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Enable the server’s Telnet interface in the serverconfig.xml file that the dedicated server actually loads, set a strong password and TCP port, restart the server, and test locally before opening remote access. The documented default port is TCP 8081; an empty password keeps the interface on local loopback, while remote administration requires a password plus matching firewall and router rules.

What Telnet and RCON mean in 7 Days to Die

In a dedicated 7 Days to Die server, the built-in Telnet interface is the route used by RCON clients. It provides access to server-console administration without joining the game as a normal player. A Telnet connection can be made from a terminal, while tools such as PuTTY, mcrcon, ARRCON and browser-based RCON clients provide alternative interfaces.

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The interface is configured with properties in serverconfig.xml. The name “RCON” describes the administrative use case; the connection settings in this game are the Telnet settings. You do not configure a separate, second RCON port in the properties listed below. The port that matters is the value of TelnetPort.

Settings and defaults may differ between game builds. The current settings reference labels its material V3.2.0, while a shipped example reproduced for Alpha 20.5 shows similar properties. Keep the property names used by the configuration file installed with your server, and treat the value in that file as authoritative.

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Before changing the configuration

Stop the server or prevent it from rewriting the file

Stop the dedicated server cleanly before editing. A running process, control panel, update task or restart script can write the configuration back to disk and discard your changes. If you cannot stop it immediately, at least ensure that no management panel is regenerating serverconfig.xml while you save it.

Find the configuration file that is actually loaded

Dedicated servers can have several copies of serverconfig.xml. The launch command selects one with its -configfile argument. Open that exact path; editing an example file or a copy in another installation directory has no effect.

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Record the launch command or service definition before making changes. If a hosting control panel has a “configuration file” field, use the file named there rather than assuming the default location. Make a backup of the active file so you can restore the previous values if the server fails to start.

Decide whether you need remote administration

  • Local console only: leave the password empty if your build supports the documented loopback-only behavior, or disable Telnet entirely when no client needs it.
  • LAN administration: use a password and allow the chosen TCP port only from your private network.
  • Internet administration: use a long unique password, a narrowly scoped firewall rule and, preferably, a VPN or another private access path instead of exposing the port to every address.

Set the Telnet and RCON properties

In the active configuration file, add or update these properties. Keep one property of each name; duplicate entries can make the effective value unclear.

Property Example value Purpose and qualification
TelnetEnabled true Turns the Telnet/RCON interface on. Set it to false when the interface is not needed.
TelnetPort 8081 TCP listening port. The documented default is 8081, but a configured value overrides that default.
TelnetPassword A long unique password Authenticates clients. An empty value keeps the interface on local loopback according to the server’s configuration comment; it is not a remotely reachable, unauthenticated endpoint.
TelnetFailedLoginLimit 10 Documented default number of failed attempts before the failed-login response is triggered.
TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime 10 Documented default block period, in seconds, after the failed-login limit is reached.

A practical configuration looks like this:

<property name="TelnetEnabled" value="true"/>
<property name="TelnetPort" value="8081"/>
<property name="TelnetPassword" value="REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_UNIQUE_PASSWORD"/>
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginLimit" value="10"/>
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime" value="10"/>

Replace the password placeholder with a secret that is not used for the game, operating system, control panel or any other service. Avoid angle brackets and unescaped quotation marks in the value because they can invalidate XML. If your password contains XML-sensitive characters, use an XML-safe equivalent or choose a different random password.

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The shipped example has Telnet enabled, port 8081 and an empty password. Do not copy that empty-password state for remote use. The server’s own comment states: “If no password is set the server will only listen on the local loopback interface.”

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Save, restart and verify the active settings

  1. Save the edited active serverconfig.xml and confirm that the file remains well-formed XML.
  2. Start or restart the dedicated server using the same launch command, including its -configfile argument.
  3. Wait until the server has completed startup. A restart is required because the process reads these properties at startup; changing the file under a running process does not reliably change an existing listener.
  4. Inspect the server log for the parsed Telnet settings or a listener-startup message. The exact wording varies by build, but the log should let you confirm the selected port and whether the interface started.
  5. If the server reports an XML or startup error, stop it, restore the backup and correct the malformed property before trying again.

Use the configured port, not an assumed default, in every client and network rule. For example, changing TelnetPort to 9001 means the test command, host firewall rule and router forwarding rule must all use TCP 9001.

Test RCON locally first

A local test separates game configuration problems from router and Internet connectivity problems. Run the test on the server machine after startup.

Telnet command line

From a terminal, connect to the loopback address and configured port:

telnet 127.0.0.1 8081

Substitute your actual port. When prompted, enter the configured Telnet password. A successful connection demonstrates that the process is listening locally and that the port is reachable without involving NAT.

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PuTTY Raw mode

  1. Open PuTTY and select Raw as the connection type.
  2. Enter 127.0.0.1 as the host and the configured Telnet port.
  3. Open the session and authenticate with the Telnet password.

For a LAN test, replace the loopback address with the server’s private address only after the local test succeeds.

Command-line and graphical RCON clients

mcrcon is useful for scripts and cross-platform command-line administration. ARRCON and web RCON provide graphical or browser-oriented alternatives. Client flags, authentication prompts and protocol compatibility can change, so check the client’s current documentation and verify that its release supports your server build before automating it.

Method Best fit What to verify
Telnet command Quick local diagnostics and simple manual commands Host, TCP port and password; terminal Telnet support may need to be installed on the client OS.
PuTTY Raw Interactive administration without a dedicated RCON program Use Raw mode, not SSH or another protocol, and enter the configured port.
mcrcon Scripts, scheduled tasks and cross-platform command-line work Current protocol flags and escaping rules for your installed release.
ARRCON GUI administration Compatibility with the server build and the correct Telnet port.
Web RCON Browser-based access where supported That the web client’s backend can reach the server and that its authentication is protected.

