
Match mods and custom worlds
- List every server-side mod, including dependency libraries and server-only packages that also require a client component.
- Install the same mod versions on every player. “The same mod name” is not enough when the server has a newer or older release.
- Copy the exact custom world files the host uses, preserving folder names and capitalization.
- Temporarily remove optional mods from both sides and test a clean, unmodded session. If the clean session works, add the mods back in small groups to find the incompatible file.
- After changing content, fully restart the game rather than returning only to the main menu; cached assemblies and assets can survive a menu change.
If a clean, matching client still cannot connect, continue with the join-path and security checks below instead of repeatedly reinstalling the entire game.
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For a friend-hosted game, the platform’s peer-to-peer (P2P) list is often more reliable than a broad public-server search. The official multiplayer troubleshooting guidance recommends using the P2P tab when it is available and searching by the host’s SteamID.
Join a friend through P2P
- Ask the host to launch the world and remain in the session until it is visible.
- Open the multiplayer browser and select the peer-to-peer tab, if present.
- Search for the host by SteamID rather than relying on a partial server name.
- Select the exact session and join. If the entry is stale, close the browser, have the host stop and restart the session, and search again.
Remove browser filters that hide or misidentify the session
Clear restrictive filters such as map, region, player-count, password, mod, or “secure only” options while testing. A filter can make you join a different similarly named server or can prevent the correct listing from refreshing. Restore your preferred filters after you have established a working connection.
Test without a VPN
Disconnect the client and host from a VPN temporarily and retry. VPN routing can change the apparent region, block P2P negotiation, or place the player behind a NAT that cannot accept the session. If the game works with the VPN off, add the game and platform traffic to the VPN’s split-tunneling or allow-list rules, or leave the VPN disabled while playing. Do not treat a VPN test as proof that the game is faulty; it isolates the network path.
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3. Verify crossplay and EAC settings
Cross-platform dedicated servers have stricter requirements than a same-platform listen or P2P session. The 7 Days to Die Help Center states that cross-platform dedicated servers support up to eight players. The server must also permit crossplay and use compatible EAC settings.
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| Setting | Required value for a crossplay test | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
ServerAllowCrossplay |
True |
Allows players from supported platforms to connect. |
EACEnabled |
True |
Enables Easy Anti-Cheat authentication required by crossplay. |
IgnoreEOSSanctions |
False |
Uses the normal online-sanction check rather than bypassing it. |
- Stop the dedicated server before editing its configuration.
- Open the server configuration file used by your installation and locate the three settings above.
- Set the values exactly as shown, including the capital letters.
- Save the file, start the server, and wait until it reports that the world is ready.
- Have all players start the game with EAC enabled and join again.
If you are troubleshooting a same-platform session, test that simpler case first. A successful same-platform connection followed by a failed crossplay attempt narrows the problem to crossplay configuration, EAC, or platform-account authentication rather than general Internet reachability.
Do not disable EAC as a crossplay workaround
Turning EAC off can make a local test appear to work while preventing crossplay or creating a different server type. Keep it enabled for the crossplay test. If EAC reports a code-signing or initialization error, use the repair steps in the next section rather than changing the server’s security policy.
4. Repair EAC and remove local security blocks
EAC can fail before the game reaches the world-selection stage. Windows updates, certificate-store problems, antivirus scanning, firewall rules, and outdated network drivers can all interrupt its launch or its communication with the server.
Repair the client environment
- Install pending Windows updates and restart the computer. Code-signing checks depend on current system certificates.
- Launch the game from the platform library, not an old desktop shortcut. This ensures the platform applies the current launch parameters and EAC component.
- Use the platform’s option to verify or repair the game files, then restart the computer before testing again.
- Open the game’s EAC installation or setup utility and choose its repair option when available. Run the utility with administrator rights if Windows denies the repair.
- Update the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter driver from the computer or adapter manufacturer. Reboot after installation.
If the EAC installer reports that a certificate cannot be validated, do not set the system clock arbitrarily or download replacement certificates from an unknown site. Correct Windows Update and certificate-store errors first.
