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Most Satisfactory dedicated-server failures become much easier to solve when you test in layers: first prove that the server process is running, then test from the same local network, and only after that test an outside connection. A local failure usually indicates the process, host firewall, bind address, or server configuration; a local success followed by an internet failure points to the router, NAT, port forwarding, or address used by remote players.
For the documented default dedicated-server configuration, forward port 7777 on both TCP and UDP and port 8888 on TCP. Keep the host’s LAN address static, use the actual configured ports when you have changed -Port or -ReliablePort, and treat mods as a separate fault domain. The procedures below cover connection failures, timeouts, strict NAT, update regressions, mod mismatches, and finding the files needed for recovery.
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Do not begin by increasing timeouts or changing random router options. Establish where the connection fails:
- Server layer: confirm that the dedicated-server process is running and producing a current log.
- LAN layer: connect from another device on the same network. This tests the process, listening ports, host firewall, bind address, and basic server configuration without involving internet NAT.
- Internet layer: have a player connect from a genuinely external network, such as a phone hotspot. This tests the router’s forwarding rule, public reachability, and the address being shared with players.
If the server fails at one layer, fix that layer before moving on. A router cannot repair a stopped process, and a larger timeout cannot make a blocked port reachable.
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When the server does not appear to be running
Confirm the process and current log
Check the service or process status on the machine that hosts the dedicated server. Then open FactoryGame/Saved/Logs/FactoryGame.log. Logs rotate when the server starts, so a newly created file is evidence of a recent launch; an old timestamp suggests that the process never restarted or is writing to a different installation.
Look for startup errors, binding failures, missing files, or a crash immediately after launch. Preserve the current log and any rotated logs before restarting repeatedly, because a later launch can overwrite the context you need. Crash reports are stored under FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes.
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If the client or server crashes, or begins showing unusual behavior after an update, use the platform’s file-verification function. Coffee Stain’s support guidance recommends verifying files for crash and unusual-behavior reports. Record the game/server branch and build before changing anything, especially when comparing a main branch with Experimental.
Nobody can connect, including players on the same LAN
A same-LAN failure excludes most internet-NAT explanations. Work through these checks in order:
- Confirm the dedicated-server process is still running and that
FactoryGame.logis updating. - Check the host operating system’s firewall rules and allow the dedicated-server executable to accept inbound traffic on the configured ports.
- Confirm that the server is listening on the host’s actual LAN interface and that players are using the host’s current LAN address, not an obsolete address or a public address that the router cannot loop back to.
- Check the server configuration for custom
-Portor-ReliablePortvalues. A forwarding rule for the defaults does not help when the server is listening elsewhere. - Temporarily remove variables such as mods or a recently changed save by testing a known-good vanilla installation and a fresh save.
The LAN test is especially useful because it separates a dead process or local firewall from a router problem. If no device on the same network can connect, stay on this branch until the host accepts a local connection.
LAN works, but players on the internet cannot connect
Give the host a stable LAN address
Assign the host a static LAN IP, either with a DHCP reservation in the router or a correctly configured static address on the host. Port forwarding targets an address; if DHCP later gives the machine a different address, the forwarding rule silently points to the wrong computer.
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Forward the dedicated-server defaults
For the documented current defaults, create forwarding rules from the router’s external interface to the host’s static LAN address:
| Purpose | Default port | Protocol | Forward to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Satisfactory server traffic | 7777 | TCP and UDP | The dedicated-server host’s static LAN IP |
| Reliable messaging | 8888 | TCP | The same dedicated-server host |
Do not remap the standard external 7777 port to a different internal number when using the documented default setup. If you deliberately set custom -Port or -ReliablePort values, forward those configured values instead and tell players the address and port the server actually uses.
Test from outside the network
Some routers do not support NAT loopback (also called hairpin NAT). A connection attempt from another device in the same home can therefore fail even though the server is reachable from the internet, or appear to work through a special local path. Use a genuinely external network for the decisive test. Ask a remote player to connect, or move a test device to a mobile hotspot.
Timeouts and infinite loading
A timeout can be caused by blocked ports, a stopped process, a wrong address, a firewall, a slow host, or a problematic save. Increasing a timeout only helps when the endpoint is reachable but needs longer to complete the handshake; it cannot fix an unreachable port or incorrect forwarding.
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Apply the low-risk checks first
- Have the host restart the server and confirm that the process remains running.
- Check the host firewall and antivirus permissions for the game/server executable.
- Have every player set Network Quality to Ultra in the game’s options menu, restart the game, and try again. This is Coffee Stain’s published troubleshooting step.
- Test a fresh save. If a new save works while one existing save consistently times out, preserve the original and treat the issue as save-specific.
- Recheck the address, configured ports, and router forwarding from an external network.
Adjust the documented timeout settings only when appropriate
The configuration documentation lists a 30-second default for both InitialConnectTimeout and ConnectionTimeout. Administrators can raise these values in Engine.ini when slow hardware or a high-latency link needs more time. Change one setting at a time, restart the server, and keep a copy of the previous file so you can revert a change. Do not use a larger value to conceal a process, firewall, NAT, or address problem.
Strict or unknown NAT
Coffee Stain attributes strict NAT to routing problems involving the router, firewall, or antivirus. The practical remedies are:
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- Reset or recreate the host firewall rules, then allow the game/server executable through the firewall.
- Check antivirus or security-suite network controls and add the executable to its allowed list where necessary.
- Verify that forwarding rules target the host’s current static LAN address and include every protocol required by the configured ports.
