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Start by identifying the connection type: joining a friend’s hosted world is a peer-to-peer session, while a server you install or rent is a dedicated server. A missing friend session points first to Steam privacy and invitation discovery; a missing dedicated server requires checks of the server process, enshrouded_server.json, logs, firewall, router and port mapping. For either type, Keen Games’ first-line sequence is to verify networking, clear Steam’s download cache, flush DNS, try Google DNS, use Ethernet when Wi-Fi packet loss is suspected, and test a Steam Friend-list invitation.
Identify which Enshrouded connection is failing
The same symptom—“I cannot join”—can have two different causes. Do not begin by changing router settings until you know whether you are joining a friend’s game or contacting a dedicated server.
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Your friend launches the game and hosts the world. The session is normally discovered through Steam and Enshrouded’s multiplayer browser. If the world never appears, Steam profile visibility or discovery state is a more likely first check than a dedicated-server port configuration.
Dedicated server: self-hosted or rented
A dedicated server runs separately from the players’ game clients. It may be on another computer in your home, a rented host, or a machine on a public network. A server can be running locally yet unreachable from outside because its query port is blocked, its address is bound incorrectly, or the router is not forwarding traffic.
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Use the symptom to choose the first branch
| What you see | Start here | Do not assume yet |
|---|---|---|
| Your friend’s world is absent | Check the host’s Steam privacy and send a direct Friend-list invite. | That a router port-forwarding problem exists. |
| A dedicated server is absent from the browser | Confirm the process started, inspect logs and enshrouded_server.json, then check the query port through the host firewall and router. |
That the server is offline simply because it is not listed. |
| You connect but suffer random disconnects or lag | Run the network sequence: wired test, Steam cache clear, DNS flush and DNS-provider test. | That adding RAM or changing hardware will fix packet loss. |
| The server starts and then becomes unstable | Compare memory, disk, saves, CPU and logs with the documented capacity guidance. | That every crash is caused by insufficient RAM. |
Fix a friend’s Enshrouded session that does not appear
Check the host’s Steam privacy setting
Keen Games notes that a private Steam profile can prevent a peer-to-peer session from appearing in the server browser. Ask the host to open Steam, go to the profile’s edit and privacy controls, and temporarily make the profile information needed for game-session discovery visible. Steam’s labels can change, so use the current Profile, Edit Profile and Privacy Settings pages rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Send an invitation from the Steam Friend list
Use a direct invite as a diagnostic, not just as a convenience:
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- The host should launch the world and remain in the session.
- Open the Steam overlay or Friend list, select the friend, and choose the current option to invite them to the game.
- Accept the invitation from the recipient’s Steam notification.
If the invitation works while the browser remains empty, the game session is reachable and the failure is discovery-related. If the invitation also fails, continue with the general network checks below and verify that both clients have completed the same game update.
Run the official network checks in order
Keen Games’ network troubleshooting guidance recommends a small set of reversible tests. Apply them one at a time so you can tell which change affects the result. Enshrouded currently uses IPv4 for multiplayer; an IPv6-only path will not substitute for a working IPv4 route.
1. Verify the required port and allow it through the path
For a dedicated server, begin with the configured query port. The documented default is 15637. Allow that port in the server computer’s firewall and, when the server is behind a home router, forward the same protocol and port to the server’s private IPv4 address. A changed value in enshrouded_server.json must match the firewall and forwarding rules.
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Do not copy a generic port list from an old guide. If Steam sign-in, downloads or other Steam connectivity also fail, consult Steam’s current required-port documentation for the additional ports Steam itself needs. The Enshrouded query port and Steam’s service ports are separate concerns.
2. Clear Steam’s download cache
- Open Steam and select Steam in the top-left menu.
- Choose Settings, then Downloads.
- Select Clear Download Cache and confirm.
- Sign back in when Steam restarts, then launch Enshrouded and test the connection again.
This removes transient Steam download state; it does not delete your installed games or world saves.
3. Flush the computer’s DNS cache
On Windows, open Command Prompt and run:
ipconfig /flushdns
Wait for the success message, restart Steam, and retry. A DNS flush cannot repair a blocked firewall port, but it can remove a stale name-resolution result.
4. Test Google’s public DNS
If name resolution remains unreliable, configure the active network adapter’s IPv4 DNS servers as 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, then reconnect the adapter or restart the computer. Record the previous DNS values before changing them so you can restore them. This is a provider test, not a guarantee of lower game latency.
5. Replace Wi-Fi with a wired test
Connect the affected computer directly to the router with Ethernet and repeat the same join attempt. Keen Games specifically recommends a wired connection when Wi-Fi packet loss is suspected. If the wired test is stable, investigate wireless interference, distance, channel congestion or power-saving behavior instead of changing the Enshrouded server configuration.
