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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted Vintage Story servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
If Vintage Story shows an empty server list or says it cannot connect to the master server, first identify whether every server is affected or only one. An all-server failure is usually a problem on your computer—most often a firewall rule, an incorrect masterserverUrl, or a web-request timeout. A failure limited to one server usually belongs to that server’s address, port forwarding, host firewall, whitelist, password, game version, or mods.
Use the scope test below, then apply the matching client or host-side fix. The same method explains the two common messages: “host has failed to respond” generally means the host cannot be reached, while “host has actively refused” commonly means a firewall or service is rejecting the connection.
Start by separating a master-server problem from a single-server problem
Do not begin by reinstalling the game. Reinstallation does not necessarily change Windows Firewall permissions, and it cannot repair a friend’s router or an incorrect server address.
Test another multiplayer server
- Open Vintage Story’s multiplayer screen.
- Try another reachable entry, including the Official Public Test Server if it is available to you.
- Note whether the public list itself is blank, whether other entries open normally, and whether only one target fails.
| What you observe | Most likely area | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The list is blank or times out, and no server can be selected | Your client’s network path, firewall, or master-server settings | Follow the client checks in the next section |
| Other public servers work, but one server fails | That server’s IP or port, host firewall, whitelist, password, version, or mods | Give the server operator the single-server checklist |
| You can join on the same home network but not from the internet | Router forwarding, UPnP, public IP, or an ISP limitation | Follow the home-hosting reachability section |
| You can see a server but receive a version or mod error | Client/server content mismatch | Align versions and reduce the mod set |
This distinction prevents a client-side change from being used to “fix” a server that is simply offline or unreachable.
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Fix an empty or timing-out server list on your computer
1. Allow Vintagestory.exe through the firewall
The official Vintage Story multiplayer troubleshooting guidance says the firewall must not block internet access for Vintagestory.exe. Check this even if the game worked previously: a Windows update, security-suite update, changed network profile, or a new executable path can leave a stale rule in place.
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Firewall & network protection, then Allow an app through firewall.
- Choose Change settings and locate
Vintagestory.exe. If it is absent, use Allow another app and browse to the executable in your Vintage Story installation. - Allow the app on the network types you actually use. A private home network is the normal minimum; enable public-network access only if that is the profile on which you play and you accept the exposure.
- Save the rule, restart Vintage Story, and test the list again.
If a third-party antivirus or firewall is installed, check its application-control panel as well. Temporarily disabling protection is not a good permanent fix; create an explicit allow rule and turn protection back on.
2. Inspect clientsettings.json
Vintage Story stores the master-server endpoint and other client preferences in clientsettings.json. A forum reply identifies the expected endpoint as https://masterserver.vintagestory.at/api/v1/servers/. The final slash is part of the documented value.
- Exit Vintage Story completely.
- Open
%appdata%VintagestoryData. You can paste that path into File Explorer’s address bar. - Make a backup copy of
clientsettings.jsonbefore editing it. - Open the file in a plain-text editor and verify that
masterserverUrlpoints tohttps://masterserver.vintagestory.at/api/v1/servers/. - Save the file without changing its JSON structure, start the game, and retest.
Forum users also report that increasing webRequestTimeout can help when the complete list takes longer than the default request window. This is practical community advice, not a guarantee that every timeout has the same cause. Increase it conservatively, preserve valid JSON syntax, and test before making another change. If the endpoint is mistyped, a larger timeout will only make you wait longer for a request that can never succeed.
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3. Reset the client settings when the file is corrupted
If the URL is correct and the firewall rule is in place, the official troubleshooting guide suggests deleting %appdata%VintagestoryDataclientsettings.json and restarting the game. This makes Vintage Story recreate the file with defaults.
Record settings you care about first. Deleting the file resets keybinds, the saved server list, graphics settings, and other client preferences; it is not a server-only reset. After the restart, reapply your preferences and add saved servers again if necessary.
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4. Retest after each change
Close and reopen the game after a firewall or settings change. Test the Official Public Test Server or another known public entry before returning to a private server. Changing one variable at a time tells you which fix worked and avoids losing a working configuration.
When only one server will not open
If other servers work, your master-server connection is probably healthy. Ask the operator to check the following in order.
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Confirm the address and current port
Verify the server address exactly as entered, including the port after a colon when one is required. A home host’s local address is not the same as its public internet address. If the host’s public IP changed, an old saved entry can produce a timeout even though the server is running.
Check the server’s running state and host firewall
The server process must be running and listening on the advertised port. A firewall on the host computer can block Vintage Story even when the router is configured correctly. The multiplayer troubleshooting page distinguishes a refusal from a timeout: “host has actively refused” commonly indicates a firewall rule or a service that is not accepting the connection.
Match game versions
Client and server versions must match. Update the older side, or deliberately install the server’s required version, before attempting another connection. A version mismatch is different from a master-server outage: you may see the entry but be rejected during the join process.
Match the mod set
Every required mod and compatible version must be present on the client. If the operator controls both sides, reduce the server temporarily to the vanilla Survival, Creative, and Essential mods and test. If the vanilla test works, add the remaining mods back in small groups until the incompatible item is identified. A failure limited to one modded server is therefore best investigated as a content or version problem, not as a global master-server failure.