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Allow the game through Windows security tools
- Create inbound and outbound firewall allowances for the game executable, the dedicated-server executable if you host, the platform client, and EAC components.
- When antivirus scans delay or quarantine EAC files, add the installed game folder to the product’s exclusion list only long enough to test, and use the narrowest folder scope available.
- Check the antivirus quarantine and firewall event logs for blocked game or EAC processes. Restore a file only when you recognize its original path and signature.
- After changing a rule, close and reopen the game. A running process can retain the old network permissions.
Security exclusions reduce protection. Remove temporary exclusions after the test if they were not necessary, and never disable all security software while the computer is connected to public networks.
Try a wired connection
The official EAC troubleshooting guidance says: “If possible, try a wired connection or restart your router and other network troubleshooting steps, as shared here.” Connect the affected computer directly to the router with Ethernet and repeat the same join attempt. If Ethernet works while Wi-Fi does not, investigate wireless interference, signal strength, roaming between access points, and router firmware rather than changing game files.
5. Forward the server’s ports and allow them through the firewall
A home-hosted dedicated server must receive traffic from the Internet. The Fun Pimps support FAQ lists the default BasePort as TCP 26900 and the UDP range as 26900–26903. Forward those ports to the computer running the server and permit the same traffic in that computer’s firewall.
| Protocol | Default port(s) | Forward to |
|---|---|---|
| TCP | 26900 |
The server machine’s local IPv4 address |
| UDP | 26900-26903 |
The same server machine’s local IPv4 address |
Configure forwarding safely
- Give the server computer a reserved DHCP lease or static local address so the rule does not point to a different device after a reboot.
- Sign in to the router’s administration page and create one TCP rule for port 26900 and one UDP rule covering 26900 through 26903, all directed to the server address.
- Allow the dedicated-server program through the host operating system’s firewall on the network profile you actually use.
- Restart the server and confirm that it binds to the intended port. If you changed
BasePort, forward the corresponding custom TCP and UDP values instead of the defaults. - Ask a player outside your home network to test. Testing from inside the same network can fail when the router lacks NAT loopback even though external access is correct.
The Fun Pimps FAQ emphasizes: “Lastly, don’t forget to set up port forwarding on your router.” Do not expose unrelated administration ports, and do not forward the game ports to a personal computer that is not running the server.
When forwarding does not work
- Check that the router’s WAN address is not behind carrier-grade NAT. If the router receives a private or shared address from the Internet provider, inbound forwarding may be impossible without a public address or provider-supported option.
- Verify that another router, mesh system, or modem is not performing a second NAT. Put the downstream router in access-point mode or forward through every routing layer according to the manufacturer’s design.
- Confirm that the server’s local address has not changed and that the firewall rule applies to the current network profile.
- Use the server console and router logs to distinguish “no packet arrived” from “the game rejected the connection.” The first indicates routing or forwarding; the second points back to versions, EAC, or server configuration.
6. Run basic network checks
Once content, EAC, and ports are correct, isolate ordinary name-resolution and NAT problems.
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Restart in a controlled order
- Exit the game and platform client on the affected machine.
- Stop and restart the dedicated server, or close and reopen the host’s listen session.
- Restart the router and modem if they have been running for a long time or show unstable connectivity.
- Restart the client computer and retry from the platform library.
Test DNS
Temporarily configure the client or router to use one of these public DNS pairs:
- Cloudflare DNS:
1.1.1.1and1.0.0.1 - Google DNS:
8.8.8.8and8.8.4.4
After changing DNS, flush the operating system’s DNS cache or reboot, then test the join. If neither pair changes the result, DNS is less likely to be the cause; restore the setting you normally use if your network requires a managed resolver.
Check NAT and connection stability
- Use an open or otherwise reachable NAT type where your router and platform provide that setting.
- Pause large downloads, cloud backups, and streaming on the host while testing.
- Compare Wi-Fi and wired results. A wired success is evidence of wireless instability, not proof that the server ports are wrong.
- Try a different network, such as a phone hotspot, only as a short diagnostic. A hotspot can have strict NAT and should not be treated as a permanent hosting solution.
