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For a standard Squad dedicated server, forward UDP 7787 and 7788 for game traffic, TCP and UDP 15000 for the beacon, TCP and UDP 27165 and 27166 for Steam queries, and TCP and UDP 21114 when RCON is enabled. Some deployments also need inbound UDP ports above 30000 for client connections.
These are common documented defaults, not immutable constants. Squad reads its actual values from the launch configuration, so your host firewall and router must use the exact ports configured for that server instance.
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Squad server port reference
The table below separates each service from the protocol it uses. A router forward sends traffic from the public internet to the server’s private address; a host-firewall rule then has to allow that traffic on the server itself.
| Function | Common port(s) | Protocol | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 7787 and 7788 | UDP | Required for clients to play on the server. |
| Server beacon | 15000 | TCP and UDP | Used by the server beacon and part of normal discovery/connectivity. |
| Steam query | 27165 and 27166 | TCP and UDP | Supports browser and query traffic. The second value is the query port plus one. |
| RCON | 21114 | TCP and UDP | Open only when remote administration is enabled. |
| Ephemeral client traffic | 30000 and higher | UDP | Some providers or deployments require an additional high-port range after the initial connection. |
The values above are documented defaults for the commonly described setup. They are not a guarantee that every installation uses them.
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Why more than the game port is involved
Gameplay uses a paired UDP allocation
Squad’s documented game allocation is UDP 7787 together with UDP 7788. Forwarding only 7787 can leave the process reachable on one socket while client gameplay fails on the paired socket. Create rules for both values and keep them on UDP.
The beacon supports server communication
The beacon is documented on port 15000 over both TCP and UDP. It is separate from the game sockets. If the game ports are open but discovery or connection negotiation is unreliable, check that the beacon rules exist with both protocols.
Steam queries determine browser visibility
The query configuration starts at 27165, with 27166 as the next query port. These ports carry the information used by server-browser and query requests. A server can be running correctly yet fail to appear in the browser when the query ports are blocked, mapped to the wrong machine, or changed in the launch configuration without changing the firewall.
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RCON is optional administration traffic
RCON is documented on 21114 over TCP and UDP. Do not open it merely because the server is dedicated; open it when you have enabled remote administration and need external RCON access. If RCON is disabled, leaving this port forwarded adds no gameplay capability.
High UDP ports can be part of the connection
The installation guidance notes that some providers require allowing UDP ports above 30000 for ephemeral client connections. This is deployment-dependent. If players can initially reach the server but cannot finish joining or lose the connection during the transition into a match, investigate provider filtering and the required high-port range rather than changing the query port at random.
Find the ports your server actually uses
Before editing a router or firewall, read the launch command, configuration file, or container environment for the running instance. A documented example contains Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 beaconport=15000. In that example, Port is the game port, QueryPort is the Steam query port, and beaconport is the beacon port.
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Port values are configurable. If an administrator changed Port, QueryPort, beacon, or RCON values, the changed numbers—not the defaults in a guide—are the ones to forward. Containerized deployments commonly expose environment variables named PORT, QUERYPORT, and RCONPORT; inspect those variables for each container. Also check how the container maps host ports, because an external port can be translated to a different internal port.
Open and forward the ports in the right order
- Give the server a stable private address. Create a DHCP reservation or configure a fixed private address for the machine. A forward tied to a changing address will eventually point at the wrong device.
- Record the complete port set. Write down the actual game, query, beacon, and (if enabled) RCON values, including protocol. Add any high UDP range required by your provider.
- Create host-firewall inbound rules. On the server operating system, allow inbound UDP 7787 and 7788, TCP and UDP 15000, TCP and UDP 27165 and 27166, and TCP and UDP 21114 only when RCON is active. Substitute your configured values where they differ. Do not create a TCP rule for a port documented as UDP-only, or omit UDP from a dual-protocol service.
- Create matching router forwards. For each rule, set the external port, internal port, protocol, and the server’s fixed private IP. Unless you intentionally use translation, keep external and internal numbers identical. Add separate entries when a device requires one protocol per rule.
- Check the router’s mapping mode. Some interfaces let you choose a different external and internal port. If you do that, clients must use the external number while the server listens on the internal number. Accidental translation is a common reason a correctly configured server remains unreachable.
- Restart or reload the server if its configuration changed. Verify that the process is listening on the new values after the restart. A firewall rule cannot make an application listen on a port it did not bind.
