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Most Starbound dedicated-server failures have four practical causes: the game port is unreachable, the server and clients have different mods, incompatible patches prevent startup, or a world file is damaged. Start by checking the server console and logs, then work through ports, mod parity, startup errors and backups in that order. The default game port reported by the Starbounder wiki is 21025/TCP; your generated configuration is the authority if it uses a different value.
Start with a quick symptom check
Record the exact error text before changing anything. A message such as NetworkException points to reachability or compatibility; JsonPatchException and “Could not apply patch” point to startup-time mod conflicts; a server that runs but never appears in the browser usually has an initialization or filtering problem. Stop the server before editing files, and make a copy of the entire storage directory before changing mods, worlds or configuration.
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| What you see | Most likely area | First action |
|---|---|---|
NetworkException or players cannot connect |
Port forwarding, firewall, address or mod mismatch | Confirm the server is fully started, then check port 21025/TCP and the shared mod set. |
| Server is absent from the browser | Initialization did not finish or a browser filter hides it | Read the console/log for startup completion and clear restrictive browser filters. |
JsonPatchException during startup |
Conflicting or outdated object patch | Use the file path in the error to identify and update or remove the responsible mod. |
| A single planet or world will not load | Corrupted coordinate file | Restore that world from backup rather than deleting the whole universe. |
| A mod appears installed but has no effect | Incorrect file placement or a disabled/incompatible mod | Put the .pak directly in the server’s mods/ directory and restart. |
Fixing NetworkException and failed connections
A NetworkException means the client could not establish a usable connection. An Appuals troubleshooting guide identifies unforwarded game ports as a common cause. The same symptom can also be produced by a firewall, an incorrect address, or different mod sets, so test each layer rather than repeatedly launching the game.
Verify the server and address first
- Launch the dedicated server and wait until its console has completed initialization. A process that is still loading, has stopped on an error, or has closed cannot accept players.
- Use the address that is reachable from the players’ network. For an internet connection this is normally the host’s public address; for a local connection use the host’s LAN address. Do not give players an address that exists only inside the host’s router.
- Have the player try again after the server is fully running. If one player connects while another cannot, compare the failing player’s network and mod set instead of changing the server files immediately.
Forward the game port
The Starbounder wiki reports 21025/TCP as the default game port and says to allow it through both the router and the host firewall. It separately lists 21025/UDP for the Steam query system and 21026 for RCON. Those protocol and port assignments are reported by the wiki and are not verified here against the game binary; follow the keys and values in your generated configuration if they differ.
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| Service | Reported default | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Game connections | 21025/TCP | Forward the port to the server computer and allow it in the host firewall. |
| Steam query | 21025/UDP | Allow/forward it only if your browser or management tool needs query responses; the wiki lists this assignment. |
| RCON | 21026 | Forward and secure it only when you intentionally use remote console administration. |
Router interfaces differ, but the required information is consistent:
- Give the server computer a stable LAN address, either with a DHCP reservation or a static address.
- Create a port-forwarding rule for the configured game port, selecting the server computer as the destination. Select TCP for the game rule; add the reported query or RCON rules only when those services are enabled.
- Save or apply the router rule, then create a matching inbound firewall exception for the Starbound server executable or the same port.
- Restart the server and test from a network outside the host’s LAN. Testing only from inside the same router can produce misleading results because some routers do not support hairpin connections.
Try UPnP, then treat workarounds as temporary
If your router supports UPnP, enabling it can let Starbound request the forwarding rule automatically. UPnP is router-dependent and may be disabled by network policy; if it does not create a rule, use manual forwarding. A VPN tunneling tool such as Hamachi has been reported as a workaround for some ISP-level IPv4 restrictions. It changes how players reach the host; it does not repair a missing forward or a blocked firewall rule, so use it only when normal IPv4 connectivity is the limiting factor.