The interface accepts server-console administration commands; the available commands and syntax are determined by the game build. Do not assume that a command documented for one Alpha or stable release exists unchanged in another.

Allow remote connections safely

Open the port on the server host firewall

Create an inbound rule for the selected TCP port on the machine running the dedicated server. Restrict the rule’s source addresses to your management workstation or private subnet when possible. A broad “any address” rule is easier to configure but exposes the login service to scanning and password attacks.

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Make sure the rule applies to the network profile used by the server. On a host with multiple interfaces, check that the listener and firewall rule are associated with the intended interface and address.

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Forward the same TCP port through NAT

If the server is behind a home or office router, create a port-forward entry from the router’s public-facing address to the server’s private IP address. The external and internal port can be different, but using the same number reduces mistakes. Forward TCP only for this console endpoint unless a current client guide explicitly requires something else; do not add a UDP rule merely because the game itself uses other network traffic.

Reserve the server’s private IP with DHCP or configure a stable address. Otherwise, a lease change can silently send the forward to the wrong computer. Test from a network outside the server’s LAN; many routers do not support reliable “NAT loopback” tests from inside the same network.

Prefer a VPN or restricted source list

A VPN lets you keep the Telnet port private and connect through an authenticated network tunnel. If a VPN is not practical, limit the firewall and router source range to known administrator addresses where your router supports that control. Never treat the failed-login settings as a substitute for these network restrictions.

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Security settings and operating practice

Use a unique password

Remote Telnet traffic should be considered administrative traffic, not a public game feature. Use a long, randomly generated password unique to this server. Store it in a password manager and give it only to people who administer the server. Change it if an administrator leaves, a client device is compromised or the password may have been exposed.

Understand the empty-password behavior

Leaving TelnetPassword empty is not a way to create convenient anonymous remote access. The documented behavior is loopback-only listening. That is suitable for a local script or a local management panel only when you accept the risk of any process on the server being able to attempt a connection. Remote clients will not be able to use it through a router because the service is not listening on an externally reachable interface.

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Use failed-login controls as a secondary defense

The documented defaults allow 10 failed attempts and impose a 10-second block period. These settings provide limited brute-force resistance, but they do not replace a firewall, VPN, source restriction or a strong password. They also do not protect a host from other network attacks or from a compromised administrator workstation.

Disable what you do not use

Set TelnetEnabled to false when no Telnet/RCON client is required, then restart the server. This removes the administrative listener rather than relying on an unused password. If you need local access but not remote access, retain the documented empty-password loopback behavior or block the port at the host firewall.

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Configuration patterns

Use case Configuration approach Network exposure
No RCON administration TelnetEnabled=false No Telnet listener after restart.
Local automation on the server Enable Telnet, keep the password empty only if loopback-only behavior is acceptable. Do not forward the port; clients use 127.0.0.1.
Private LAN administration Enable Telnet, set a unique password and choose a non-conflicting TCP port. Allow only the private subnet in the host firewall; no public router forward is needed.
Remote administration over VPN Enable Telnet, set a unique password and use the configured port. Permit the VPN address range; keep the game server port off the public Internet when feasible.
Direct Internet administration Enable Telnet with a unique password and the documented failed-login controls. Forward the selected TCP port only when necessary, restrict sources and monitor logs.

Troubleshoot connection failures in order

“Connection refused” or no local listener

  • Confirm TelnetEnabled is exactly true in the active file.
  • Confirm the server was restarted after the edit.
  • Check that the launch command’s -configfile points to the file you changed.
  • Verify the server log for a Telnet startup or configuration error.
  • Check that another process is not already using the selected port.

Localhost works, but the LAN client cannot connect

  • Use the server’s private IP address from the client, not 127.0.0.1; loopback always means “this client.”
  • Confirm the host firewall permits inbound TCP on the configured port and on the correct network profile.
  • Check that the server is listening on the interface reachable from the LAN. An empty password may intentionally keep it on loopback.
  • Verify that security software or a second firewall is not dropping the connection.

LAN works, but Internet access fails

  • Confirm the router forwards the exact configured TCP port to the server’s current private IP.
  • Check the host firewall again; router forwarding does not bypass it.
  • Test from a genuinely external network, such as a mobile connection, because some routers cannot test their own public address from inside the LAN.
  • Verify that your Internet service provides an inbound-reachable address. Carrier-grade NAT or an upstream firewall can prevent port forwarding even when the router rule is correct.
  • Check that the client is using the public address and external port, while LAN clients use the private address and internal port.

Authentication fails

  • Re-enter the password exactly as saved, including capitalization and punctuation.
  • Ensure the client is connecting to the Telnet/RCON interface, not the game’s player port or an unrelated service.
  • Wait for the block period after repeated failures, then retry once with the known password.
  • If the password may be compromised, stop the server, replace it in the active configuration, restart and update every legitimate client.

The change disappears after a restart

Recheck the file path and launch arguments. A hosting panel may maintain a template and regenerate the runtime file. Edit the file selected by the panel or change the panel’s configuration source, then restart through the same mechanism used in production.

What to record for future maintenance

  • The server build and the date on which the settings were last verified.
  • The absolute path passed to -configfile.
  • The configured Telnet port and whether it is reachable only locally, on the LAN, through a VPN or from the public Internet.
  • Which firewall and router rules allow the connection, including their source restrictions.
  • Which RCON clients and versions are approved for administrators.

Recheck these details after game updates, migration to a new host or changes to a control panel. A documented default can change, but the value in the active configuration and the server log tell you what the running instance is using.

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