How to Install and View the Rust:IO Livemap on Your Rust Server

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Install Rust:IO Remastered as a uMod/Oxide server extension, not as a normal .cs plugin. Stop the server, place Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll in RustDedicated_Data/Managed, restart, and confirm the extension initializes. Then allow inbound TCP on the map endpoint, configure oxide/config/RustIO.json, and open http://YOUR-SERVER-IP:YOUR-SERVER-PORT using the external IP and game port—not the RCON port.

This guide covers self-managed servers and hosted control panels, configuration, map access, privacy-sensitive layers, and the failures most often seen after installation or a Rust update.

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What Rust:IO is and what you are installing

Rust:IO Remastered is an open reimplementation of the Rust:IO server core. Its manual describes it as an extension to the uMod (formerly Oxide) modding framework that adds a live map and a REST API to a Rust server. It is not affiliated with Facepunch Studios.

The distinction between an extension and a plugin determines where the files go:

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• Rust:IO extension: the file Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll belongs in RustDedicated_Data/Managed.
• uMod plugins: ordinary plugin files normally use the oxide/plugins directory.

Do not upload the Rust:IO DLL to oxide/plugins. On a successful first launch, the loader downloads the remaining Rust:IO components and creates its configuration files.

Old tutorials that only describe the original playrust.io service are historical. Rust:IO Remastered was revived for the current Rust build, so compatibility must be checked whenever Rust or uMod/Oxide changes.

Requirements and port planning

Prepare the server before copying files. These checks prevent most installation and “server is not responding” problems.

Run a current dedicated server and uMod/Oxide

You need a current Rust dedicated server and a recent uMod/Oxide installation. The uMod Rust guide documents the command umod install rust -P. Rust plugins require Oxide 2.0 or higher; if the framework is missing or too old, Rust:IO cannot load.

Use separate game and RCON ports

Rust gameplay normally uses UDP, but the livemap web endpoint needs an incoming TCP connection. Keep RCON on a different port from the game port. The current manual recommends game port plus one—for example, game port 28015 and RCON port 28016. Two services cannot listen on the same port.

Open the correct firewall direction

Allow inbound TCP on the port used by the map endpoint. Also retain the normal UDP rule needed for players to join the server. A server can be fully playable while its map remains unreachable if only UDP was opened.

Back up before replacing managed files

Stop the server and back up the server directory, configuration, and world data before installing the extension. Facepunch’s server guidance requires Oxide to be updated after Rust updates; the same update cycle can require a compatible Rust:IO build. Keeping a rollback copy gives you a recovery path if a monthly update breaks the extension.

Choose an installation route

Your choice depends less on the map itself than on whether you can access the managed game directory and network controls.

If you cannot access RustDedicated_Data/Managed or cannot open an inbound TCP port, ask the provider to install the Managed-directory extension. A one-click Mod Manager entry is convenient, but you still need to verify the resulting files, ports, and logs.

Install Rust:IO on a self-managed server

1. Stop the Rust server. Do not replace a managed DLL while the dedicated server is running. Make a backup first.
2. Install or update uMod/Oxide. Confirm the Rust-specific uMod installation is present and that its version supports the current Rust build.
3. Download Rust:IO Remastered. Use the project’s current manual or download route rather than an old playrust.io package.
4. Copy the extension. Upload exactly Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll to RustDedicated_Data/Managed. Preserve the filename and capitalization.
5. Start the server. On startup, the loader downloads the remaining Rust:IO components automatically.
6. Read the startup console. Confirm that the Rust:IO extension is reported as initialized. If no extension message appears, stop and correct the installation before changing map settings.
7. Open the TCP rule. Allow inbound TCP on the map endpoint and confirm that RCON uses another port, such as 28016 when the game port is 28015.

If the extension is absent from startup, the first checks are the DLL path, the uMod/Oxide installation, and whether the server was actually restarted after the upload.

Install through a hosted control panel

Panel labels differ, but the underlying installation is the same.

Using a Mod Manager

1. Stop the server from the panel.
2. Open the panel’s Mod Manager or equivalent add-on page.
3. Select RUST.io Livemap if the provider lists it.
4. Install the add-on and wait for the panel to finish copying the Managed-directory files.
5. Open the file editor and inspect oxide/config/RustIO.json after the first successful start.
6. Save configuration changes, restart, and inspect the console for the extension initialization message.

Uploading with File Manager or SFTP

When no Mod Manager entry exists, upload Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll to RustDedicated_Data/Managed through the provider’s File Manager or SFTP service. Some hosts deliberately restrict this directory. If the upload is blocked, ask support to install the Managed-directory extension instead of placing the file in oxide/plugins.