- Test from outside the LAN. Use the server browser and a direct connection from a separate network, such as a mobile hotspot or a remote test host. Testing from the same LAN can be misleading when the router lacks NAT loopback support.
A router forward and a host-firewall allow rule solve different layers. You need both when the server is behind NAT and the operating system filters unsolicited inbound traffic.
Verify that the process is listening
First confirm the application is bound to the expected local ports. On Linux, an administrator can inspect listening sockets with a command such as ss -luntp; on Windows, netstat -ano can show listening ports and the process ID for follow-up in Task Manager. These checks establish whether the service is listening locally; they do not prove that the router is forwarding correctly.
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Compare the reported sockets with the launch configuration. If the process listens on a non-default port, update the router and firewall rather than forcing clients to use the documented default. If no socket appears, inspect the server log for a startup failure, an occupied port, or a container mapping error.
Running more than one Squad server
Each instance needs a non-overlapping set of game, query, beacon, and RCON ports. Assign distinct values to every instance and expose the corresponding values through the host firewall, router, and container mapping. The container documentation’s PORT, QUERYPORT, and RCONPORT variables illustrate how a second instance can use different assignments.
Do not point two servers at the same game or query port and expect the operating system to select the correct process. The second process will normally fail to bind, or traffic intended for one instance will reach the other. Keep a written allocation for each instance, including whether RCON is enabled and whether the provider requires a high UDP range.
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Why Steam’s 27015 advice can be misleading
Steam’s generic support material lists local TCP 27015 for SRCDS RCON and local UDP 27015 for gameplay on dedicated or listen servers. Those are generic Steam/Source defaults. They are not a replacement for Squad’s configured Port and QueryPort values.
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Troubleshoot a server that is missing or unreachable
It does not appear in the browser
- Read the running configuration and confirm the query port and query-port-plus-one values.
- Confirm both query ports are forwarded with TCP and UDP as documented.
- Check that the beacon port is forwarded with both protocols.
- Verify the forwards target the server’s current private IP, not an old DHCP address.
- Confirm the host firewall allows the same ports and protocols.
- Test from outside the local network to rule out NAT loopback limitations.
Players see the server but cannot join
- Confirm UDP 7787 and 7788 are both open on the host and router.
- Check that the external-to-internal mapping did not change one of the numbers.
- Verify the process is listening after the most recent restart.
- If the failure occurs after the initial connection, investigate UDP ports above 30000 and any provider-side filtering.
RCON does not connect
- Ensure RCON is enabled in the server configuration.
- Forward the configured RCON value, commonly 21114, over both TCP and UDP.
- Check that a host-firewall rule exists and that the RCON client is using the public address and external port.
- Restrict RCON exposure to trusted source addresses or a VPN where possible, and use strong credentials.
The server worked until a reboot
A changed private IP is the usual first check. Reconfirm the DHCP reservation, then compare the router destination with the address shown by the server host. Also check whether a container recreated with different PORT, QUERYPORT, or RCONPORT values.
Security and maintenance considerations
Expose only the services you need. Game and query ports are required for a public server, while RCON is optional. Removing an unused RCON forward reduces the externally reachable surface. Keep the host firewall enabled and create narrow rules for the documented protocols instead of allowing all inbound traffic.
Review the allocation whenever you change the launch command, migrate to a new host, add an instance, or move between container and bare-metal deployment. Port numbers, protocol, private address, and router mapping must remain consistent across all layers.
When forwarding is not practical
If your internet connection uses provider-grade NAT, blocks inbound traffic, or does not offer router control, ordinary port forwarding may not be possible. A managed Squad hosting service can handle the public address, firewall, and forwarding layers, but confirm its current Squad support, location, pricing, uptime, and port policy before committing. The same port requirements still apply; the provider is simply operating the network layer for you.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- Actual game port recorded from the running configuration.
- UDP 7787 and 7788 forwarded when those are the configured game values.
- Beacon forwarded on TCP and UDP 15000, or the configured beacon value.
- Steam query ports 27165 and 27166 forwarded on TCP and UDP, or the configured query values.
- RCON 21114 forwarded on TCP and UDP only when RCON is enabled.
- Provider-required UDP 30000+ range allowed when clients need it.
- Host-firewall rules match router rules exactly.
- Each server instance has a unique, non-overlapping allocation.
- Testing performed from outside the server’s LAN.
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