Whitelist both Starbound and the launcher used to start it in the host firewall. Security software can permit the launcher while silently blocking the dedicated-server process, so check the executable that actually listens on the port. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT or otherwise does not provide an inbound IPv4 address, router forwarding may never be reachable from the public internet; a tunnel or a host with inbound connectivity is then required.
When the server does not appear in the browser
Browser visibility is not proof that the game port is open. Reports collected for Starbound indicate that a server may be omitted when initialization has not completed, or when browser filters exclude it.
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Check initialization and logs
- Start the server without launching clients and watch the console until it reaches its normal ready state. A patch error, missing asset or crash must be fixed before discovery can work.
- Read the server log around the time it should register. Look for bind failures, configuration parse errors and mod-loading errors rather than only the final “not visible” symptom.
- In the client browser, clear filters for version, password, region, player count and favorites. Filters vary by client build, and a valid server can be hidden by a stale filter.
- Use a direct connection as a diagnostic if you know the reachable address and port. If direct connection also fails, return to forwarding, firewall and mod checks; if it works, the remaining problem is discovery or query configuration.
The query-port details published for Starbound are inconsistent across hosting guides. Do not add arbitrary query settings merely because a guide uses a different name; first confirm which key your generated configuration accepts.
Resolve mod and version mismatches
A server can start normally yet reject a player when the two sides do not have the same content. Community reports describe a mod present on one side but not the other as one of the most common connection causes. Game updates, framework changes and third-party server tools can also leave an older server incompatible with current clients; a Game Server Kings maintenance guide was reported updated July 31, 2026.
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- Create one shared Steam Workshop collection containing every mod intended for the server.
- Have the server administrator and every player subscribe to that same collection. Remove obsolete duplicates and make sure each side is running the same mod version.
- Compare the enabled lists, not just the download lists. A subscribed mod that is disabled, loaded twice, or installed only on the client still produces a mismatch.
- Restart the dedicated server after changing the set, then restart clients before testing again. Cached assets can make a correct change appear ineffective until both processes reload.
- Keep the game, server files and framework dependencies updated together. If an update introduces a failure, record the previous versions and restore the last known-compatible set rather than mixing old and new components.
Some guides suggest setting checkAssetsDigest=false. That suppresses the asset-digest check and can hide the immediate mismatch message, but it does not make different content safe. Treat it as a diagnostic or emergency compatibility measure; matching the mod set is the durable fix.
Fix JsonPatchException and startup crashes
A dedicated server can fail with JsonPatchException even when single-player appears to work, particularly with a large mod list. The specific path in the error is more useful than the exception name. For example, “Could not apply patch from file /objects/outpost/shipyardwelding/shipyardwelding.object.patch in source” indicates that a mod patch targeting that object conflicts with the current asset or with another patch.
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Use the path to isolate the conflict
- Stop the server and copy
storageand the activemodsdirectory to a backup location. - Write down the complete patch path and the mod that supplies it. If the path does not identify a mod directly, inspect each mod package’s contents rather than deleting random files.
- Update the named mod and any dependency it requires. If no compatible update exists, remove that mod temporarily and start the server.
- If the server starts after removal, add other mods back in controlled groups, restarting between groups. This identifies a second patch that collides with the first without risking the live universe.
- Once the conflicting combination is known, keep only a compatible version set or replace the feature. Do not leave a failing patch enabled and attempt to repair the world files; the server must start cleanly before world recovery is meaningful.
Do not assume that a successful single-player launch validates a dedicated-server mod list. The dedicated server loads its own assets and patch order, so both environments must be tested with the same versions.
Repair mods that are not loading
A reported installation rule is that .pak files must be placed directly inside the server’s mods/ directory, not inside another folder. This location claim comes from secondary search material and should be checked against your installation, but it is a low-cost first test.
- Stop the server.
