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To password-protect a current Starbound dedicated server, stop it, run it once so it creates storage/starbound_server.config, add account credentials under serverUsers, set allowAnonymousConnections to false, save valid JSON, and restart. Give friends the non-admin account, password, and server address; they enter all three in the Multiplayer screen.
What “private” means in Starbound
Starbound uses two separate controls that are easy to confuse. An account entry supplies a username and password for connecting, while allowAnonymousConnections controls whether someone can connect without authenticating. The documented Linux configuration defaults that setting to true, which permits unauthenticated accounts. For a password-only server, change it to false.
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What you need before editing
- A dedicated-server installation that you can stop and restart.
- Permission to edit files in the server installation directory.
- A text editor that does not add rich-text formatting.
- The address that friends will use, plus TCP port 21025 available through your firewall and router if the server is hosted at home.
- A backup of the configuration before making changes.
The configuration is JSON. A missing quote, comma, or brace can cause Starbound to reject the file. Do not edit it while the server is running: a later save by the server can overwrite your changes.
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Set up password-only access
1. Stop the dedicated server
Shut down the Starbound server cleanly. If it is running as a service or through a server manager, use that manager’s stop command rather than killing the process abruptly. Editing a stopped server prevents simultaneous writes and makes it clear which restart applies the new settings.
2. Generate and locate the current configuration
Run the dedicated server at least once if this is a new installation. The first run creates the configuration file in the server’s storage directory. The current file is named starbound_server.config; its location is therefore the storage folder beneath your server installation, not the older template file used by some tutorials.
If you already have that file, stop the server again before opening it. If it is missing after a first run, confirm that you launched the dedicated server rather than only the game client and that you are looking in the installation’s own storage directory.
3. Make a backup
Copy starbound_server.config to a separate file before editing, for example starbound_server.config.backup. Keep the original backup outside any automatic cleanup or synchronization process. If the edited file is rejected, this copy lets you restore the previous working configuration.
4. Add separate player and administrator accounts
Open the generated file and find the serverUsers object. Add or replace its contents with account entries using this pattern:
{ "serverUsers" : { "admin" : { "admin" : true, "password" : "MyAdminPassword" }, "player" : { "admin" : false, "password" : "MyPlayerPassword" } } }Replace both example passwords with long, unique values. The key names, admin and player in this example, are the account names friends will type; you may choose different names. The Boolean value under each account determines privilege: true is an administrator account and false is a normal player account.
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Give friends only the normal account. Keep the administrator credentials private because an administrator login is intended for server-management commands, not ordinary play. Creating a second account also means you can change the shared player password without distributing your personal administrator login.
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5. Disable anonymous connections
In the same JSON object, set:
"allowAnonymousConnections" : falseThis is the step that changes the server from “passwords are available” to “authentication is required.” If the value remains true, a client may be allowed to connect without supplying an account, even though serverUsers is present.
6. Validate the JSON and restart
Check that every opening brace has a matching closing brace, every property name and text value is enclosed in double quotes, and properties are separated by commas. Do not leave a comma after the final property in an object if your editor or validator flags trailing commas.
Save the file, then start the dedicated server. Starbound’s documented failure behavior is important: when it detects syntax errors at startup, it renames the bad file to starbound_server.config.old and writes a default configuration in its place. That can make it appear that your settings vanished. If this happens, stop the server, compare the .old file with your backup, correct the JSON, and start again.
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Your generated file contains other settings, so do not replace the entire file with a shortened example. Merge the relevant properties into the existing JSON. The following fragment shows the relationship between authentication and the two account types:
{ "allowAnonymousConnections" : false, "serverUsers" : { "admin" : { "admin" : true, "password" : "Use-A-Private-Admin-Password" }, "friends" : { "admin" : false, "password" : "Use-A-Private-Player-Password" } } }The names and passwords above are examples only. Preserve unrelated generated settings, including any values your server manager added. A configuration editor that understands JSON can help identify a misplaced comma before you restart.