Listen/P2P, dedicated, same-platform, and crossplay: choose the right test
| Session type | What it depends on | Best diagnostic use | Typical limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listen or friend-hosted P2P | Host availability, platform matchmaking, NAT traversal, and matching content | Quickly determine whether the game and a small group can connect without router administration | Host must remain in the session; VPN or restrictive NAT can prevent discovery. |
| Dedicated server, same platform | Server process, firewall, versions, mods, and reachable ports | Separate host configuration from platform crossplay requirements | Home hosting requires stable forwarding and an address that accepts inbound traffic. |
| Dedicated server, cross-platform | All dedicated-server requirements plus crossplay settings, EAC, and platform compatibility | Provide one server for players on supported platforms | Supports up to eight players according to the 2026 Help Center guidance and is sensitive to EAC configuration. |
Use a same-platform P2P test as a baseline when possible. If that works, move to the intended dedicated or crossplay configuration and change only one class of setting at a time.
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- Ask who fails. One player means local checks; everyone means server and host checks.
- Confirm identical content. Match build, mods, dependencies, and custom world files.
- Repeat through P2P. Use the peer-to-peer tab and SteamID search, with browser filters cleared.
- Remove the VPN. Retry from the same physical location.
- Check EAC. Keep it enabled for crossplay; repair it and update Windows if it reports an error.
- Compare wired and Wi-Fi. A wired test separates radio instability from game configuration.
- Inspect security rules. Allow the game, platform, server, and EAC processes; review quarantine and firewall logs.
- Check dedicated-server settings. For crossplay, use the documented values for
ServerAllowCrossplay,EACEnabled, andIgnoreEOSSanctions. - Forward ports. Apply the documented TCP and UDP rules to the server machine, then test from outside the home network.
- Try DNS and NAT checks. Use a listed public DNS pair and verify that the router is not blocking inbound traffic or adding a second NAT layer.
Common symptoms and targeted fixes
“The server is visible, but the loading screen never ends”
Start with exact version and mod comparison, then repair EAC and inspect firewall logs. Visibility proves only that a listing or discovery request succeeded; it does not prove that authentication, game traffic, and world transfer are permitted.
“My friend can join, but I cannot”
Use the P2P tab and SteamID search, disable your VPN, try Ethernet, and check your local firewall, antivirus, EAC, and network driver. Avoid changing the host’s ports until another player confirms the server is reachable.
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“Nobody outside my house can join”
Verify the dedicated server is running, reserve its local address, forward TCP 26900 and UDP 26900–26903, allow the process through the host firewall, and test from an external network. If the router has a private WAN address or another NAT device is upstream, contact the Internet provider or correct the network topology.
“Crossplay fails but same-platform play works”
Confirm ServerAllowCrossplay=True, EACEnabled=True, and IgnoreEOSSanctions=False, keep EAC active on every client, and stay within the documented eight-player cross-platform limit. Recheck that each platform is running a supported, matching build.
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Look for a changing server IP address, a firewall profile switching between private and public, a router rule tied to an old lease, or a VPN that starts automatically. Make the server address persistent and confirm the security rule on the active profile.
What to record before asking for support
- Client and server build numbers
- Platform used by each player and whether the session is same-platform or crossplay
- Whether the server is P2P/listen or dedicated
- Exact mods, dependencies, and custom world files
- The EAC message or code, if any
- Which players fail and which can join
- Whether VPN-off, wired, DNS, or a different network changes the result
- Server configuration values and the router’s forwarding target, without publishing passwords or public IP credentials
This information lets a host distinguish a content mismatch from a client security block or an unreachable port instead of repeating the same reinstall.
Bottom line
Work from the narrowest explanation outward: match the build and content, use the appropriate P2P or dedicated-server join path, keep crossplay and EAC settings compatible, repair local security and network components, and only then troubleshoot router forwarding and NAT. The pattern of failures is the strongest clue—one affected player points to that player’s environment, while a whole group failing points to the server, host firewall, or network edge.
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