- Open the server’s actual
mods/directory, not a client-only mods folder. - Move each intended package so the
.pakfile is directly in that directory. Remove accidental nested folders and duplicate copies. - Confirm the file extension has not been changed by an archive utility, then start the server and inspect the console for load errors.
- Verify a client has the same package and version before attempting to connect.
If the package loads but causes a patch exception, return to the conflict procedure above; placement and compatibility are separate problems.
Recover a corrupted universe, world or player
A crash while the game is writing can damage one world without destroying every save. Deleting the entire universe is therefore an unnecessarily destructive first response.
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Back up before touching save files
Stop the server, copy the complete storage/ directory, and label the copy with the date and the mod set. A backup made after the corruption is detected may already contain the damaged file, so routine snapshots are more useful than a one-time copy. A Game Server Kings guide recommends daily snapshots through a Backups tab, but that hosting-specific procedure is not independently verified; use whatever scheduled or manual method your host supports.
Understand the reported paths
Secondary search summaries report that saves are under storage/, worlds under storage/universe/ with coordinate-based filenames, and player characters under storage/player/<PlayerName>.player. These paths are not confirmed against every installation, so locate the generated directories on your server before deleting anything.
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- Identify the coordinate file corresponding to the planet or world that fails while other worlds remain accessible.
- Move that single coordinate file into a dated quarantine folder rather than permanently deleting it.
- Start the server and test the affected coordinate. The game can regenerate the world, but its previous construction will be gone unless you restore the original file.
- If regeneration does not help, stop the server and restore the quarantined file or a known-good backup, then investigate mods and recent crashes.
Never remove the entire universe folder to solve a single-world failure. If only one character fails to load, treat the corresponding player file as the affected scope and restore that file from backup instead of altering every world.
Find and edit starbound_server.config safely
A Steam Game Server Manager guide reports that starbound_server.config is in the server’s storage subfolder and is generated after the dedicated server has been run at least once. If you cannot find it, launch the server once, let it create its files, stop it cleanly, and search the resulting storage directory.
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Configuration keys vary across guides, and no official key reference was identified. Use the file generated by your own server version as the baseline: preserve its spelling, capitalization and JSON structure, and restart the server after every change.
| Setting | Evidence about the value | Safe handling |
|---|---|---|
maxPlayers |
The Starbounder wiki reports a default of 8 simultaneous sessions. | Change it only after considering available RAM and testing under load; the claim that there is no hard upper limit comes from an unverified hosting guide. |
serverName |
A search summary reports the default as “A Starbound Server.”; attribution is unconfirmed. | Use the key already present in your generated file and choose a name that helps players identify the server. |
| Query enable flag | One guide uses runQueryServer; another uses queryServerEnabled. |
The names conflict. Check which key your server version reads instead of copying both; enable the query service only when needed. |
upnpPortForwarding |
A 2016-era forum workaround says to set it to false for an old error. | Treat this as an old, unverified workaround. Do not change it unless the generated file contains the key and current testing shows UPnP is causing the failure. |
Keep JSON syntax valid: quote string values, retain commas between properties, and avoid comments inside the file. Make one change at a time so a new parse error can be attributed to the last edit. If the server stops reading the file, restore the backup and regenerate a clean copy rather than guessing key names from a different guide.
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A maintenance routine that prevents repeat failures
- Keep a dated backup of
storage/before major mod changes, game updates and configuration edits. - Maintain one shared Workshop collection and record the collection’s mod versions for every player.
- Document the configured game, query and RCON ports, the server’s LAN address and the firewall rules that match them.
- After an update, start the server alone and read the full console before allowing players to join.
- When a failure appears, preserve the log and exact error path. A patch filename or coordinate is often the shortest route to the correct fix.
- Restore the smallest affected scope: one mod for a patch conflict, one world file for world corruption, or one player file for a character problem.
This approach separates network reachability, content compatibility, startup patching and save recovery. Changing all four at once destroys the evidence needed to identify the cause and increases the chance of losing a working world.
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