Tell friends how to join
- Open Starbound and choose Multiplayer.
- Enter the server’s IP address or DNS name.
- Enter the account name you placed under
serverUsers, such asfriends. - Enter that account’s password.
- Select Join Server.
The Multiplayer instructions describe the account and password as optional when a server has no authentication configured. On your private server they are required, so leaving either field blank will not provide the intended access.
Make the server reachable from outside your home
Authentication does not open a network path by itself. The multiplayer documentation identifies TCP port 21025 as the hosting port. A friend outside your home network must be able to reach that port on the server’s public address.
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- On the server computer: allow the dedicated-server program to accept inbound TCP traffic on port 21025 in the operating-system firewall.
- On the router: forward TCP port 21025 to the server computer’s local address. Give that computer a reserved local address so the forwarding rule does not point to a different device later.
- For local testing: the multiplayer guide identifies
127.0.0.1as the loopback address. Testing from the host itself can confirm that the server is running before you troubleshoot router settings. - For remote testing: have a friend try the public address after the server has started. A connection timeout usually indicates routing, firewall, or an incorrect address rather than a bad password.
Do not publish the administrator credentials while sharing the public address. Network reachability and account authorization are separate checks: a reachable port can still reject an unauthenticated client, and a correct password cannot help if the port is inaccessible.
Home hosting or managed hosting?
A home-hosted server gives you direct control over the generated file, accounts, firewall, router, and restart schedule. It also means you must maintain port forwarding, keep the server reachable, and troubleshoot changes to the local network. If you cannot maintain those pieces, managed Starbound server hosting is an alternative. A managed host generally handles the machine, network exposure, and service restarts, but you still need to confirm that it supports your installed Starbound version and exposes the account settings you need.
Before paying for any managed service, check its current price, backup policy, supported configuration format, player capacity, and whether you can export or restore your world. Those details vary by provider and can change, so do not assume that a hosting panel using a serverPasswords field is compatible with a current generated server. The password steps in this guide apply to the configuration format your running installation actually recognizes.
Current configuration versus older tutorials
Starbound guides describe more than one password system because the configuration format changed over time. Use the file generated by the version you actually installed rather than copying a template from an old tutorial.
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| Approach | File or key | How authentication is represented | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current generated-server approach | storage/starbound_server.config |
serverUsers entries with an account name, password, and admin Boolean; pair with allowAnonymousConnections: false |
Use when the installed server generates and recognizes this file and key. |
| Older hosted-server instructions | default_configuration.config |
A serverPasswords array; the 2013-11-29 Windows tutorial also lists ports 21025, 21026, and 21027 |
Relevant only to an older setup that still supplies this template and behavior. |
The later server-manager documentation explicitly describes account-bound passwords through serverUsers. If you add serverPasswords to a current generated file and nothing changes, that mismatch is the likely reason: the running version may no longer read the legacy array. Do not maintain both systems merely because a search result shows both; identify the keys present in your generated configuration and follow that format.
Changing or removing access safely
To rotate a shared password, stop the server, edit the normal player entry, save valid JSON, and restart. Tell friends the new password only after the restart succeeds. If one person should lose access, change the shared password or remove that account from serverUsers; because credentials are server-wide, this does not delete character data. Keep a separate administrator account so rotating the player login does not interrupt your own management access.
When several people need access, you can create separate non-admin entries instead of distributing one shared login. Each entry still uses the same account-bound format. This lets you remove one account without changing everyone else’s password, while keeping all routine players at "admin" : false.
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Troubleshoot the common failures
The file is not present
Start the dedicated server once, allow it to finish initialization, stop it, and then inspect its own storage directory. Searching the game client’s folders can lead to the wrong location. If a server manager controls the installation, use the path it reports for the server instance.
The server starts with default settings after my edit
Inspect the directory for starbound_server.config.old. Its presence indicates a startup syntax error. Restore your backup or repair the malformed JSON, then verify that serverUsers and allowAnonymousConnections are inside the top-level object rather than outside it.
