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Connect to a Satisfactory dedicated server from the game’s Server Manager, not from the Steam or Epic friends list. You need the server’s address and port, add them with Add Server, claim an unclaimed server if necessary, then select a save and choose Join Game. For current patches, community server guides consistently identify UDP 7777, TCP 7777, and TCP 8888 as the important network rules.
This guide covers the exact connection flow, what the ports do, self-hosted versus rented-server responsibilities, and the fixes for the most common connection errors.
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What you need before connecting
Have these details ready before opening Satisfactory:
- Server address: the public IP address or hostname shown by your server panel or provided by the server owner.
- Port: use the port supplied with the address. If the owner gives you only an IP address and no port, community hosting instructions say to try 7777.
- Access to the full game: the PC that claims a new server must have the full game installed. A server-management-only installation cannot perform the initial claim.
- The administrative password: claiming an unclaimed server requires you to create this password. It is for managing the server, not for other players to use as a join password.
The server owner or hosting panel is the authority for the address. Do not substitute a private LAN address for a public address when you are connecting from outside that network. If you are playing on the same home network as a self-hosted server, the owner can tell you whether to use the local address or the externally reachable address.
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Community guides disagree with some older port lists, so use the current rules described below rather than copying a legacy setup that includes every historical Satisfactory port.
Connect through Server Manager
- Obtain the connection information. Copy the server address and port exactly as displayed in the hosting panel or supplied by the owner. Keep the port separate if the panel presents the address and port in different fields.
- Open Server Manager. Start Satisfactory and use the Server Manager option in the main menu. Do not open the Steam or Epic friends list to launch the session.
- Add the server. Choose Add Server, enter the address, enter the port, and save the entry. When only an IP is available, enter port 7777 unless the server owner tells you that the service uses another documented port.
- Handle the first-time claim. If the server is marked unclaimed, the person performing the claim must have the full game installed on that PC. Follow the prompt to set an Administrative Password. Store it securely; it is used to administer the server and should not be distributed as a normal player credential.
- Choose a game and join. Create a new game or load an existing save, select the server entry, and click Join Game. Confirm the saved server details when the game asks you to.
- Accept a certificate prompt when presented. A certificate warning can appear during the connection flow. After checking that the address is the one supplied by the server owner, confirm the prompt so the client can continue.
After the first successful connection, the saved entry remains in Server Manager. You normally only need to select it and join on later sessions; edit the entry if the owner changes the address or port.
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Claiming an unclaimed server
Claiming establishes the initial administrator for a fresh dedicated server. It is a one-time management step, not a replacement for selecting a save. The computer doing the claim must have the full game installed, and the claim process asks for an Administrative Password.
If the claim prompt never appears, confirm that the entry is actually unclaimed and that you are using the full game installation. If another administrator already claimed the server, ask that administrator to manage access instead of attempting to claim it again.
Joining an existing save
The connection procedure gives you a server entry; it does not automatically select a world. Use the game’s create-or-load choice to create a new game or load the save that belongs on that server. Make sure you select the intended server before pressing Join Game, particularly when several entries are listed.
Adding friends
Every friend who connects remotely should add the same server address and port in their own Server Manager. They do not need to launch the session from a platform friends list. If one player can connect and another cannot, compare the saved address and port character for character before changing firewall settings.
Which ports must be open?
For current patches, community hosting guides converge on three rules. The transport protocol matters: opening TCP alone does not satisfy a UDP requirement, and opening UDP alone does not satisfy a TCP requirement.
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| Port | Protocol | Purpose reported by community guides | Where to allow it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic | Server host firewall and router forwarding when the server is behind a router |
| 7777 | TCP | Server API used by Server Manager | Server host firewall and router forwarding when required by the network layout |
| 8888 | TCP | Reliable messaging; community guides describe it as required since Patch 1.1.0.0 | Server host firewall and router forwarding when the server is behind a router |
The exact current patch number was not confirmed by an official Coffee Stain publication, so treat the “required since Patch 1.1.0.0” wording as community guidance rather than an official compatibility statement. The practical implication is still clear: forwarding only 7777 is a common reason servers fail to appear after 1.1-era updates.
Router forwarding and firewall rules
For a self-hosted server on a private network, the router must pass the required traffic to the machine running the server, and that machine’s firewall must allow it. Create rules for:
- UDP 7777
- TCP 7777
- TCP 8888
Use the router’s own terminology for port forwarding or virtual servers; the label varies by manufacturer. The external and internal port numbers must match. Community documentation specifically warns that port redirection is not supported, so do not map an outside port to a different inside port as a workaround.
After saving a rule, restart or reload the server service if the hosting panel requires it, then test from a network outside the server’s LAN. A test made from the same local network can succeed even when the public forwarding rule is wrong, so an off-network test is the meaningful check for friends connecting over the internet.
What about ports 15777 and 15000?