One documented panel workflow is: stop the server, install RUST.io Livemap from Mod Manager, edit oxideconfigRustIO.json, save, and start. The exact slash display depends on the panel, but the file is the same oxide/config/RustIO.json configuration.

Configure Rust:IO after the first start

A successful first launch creates oxide/config/RustIO.json. Edit it with a JSON-aware editor: retain double quotes, commas, braces, and the exact setting names. Invalid JSON can cause the configuration to be ignored or produce a console error.

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After editing RustIO.json, run reload RustIO in the server console. Restart instead if your host does not support plugin reloads or if the console reports that a restart is required.

Webmap settings in oxide/data/rustio/webmap.json

Rust:IO also documents oxide/data/rustio/webmap.json. This file contains webmap-specific values:

• webPort: the web endpoint port when you use a non-default arrangement.
• renderSize: controls the rendered map size.
• showSleepers: controls whether sleeping players are shown.
• updateIntervalMs: controls the update interval in milliseconds.
• portalUrl: identifies the portal destination used by the webmap.
• secret: a generated secret used by the webmap.

Do not replace the generated secret casually. If you change webmap values, keep valid JSON and reload or restart as required by the host. When a custom webPort is in use, make sure the corresponding TCP firewall and forwarding rule use that port.

Open the live map

1. Find the server’s external IP address—the address players use from outside your network.
2. Use the game server port in the address, not the RCON port. The documented form is http://YOUR-SERVER-IP:YOUR-SERVER-PORT; an example is http://203.0.113.10:28015.
3. Enter the address in a browser from a network outside the server when possible. Testing from the same LAN can be misleading if the router does not support hairpin access.
4. If the panel supplies a RUST.io Livemap button, use it as an alternative; the panel may open the correct URL automatically.
5. Allow a short delay after startup. The server may appear on playrust.me after a short delay, but direct IP access does not require waiting for that directory listing.

If your setup deliberately changes the web endpoint to a custom webPort, use that configured port and open it in the firewall. Do not substitute the RCON port merely because it is the other port shown in the panel.

Map layers, authentication, and privacy

The interactive map can expose monuments, grids, events, mortality information, players, allies, and—when authorized—buildings. Steam sign-in is used to locate yourself and allies. Building and loot data are admin-only in the Remastered manual, and sleeper visibility is controlled separately through showSleepers.

Before enabling sensitive layers, decide what information should be public:

• Leave building, loot, and sleeper visibility disabled unless administrators have a specific reason to expose them.
• Use hideSpecificMonuments for named locations that should not appear.
• Review chat, spawn, and death broadcasts because event streams can reveal activity in real time.
• Protect apiKey and the generated webmap secret; do not paste either into public support posts.
• If a reverse proxy is involved, use ipOverride so Rust:IO binds to the intended local interface rather than an unintended public binding.

Direct access versus the playrust.me listing

Direct access gives you control over the URL and does not depend on an external directory. Share the server’s external IP and configured web port, and you can test the endpoint immediately after the service starts. This is usually the clearest method for administrators diagnosing a firewall or binding problem.

The playrust.me listing is useful for discoverability. The server may appear there after a short delay, but the listing is separate from the underlying web endpoint. A delayed listing does not necessarily mean the map is broken, and a listing cannot correct a closed TCP port, an incorrect external IP, or a failed extension.

Hosted panels may provide a map button that opens a new window. Treat that button as a convenience, not as proof that the extension loaded. Confirm the startup message, configuration file, and reachable URL independently.

Validate each layer after installation

Test in a fixed order so one failure does not hide another. First, confirm the file exists at RustDedicated_Data/Managed/Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll and that the server console reports initialization. Second, confirm that oxide/config/RustIO.json was created and can be parsed. Third, verify the endpoint is bound to the intended address and port. Fourth, test inbound TCP from outside the server’s local network. Finally, sign in through Steam and check only the layers you deliberately enabled.

This order also makes support requests more useful. Give a host the exact path, the startup error or missing message, the game and RCON ports, the configured webPort if different, and whether the test came from an external network. Avoid sending the API key or generated secret.

Updating safely after a Rust release

Rust updates can change the build that uMod/Oxide and extensions target. Before applying a monthly update, keep a backup of the managed directory and configuration. Stop the server, update Rust, then install the uMod/Oxide version intended for that build and the compatible Rust:IO release. Start the server and read the earliest loader messages before allowing players to connect.

If the map fails after an update, do not repeatedly edit unrelated settings. Compare the extension version with the current Rust and uMod/Oxide versions, inspect the startup console, and test the TCP endpoint again. If a rollback is necessary, restore the known-good files and configuration from the backup, then coordinate the next update rather than leaving an incompatible DLL in place.