Friends can join without a password
Reopen the active generated file and confirm that allowAnonymousConnections is the Boolean false, not the text "false". Confirm that the server was restarted after saving and that you edited the instance actually being launched. A different installation or server-manager profile can have its own storage directory.
The password is rejected
Have the player type the exact account key and password, including capitalization. Make sure the account has no accidental spaces in its key or value. If you changed the credentials, stop and restart the server before testing the new ones; then try the normal player account rather than the administrator account.
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Local connections work but remote friends time out
Use 127.0.0.1 only for a test from the server computer. Remote players need the public address, TCP forwarding for port 21025, and an operating-system firewall rule. Confirm that the router forwards to the server’s current local address and that the server is listening on the expected port. If the address is behind carrier-grade NAT or another upstream router, a normal home forwarding rule may not be sufficient; the hosting network must provide an externally reachable endpoint.
Remote players reach the server but see an authentication error
That result means the network path is functioning and the remaining checks are the account name, password, and authentication settings. Verify the non-admin account entry in the active file and ensure anonymous connections are disabled. Do not solve an authentication error by enabling anonymous access if the goal is a private server.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Capacity and administration considerations
The Starbounder Wiki lists a default maximum of eight simultaneous sessions. That is a capacity default, not a password limit, and it does not guarantee a particular performance level for every machine or connection. Keep the access list small enough for the hardware and network you operate.
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Use the normal player account for routine play and reserve the administrator account for tasks that require elevated privileges. If a friend no longer needs access, stop the server, remove that account or change its password, save valid JSON, and restart. Because account credentials are server-wide rather than character-bound, changing a shared login affects everyone using it without altering their player data.
Pre-launch checklist
- The dedicated server has been run once and generated
storage/starbound_server.config. - The server is stopped while the file is edited.
- A backup exists outside the active configuration filename.
serverUserscontains a normal player account and, if needed, a separate administrator account.- The player account has
"admin" : false. allowAnonymousConnectionsis the Booleanfalse.- The file passes a JSON syntax check and retains the other generated settings.
- The server restarts without producing
starbound_server.config.old. - Friends have the correct server address, account name, and password.
- TCP port 21025 is allowed through the host firewall and forwarded by the router when remote access is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is starbound_server.config?
Run the dedicated server once, stop it, and look in the server installation’s storage directory. It is separate from the game client’s folders.
Why does serverPasswords not work?
serverPasswords belongs to older default_configuration.config instructions. A current generated server generally uses serverUsers in storage/starbound_server.config; use the keys your installed version generates.
How do friends join my password-protected server?
In Multiplayer, they enter the server IP address or DNS name, the account key from serverUsers, that account’s password, and then choose Join Server.
Can I use one login for everyone?
Yes, a normal player account can be shared, but a separate administrator account is safer. Changing the shared password affects everyone using it without changing player data.
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Check that the active configuration contains the Boolean "allowAnonymousConnections" : false and that the server was restarted after saving. Also verify that you edited the instance actually being launched.
What does a starbound_server.config.old file mean?
Starbound found a syntax error at startup, renamed the invalid configuration to starbound_server.config.old, and created a default file. Restore your backup or correct the JSON before restarting.
What port does a Starbound server use?
The documented hosting port is TCP 21025. Remote players also require router forwarding and an operating-system firewall rule.
Can I test the server without opening my router?
From the server computer, test with 127.0.0.1. That confirms the local service, but remote friends still need a reachable public address and port 21025.
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For a current Starbound dedicated server, run it once, edit storage/starbound_server.config, configure separate serverUsers player and administrator accounts, set allowAnonymousConnections to false, validate the JSON, and restart. Friends then join with the server address, normal player account, and password. If they cannot connect from outside your home, troubleshoot TCP port 21025, firewall rules, and router forwarding separately from authentication.
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