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6. Confirm Steam account and game state
- Make sure both players are online in Steam rather than appearing offline or invisible.
- Confirm the host and joining player are using the same current game build. A client that has not finished an update can fail before networking is the real issue.
- Restart Steam after applying the cache or DNS changes, then launch the game again.
Repair a dedicated server that is online but unreachable
Confirm the process actually started
Start the Enshrouded dedicated-server executable and wait for it to finish initialization. A window that opens and closes immediately is not an online server. Keep the console or service log visible and look for startup errors, configuration parsing failures, bind errors and save-directory problems. If the process cannot create its log or save folders, correct permissions and paths before troubleshooting the router.
Inspect enshrouded_server.json
After the first launch, the server creates enshrouded_server.json. Open it with a text editor and verify the values that determine identity, storage and reachability:
| Setting | Documented example | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
name |
Enshrouded Server |
The name is recognizable and contains valid JSON text. |
saveDirectory |
./savegame |
The account running the server can read and write the directory. |
logDirectory |
./logs |
The directory exists or can be created, and its files are writable. |
ip |
0.0.0.0 |
The server is listening on the intended IPv4 interfaces rather than only on a loopback address. |
queryPort |
15637 |
The value matches the host firewall and router rule; it may be changed when those rules use another port. |
slotCount |
16 |
The value is within the official range of 1 through 16 players. |
The documented example is:
{
"name": "Enshrouded Server",
"saveDirectory": "./savegame",
"logDirectory": "./logs",
"ip": "0.0.0.0",
"queryPort": 15637,
"slotCount": 16
}Keep the JSON syntax exact: use double quotes around property names and string values, commas between properties, and no trailing comma after the final property. Make a backup before editing. After saving, stop and restart the server so it reloads the file.
Check local reachability before public reachability
- From the server machine, verify that the process remains running and is writing fresh log entries.
- From another device on the same home network, try to find or join the server. This isolates the game and local firewall from Internet routing.
- If local players can connect but remote players cannot, inspect the router’s IPv4 forwarding rule, the server’s private address and the host firewall.
- If nobody can connect locally, return to the configuration, process logs, Windows firewall and version checks before changing the public router settings.
Testing from inside the same network can be misleading on routers that do not support hairpin NAT. A failed internal test does not by itself prove that the public forwarding rule is wrong; use a genuinely external connection for the final check.
Allow the port in the host firewall
Create an inbound rule for the configured query port on the server computer’s IPv4 network profile, then verify that the rule applies to the executable or service that actually runs the server. A router rule cannot compensate for a local firewall drop. Avoid opening unrelated ports broadly; add only the ports required by Enshrouded and Steam’s current documentation.
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Forward the port to a stable private address
If the server is at home, assign it a DHCP reservation or static private IPv4 address before forwarding. Otherwise the router may send traffic to a different device after a reboot. The forwarding destination must be the server’s private address, not the public address shown by an Internet speed-test site. If your Internet provider uses carrier-grade NAT, inbound forwarding may be impossible without a provider option or a hosted server.
Separate connectivity problems from capacity problems
A server that is listed but disconnects, stalls or exits may have a resource problem rather than a port problem. Keen Games’ FAQ gives these planning figures:
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| Resource | Official guidance | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| RAM at idle | About 4.4 GB | Leave room for the operating system and other services; this is not a guarantee for every world or release. |
| Additional RAM per player | Up to 100 MB | Use the upper figure when estimating headroom for a full group. |
| Total RAM | No more than 6 GB | Treat this as the FAQ’s stated ceiling, then monitor the actual process and operating system. |
| Free disk space | 30 GB recommended | Reserve space for the installation, logs, updates and growing saves. |
| Typical world save | 1 MB to 100 MB | Sizes vary by world; retain enough room for multiple backups. |
| Save frequency | Every five minutes | Unexpected shutdowns can lose recent progress, so allow the save directory to remain writable. |
These numbers are capacity checks, not proof of the cause of a particular crash. Watch memory, CPU, disk usage and available space while reading the server log. A machine can have adequate RAM and still fail because of a malformed configuration, denied file access, a full disk or a mismatched game version.
Install and update the dedicated server correctly
Find the server in Steam
Keen Games says that purchasing and unlocking Enshrouded unlocks the dedicated server in Steam’s Tools section. In Steam Library, change the library filter to show tools, locate the Enshrouded Dedicated Server entry, and install it on the machine that will host the world.