Troubleshooting Rust:IO

The map says the server is not responding

• Confirm the browser address uses the external IP and game/map port.
• Allow inbound TCP on that port; opening only UDP is insufficient for the web endpoint.
• Check router or cloud-security forwarding if the server is behind NAT.
• If necessary, start Rust with +server.ip YOUR-SERVER-IP so it binds to the intended external interface.
• Check whether a custom webPort changed the port you should expose.
• Verify the server has fully started and that the console reports Rust:IO initialization.

RCON and the map conflict

Move RCON to game port plus one or another unused TCP port. For example, use game 28015 and RCON 28016. Both services cannot share one port.

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The Rust:IO extension is missing from startup

1. Stop the server.
2. Verify uMod/Oxide is installed for Rust and is compatible with the current game build.
3. Verify the filename is exactly Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll.
4. Verify it is in RustDedicated_Data/Managed, not oxide/plugins.
5. Start the server again and inspect the earliest startup lines for loader errors.

The configuration is ignored

Open oxide/config/RustIO.json in a JSON-aware editor and check for missing commas, extra commas, or altered setting names. Save the file, run reload RustIO, and read the console. If your provider does not support reload, restart the server and check for configuration errors during startup.

The panel has no Rust:IO option

Ask the host whether it supports uMod/Oxide and installation of a Managed-directory extension. If SFTP is allowed, upload the DLL yourself; if the directory is restricted, only the provider can complete that step.

A Rust update broke the map

After a monthly Rust update, update uMod/Oxide and Rust:IO to versions compatible with the new build. Restart the server, inspect the extension and configuration logs, and test the TCP endpoint again. Do not assume that a previously working DLL remains compatible after the game changes.

Operational checklist

• Back up the server before every managed-file replacement.
• Stop the server before uploading or replacing Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll.
• Keep game and RCON ports separate.
• Permit inbound TCP for the map endpoint and UDP for normal Rust gameplay.
• Confirm the extension initialization message after every restart.
• Protect API and webmap secrets.
• Review building, loot, sleeper, chat, spawn, and death visibility before sharing the map URL.
• Retest after each Rust and uMod/Oxide update.

What a successful installation looks like

The server starts without a Rust:IO loader error, the console reports the extension initialized, oxide/config/RustIO.json exists, and the browser reaches the map at the external IP and map port. The chosen layers then appear according to your settings and the viewer’s Steam authorization. If any one of those checks fails, fix that layer—file placement, framework compatibility, configuration, or networking—before changing unrelated settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rust:IO a normal uMod plugin?

No. Rust:IO is a server extension. Put Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll in RustDedicated_Data/Managed, not in oxide/plugins. Ordinary .cs plugins use the plugins directory.

What address opens the Rust:IO map?

Use http://YOUR-SERVER-IP:YOUR-SERVER-PORT with the server’s external IP and game/map port, such as http://203.0.113.10:28015. Do not use the RCON port.

Why does the map say the server is not responding?

Check that inbound TCP is allowed on the map endpoint, the external IP is correct, any NAT or cloud forwarding is configured, and the server started Rust:IO successfully. If you changed webPort, test that port instead.

Where should RCON run?

Use a separate unused port. The documented example is game port 28015 and RCON port 28016; both services cannot share one port.

How do I install Rust:IO on a hosted server?

Use the provider’s Mod Manager entry named something like RUST.io Livemap, or upload the DLL through File Manager or SFTP if the host permits access to RustDedicated_Data/Managed. If that directory is restricted, ask support to install it.

How do I make buildings or player locations appear?

Enable the relevant settings and use the map’s authorization controls. displayBuildings exposes building data, while player and ally location uses Steam sign-in. Buildings and Loot are classified as admin-only data, so do not expose them casually.

How do I hide sleepers or sensitive monuments?

Use showSleepers in oxide/data/rustio/webmap.json for sleeper visibility and hideSpecificMonuments in RustIO.json for named monuments. Review event broadcasts as well, because chat, spawn, and death updates can reveal activity.

What should I do after a Rust update breaks the map?

Update uMod/Oxide and Rust:IO to versions compatible with the new Rust build, restart the server, inspect the earliest startup logs, and retest the TCP endpoint. Keep a backup so you can roll back known-good managed files if necessary.

The Bottom Line

For a reliable Rust:IO installation, treat the livemap as a server extension: install Oxide.Ext.RustIO.dll in RustDedicated_Data/Managed, run compatible uMod/Oxide, keep RCON on another port, permit inbound TCP, configure the generated JSON files, and open the map through the external IP and map port. Confirm initialization in the console and review privacy-sensitive layers before sharing the URL.

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