Older guides often list UDP 15777 and, in some cases, port 15000. One community source says UDP 15777 appears unnecessary on version 1.1 and later, but that conclusion is low confidence and is not backed by an official port reference. Do not add legacy ports automatically. If a particular server build or provider explicitly documents an additional port, follow that server-specific instruction; otherwise start with UDP 7777, TCP 7777, and TCP 8888.
Troubleshoot “Satisfactory can’t join server” errors
Encryption token error
An encryption-token error is commonly reported when a player tries to join through the platform friends list. Close that route and repeat the connection through Server Manager:
- Open Server Manager from the main menu.
- Choose Add Server or select the saved server entry.
- Enter or verify the supplied address and port.
- Join from the server entry, not from Steam or Epic’s friends interface.
If the error continues when using Server Manager, have the server owner verify the address, port, and required firewall rules before changing unrelated game settings.
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Server does not appear in Server Manager
After the 1.1-era changes, community hosting guides report that many servers stopped appearing when owners forwarded only port 7777. Check all three current rules—UDP 7777, TCP 7777, and TCP 8888—on both the host firewall and, for a self-hosted machine, the router. Confirm that the external and internal numbers are identical.
Also verify the entry itself. An incorrect public IP, an old address saved in Server Manager, or a missing port can look like a discovery failure. If the panel shows a hostname, copy it exactly; if it shows only an IP, try port 7777.
Infinite loading after connecting
One community guide attributes an infinite loading screen to omitting TCP 8888. That is a single-source report rather than a confirmed official diagnosis, but checking TCP 8888 is low-risk and should be part of the troubleshooting sequence. Confirm that:
- TCP 8888 is allowed through the host firewall.
- TCP 8888 is forwarded to the server machine when the server is self-hosted behind a router.
- The same port number is used externally and internally.
- The server service has been restarted after the rule was added, if the host platform requires a restart.
If the loading screen remains after the port check, remove and re-add the server entry using the exact address and port supplied by the owner. This eliminates a stale or mistyped saved entry without altering the server’s save data.
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Certificate warning
A certificate warning can be part of a normal connection to a dedicated server. Verify that the address matches the one you intended to use, then confirm the warning to continue. Do not approve a prompt for an address you do not recognize.
The server is unclaimed
The first claim must be made from a PC with the full game installed. If you are using a lightweight server-management installation or a PC without the game, move the claim step to a suitable computer. Set the Administrative Password when prompted. If the server was already claimed, only its existing administrator can manage it.
One player can join, another cannot
Have the player who cannot connect compare the complete Server Manager entry with a working player’s entry:
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- Address or hostname, including every character
- Port number
- Whether the entry was added in Server Manager rather than launched from a friends list
If the entries match, the remaining difference is often network path or firewall policy. The server owner should check that the required rules apply to the correct machine and that the public address has not changed.
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The connection steps are the same for players, but the person responsible for networking differs. A self-hosted server requires you to install and maintain the server software, configure your router, and maintain firewall rules. A rented server usually provides a web panel with the address and port and handles the underlying host setup.
| Responsibility | Self-hosted server | Rented server |
|---|---|---|
| Install the server | You install it on your own machine. | The provider performs the server installation. |
| Connection details | You determine the reachable address and port and give them to players. | The provider’s panel normally displays the address and port. |
| Port control | You open UDP 7777, TCP 7777, and TCP 8888 on the relevant firewall and router. | The provider generally manages the host networking; you still use the supplied values. |
| Claim and administration | You perform the initial claim and protect the Administrative Password. | You perform the claim through the game’s Server Manager unless the provider documents a different handoff. |
| Troubleshooting | You can inspect your own router, firewall, and server process. | You must verify the panel settings and contact the provider when its network is at fault. |
Renting shifts setup effort to the provider but does not remove the need to enter the correct address and port in Server Manager. Self-hosting gives you direct port control but makes forwarding and firewall maintenance your responsibility.
A reliable connection checklist
Use this order when setting up a new server or diagnosing a failed connection:
- Copy the address and port from the server panel or owner.
- Open Satisfactory’s Server Manager from the main menu.
- Select Add Server and enter both values. If only an IP is supplied, try port 7777.
- If the server is unclaimed, use a PC with the full game installed and set the Administrative Password.
- Create a new game or load the intended save, select the server, and choose Join Game.
- If a certificate warning appears for the expected address, confirm it.
- For a self-hosted server, allow UDP 7777, TCP 7777, and TCP 8888.
- Make external and internal port numbers identical; do not use port redirection.
- Ask every friend to add the same address and port in their own Server Manager.
- If joining fails, test Server Manager instead of the platform friends list, then check TCP 8888 and the complete saved entry.
Limits of the available port guidance
The commonly repeated instructions for this setup come from community hosting guides, many published by companies that sell game-server hosting. They agree on the Server Manager workflow and the three primary port rules, but they are not an official Coffee Stain support reference. The Satisfactory wiki is community-run, and older Fandom port examples are described as outdated. No official source was available to confirm the current patch number or the optional remapping of port 8888 with the -ExternalReliablePort launch flag.
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