Run it once before customizing
Launch the executable once and allow it to create enshrouded_server.json, the save directory and the log directory. Stop it cleanly, make a backup of the generated file, and then change only the settings you need. This approach distinguishes an installation problem from an invalid manual file.
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Keep server and clients on the same release
Before investigating advanced NAT behavior, let Steam finish updates on the dedicated server and on every player’s client. A server that is behind the client build can be undiscoverable or reject connections. Check the current Enshrouded release notes when a new patch has just shipped; the exact update process and platform support can change over time.
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The cited installation documentation described Linux support as planned rather than established. Do not assume a Linux setup is supported for the current release without checking the latest official documentation. On any platform, use the server’s own logs to confirm that it reached a ready state.
Use a decision matrix instead of changing everything at once
| Candidate remedy | Best fit | What it can and cannot solve |
|---|---|---|
| Steam privacy adjustment and Friend-list invite | Friend’s peer-to-peer world is missing. | Can restore discovery; cannot repair a dedicated server’s firewall. |
| Clear Steam download cache | Transient Steam state or incomplete update behavior. | Rebuilds download state; does not open a router port. |
| DNS flush or alternate DNS | Name-resolution failures affecting Steam or server discovery. | Changes lookup behavior; does not overcome carrier-grade NAT. |
| Wired connection | Wi-Fi packet loss, interference or unstable roaming. | Tests the local link; does not fix a remote server outage. |
| Configuration and log review | Dedicated server starts incorrectly, binds to the wrong address or cannot write saves. | Finds software and path errors; cannot fix an ISP block. |
| Firewall and IPv4 forwarding | Local connections work but remote players cannot reach the server. | Enables inbound traffic when the ISP permits it; requires a stable private address. |
| Managed hosting | You cannot expose a home server or do not want to maintain it. | Removes much of the home-network administration but adds rental cost and provider dependence. |
When renting a managed server is the practical fix
Keen Games’ FAQ names GPORTAL as a partner offering dedicated servers that can be rented from within the game and says other providers may also be used. Managed hosting is reasonable when your ISP blocks inbound connections, your router lacks forwarding controls, or you need someone else to maintain uptime, updates and the network perimeter.
Before paying, verify current regional availability, player-slot limits, backup policy, update timing, cancellation terms and support scope. Rental pricing and availability change, and the partnership statement does not establish that every provider offers identical Enshrouded features. You also give up some control over the machine and its network configuration compared with self-hosting.
Recovery checklist for common failure patterns
“My friend’s game is not listed”
- Confirm the friend is actually hosting the world.
- Check the host’s Steam privacy visibility.
- Send and accept a Steam Friend-list invitation.
- Clear Steam’s download cache and restart Steam if discovery remains stale.
- Test a wired connection and flush DNS if the session still cannot be reached.
“The dedicated server process runs, but nobody can see it”
- Read the startup log for bind, JSON, save-path and permission errors.
- Verify
ip,queryPort, directories andslotCountinenshrouded_server.json. - Allow the configured port through the host firewall.
- Confirm the router forwards that port to the server’s stable private IPv4 address.
- Check that the server and clients are fully updated.
“Players join, then disconnect or experience severe lag”
- Run the wired-versus-Wi-Fi test on the affected connection.
- Clear Steam’s download cache and flush DNS.
- Check memory, CPU, disk space and log errors while players are connected.
- Compare the measured resource use with the official RAM and disk guidance.
- Inspect the router and ISP path if only remote players are affected.
“The server crashes after a restart”
- Restore the last known-good JSON backup and test.
- Confirm the save and log directories still exist and are writable.
- Check free disk space and preserve a copy of the world save before further changes.
- Verify that Steam completed the server update.
- Use the log’s first error, rather than the final shutdown line, as the starting point.
What not to infer from a failed connection
- A server missing from the browser is not automatically proof that the port is wrong; it may never have started or may have invalid JSON.
- A successful local connection does not prove that Internet players can reach the server through the router.
- Changing DNS cannot repair packet loss caused by Wi-Fi or a blocked inbound firewall rule.
- Adding memory cannot fix a private Steam profile, incorrect invitation state or a port-forwarding failure.
- The documented RAM and disk figures are planning guidance, not a published success rate or a diagnosis for every crash.
Escalate with useful evidence
If the sequence does not resolve the problem, record the details that distinguish the branches: whether the session is peer-to-peer or dedicated, whether anyone on the same LAN can connect, the server’s configured IPv4 address and query port, the first relevant log error, the game and server versions, the operating system, and whether Ethernet changes the result. Include the exact time of a failed attempt and whether Steam itself is online. This information lets a host, ISP or game-support team investigate a reproducible condition instead of a generic “server offline” report.
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