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Check whitelist and password requirements
A server may be reachable yet deny a player who is not whitelisted or who supplies the wrong password. Have the operator confirm your account name, whitelist entry, and current password. These checks matter only after the address and network path have been proven reachable.
What the common error messages mean
| Message or symptom | Practical meaning | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| “Host has failed to respond” | The connection attempt timed out without a usable response; the documented multiplayer wording is “A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connect failed because connected host has failed to respond.” | Port forwarding, the host’s current public IP, whether the host is online, and whether the advertised address is correct |
| “Host has actively refused” | A reachable machine rejected the connection, commonly because a firewall rule blocks Vintage Story or no service is listening on that port | Host firewall, server process, and the configured listening port |
| Server list timeout or blank list | The client did not obtain the list endpoint before the request ended, or cannot reach it | Firewall permission, masterserverUrl, and webRequestTimeout |
| Only a modded server fails | The server may be reachable but incompatible with the installed client content | Exact game version and a reduced or vanilla mod set |
No authoritative study establishes how often this exact error occurs, so treat frequency claims online with caution.
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Home hosting has two separate jobs: the Vintage Story server must run on the host computer, and the router must pass unsolicited internet traffic to that computer. A working local game does not prove that an outside player can connect.
Use the documented default port
Vintage Story documents TCP and UDP port 42420 as the default for multiplayer hosting. Create forwarding rules for both protocols to the host computer’s local IP address. Forwarding only TCP or only UDP can leave some connection attempts failing.
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Try Open to Internet and understand UPnP
The game’s Open to Internet option attempts UPnP, which asks a compatible router to create the forwarding rule automatically. The Vintage Story Wiki estimates that this works instantly “about 60%” of the time when UPnP succeeds. That is a setup-success estimate on the wiki page accessed in 2026, not the percentage of master-server errors and not a promise for your router or ISP.
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Recheck the host’s public IP
When a server worked before and suddenly produces “host has failed to respond,” compare the saved address with the host’s current public IP. Residential connections can receive a new address. Update the server entry and tell regular players the new address only after confirming that the port is still forwarded to the correct local machine.
Recognize router and ISP limits
Some connections do not provide a directly reachable public IPv4 address, and some routers use carrier-grade NAT or restrictive inbound policies. In that situation, a correct local firewall rule and a correct 42420 forward may still be unreachable from the wider internet. Ask the ISP whether inbound port forwarding is supported and whether the connection has a public address. If it does not, use a network path that provides reachability rather than repeatedly changing the game client.
Separate LAN testing from internet testing
Test first from another device on the same home network, then from a player outside that network. A LAN success proves the server process and local firewall are broadly functional; it does not prove WAN forwarding. Conversely, testing only from inside the same network can be misleading because some routers do not support loopback access to the public address.
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Choose the right hosting approach
| Approach | Network path | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open to Internet with UPnP | Router creates a temporary rule automatically | Quick sessions on a UPnP-capable home router | Reliant on router support and changing home-network conditions |
| Manual home port forwarding | TCP and UDP 42420 forwarded to a stable local host | Owners who can configure their router and firewall | Requires maintenance when the host IP or ISP conditions change |
| Dedicated self-managed server | An always-on machine with explicitly configured networking | Persistent worlds and operators who want full control | You maintain updates, firewall rules, backups, and availability |
| Managed Vintage Story server | Provider supplies an internet-reachable server environment | Players blocked by CGNAT, router limits, or home-hosting complexity | Ongoing hosting cost and less control over the underlying network |
The official setup guidance documents dedicated servers and paid hosts as alternatives to a home session. A managed Vintage Story server is a reasonable fallback when your router or ISP cannot provide a dependable inbound path; choose one based on current availability, backups, mod support, and access controls rather than assuming any provider is endorsed by the game.
A complete diagnostic order
- Classify the scope: test another server. Record whether all entries fail or only one.
- For an all-server failure: allow
Vintagestory.exethrough the firewall, then verifymasterserverUrl. - For a timeout: inspect
webRequestTimeoutand increase it cautiously if the endpoint is correct. - If settings appear damaged: back up and delete
%appdata%VintagestoryDataclientsettings.json, accepting that preferences will reset. - For one server: confirm the address, current port, online status, whitelist, password, and host firewall.
- Align software: make client and server versions identical; then test with a reduced or vanilla mod set.
- For home hosting: verify the host’s current public IP and forward both TCP and UDP 42420.
- If forwarding cannot work: move the world to a dedicated or managed hosting arrangement.
Keep a short record of each test—scope, address, version, mod set, firewall change, and result. That record lets a server operator distinguish a global client problem from a single unreachable host without repeating the same steps.
Quick Recap
What not to do
- Do not assume a blank list means every listed server is offline.
- Do not forward only TCP 42420 when the documented setup calls for TCP and UDP.
- Do not delete
clientsettings.jsonwithout backing up keybinds and other preferences. - Do not treat a forum timeout adjustment as a universal cure; verify the endpoint and firewall first.
- Do not diagnose a mod mismatch by changing router settings.
- Do not expose a home server permanently without reviewing the host firewall, whitelist, password, and update process.
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