- On pfSense, use Hybrid or Manual outbound NAT and add the required outbound mapping, following the router’s current interface labels.
- Retest from outside the LAN after each change.
A strict-NAT label is a symptom, not a port number. It does not replace checking whether the dedicated server is listening or whether the forwarding rule reaches the correct machine.
Port numbers that are easy to confuse
The dedicated-server defaults and the multiplayer-session values in Coffee Stain’s timeout/NAT support article are different sets of information:
| Context | Ports documented | How to interpret them |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated-server defaults | 7777 TCP and UDP; 8888 TCP | Use these for the standard dedicated-server forwarding setup unless the server was configured with custom values. |
| Coffee Stain multiplayer timeout/NAT troubleshooting | 5222 TCP and 6666 TCP; 5222, 6666, and 7777–7827 UDP | These are multiplayer-session values in that support guidance and should not be substituted for the dedicated-server defaults without confirming the connection mode. |
After an update, branch switch, or save change
Record the build and branch
Write down whether the host and each client are on the main or Experimental branch and note the installed build. A mismatch can look like a networking failure even when forwarding is correct. When changing branches, back up saves first; Coffee Stain specifically advises backups when switching between main and Experimental.
Separate a global regression from one damaged save
- Back up the save directory and current logs.
- Verify the server and game files.
- Start a new save and test a LAN connection, then an external connection.
- If the new save works, test the original save only after preserving the working state and its backups.
If every save fails after the same update, concentrate on build compatibility, files, process startup, and configuration. If only one save fails, keep the network configuration unchanged while investigating that save.
Modded servers that will not accept clients
Mods are a separate fault domain. First remove mods from both client and server and prove that the vanilla dedicated server works. This prevents a mod loader or version mismatch from being mistaken for a router problem.
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Reintroduce mods in controlled groups
- Install only packages documented as compatible with dedicated servers.
- Keep the client and server on matching mod versions and matching profiles.
- Add a small group of mods, restart, and test a connection.
- If the connection breaks, remove or bisect that group until the incompatible package is identified.
- Keep a written list of versions so every client can reproduce the server profile.
FICSIT documentation warns that dedicated-server mods must be specially compiled for server use. It also cautions that installing mods one by one with ficsit-cli or a Mod Manager can create client/server version mismatches that prevent connection, and that copying a client mods folder to a server is not supported. Use the server-compatible package and profile method documented by the mod author instead.
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Finding saves, logs, and crash evidence
Before deleting, replacing, or migrating files, make a dated backup of the save files, FactoryGame/Saved/Logs, and FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. Retain the active log and rotated logs from the first failed launch, plus the server and client build information.
For a third-party host, confirm that its control panel exposes save downloads, log access, crash reports, and a restore or backup function. Providers may restrict filesystem access, and FICSIT documentation notes that support for third-party systems is limited. If those controls are unavailable, ask the host what backup and file-retrieval options it provides before making a destructive change.
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|---|---|---|
| Router and firewall rules | You control the LAN, firewall, NAT, and port forwarding. | The host controls the network; you must confirm that the required ports are exposed. |
| Custom ports | You can choose custom -Port and -ReliablePort values. |
Availability depends on the host’s control panel and policy. |
| Static IP or VPN options | You can configure DHCP reservations, static addressing, or a VPN. | Options depend on the service’s network design. |
| Save and crash-log access | Direct access to saves, logs, and crash reports. | Verify that downloads and logs are exposed before committing to the setup. |
| Backups | You must schedule and test your own backups. | Check whether backups are automatic, how often they run, and whether restores are available. |
| Update timing | You choose when to update and can hold a branch temporarily. | The host may control update timing or provide a version selector. |
| CPU, RAM, and storage headroom | You choose the hardware and can monitor it directly. | Confirm the allocated resources and upgrade path. |
| File access | Full local access. | Look for SFTP or an equivalent file-management method. |
| Dedicated-server mod support | You manage compatible packages and version alignment. | Require explicit support for dedicated-server-compatible mods and profile control. |
What to collect before asking for help
- The server and client branch names and build numbers.
- Whether a fresh vanilla save connects on the LAN and from an external network.
- The host’s LAN address, the configured
-Portand-ReliablePortvalues, and the forwarding protocols. - The active and rotated
FactoryGame.logfiles and any files underFactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. - The exact symptom: server absent, immediate rejection, timeout after 30 seconds, or infinite loading.
- Whether the failure affects every save, one save, every client, or only modded clients.
This evidence lets support distinguish a process crash from a local firewall, a forwarding error, a build mismatch, or a mod conflict without asking you to repeat unrelated changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix a blocked Satisfactory port by increasing the timeout?
No. The documented 30-second timeout can be increased in Engine.ini for slow but reachable connections, but it cannot make a stopped process, blocked port, wrong address, or failed forwarding rule reachable.
Why does a local test work while my friends still cannot join?
A successful LAN test proves the process and local path are functioning. Remote failure then points to the host’s static LAN address, router forwarding, firewall/NAT behavior, the public address being shared, or a router without NAT loopback. Test from a genuinely external network.
Is copying my client mods folder to the dedicated server supported?
No. FICSIT documentation says client-folder copying is not supported. Use packages compiled for dedicated-server use and keep client and server versions and profiles aligned.
Which files should I save before changing branches or replacing a save?
Back up the save files, the active and rotated files in FactoryGame/Saved/Logs, and crash reports under FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes. Also record the current branch and build.
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