Most The Bus server problems on PlayNHost come from three things: players try the IP address instead of the server GUID, a setting was changed without a restart, or a value set in the game's Admin Menu was replaced by the panel's value at the next start. Each problem below starts with the most likely cause and its fix.
The server never reaches Online
The badge turns Online only when the Console prints a line containing LogLoad: (Engine Initialization).
- Open the Console tab and read the last lines. If new lines still appear, the server is working: with Auto Update on, every start first downloads a waiting The Bus server update from Steam.
- If the Console has stopped and the badge went back to Offline right after a stop or a crash, wait a minute or two and click Start again. That is the panel's own advice for The Bus.
- If it still fails, read the last lines of the Console for an error, then follow the general checklist: How to fix a server that will not start.
Friends cannot find the server
- They used the IP address. The Server Address and the Join button on the Overview page give an IP address and port, but The Bus finds servers by ID. Send the GUID from the Console line
Server can be reached with the GUID: How to join your The Bus server. - They saved a GUID from an earlier start. The developer's guide does not say whether the GUID stays the same after a restart. Copy the GUID from the most recent start in the Console and send it again. If the line has scrolled away, wait until nobody is playing, click the arrow next to Stop and choose Restart, and copy it when the badge says Online.
- They search the public list. Show In Server List is off on a new server. Switch it on under Settings, Game Settings and restart: How to make your The Bus server public or private.
- They play on PlayStation or Xbox. Multiplayer in The Bus is PC only: Can PlayStation or Xbox players join a The Bus server?
The join password or the admin password is refused
- The server has not restarted since the change. After you change Server Password or Admin Password, the panel says "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect." Click Restart now.
- Capitals and spaces. Both passwords must match exactly.
- The Admin Password is too short. The panel only accepts an Admin Password of at least 8 characters, so a shorter one was never saved.
Steps: How to set the admin password on your The Bus server and How to set a password on your The Bus server.
A setting changed in the game went back after a restart
The panel writes five values into ServerSettings.cfg before every start: Server Name, Server Password, Admin Password, Show In Server List and Maximum Players. If you change one of them in the game's Admin Menu, the panel's value replaces it at the next start. Change those five under Settings, Game Settings instead. Map, weather, operating plan and fleet are not managed by the panel, so changes to them in the Admin Menu stay. More: How to change your The Bus server settings.
Commands typed in the Console do nothing
That is expected. The developer's dedicated server guide says: "On Linux there is currently no way to run commands from the console." Use the Admin Menu in the game's pause menu, and the panel's Settings. To become owner without the console: How to become owner or admin on your The Bus server.
Players cannot join after you added a mod
A mod flagged for client and server must be installed on the server and on every player's PC. A mod flagged as client only, once it is on the server, must also be installed by every player. Ask players to subscribe to the same Workshop items, or remove the mod from TheBus/Mods and restart: How to add mods to your The Bus server.
Players cannot join right after a The Bus update
Restart the server. With Auto Update on, the restart downloads the newest The Bus server build before the game starts. If Auto Update is off, switch it on first: How to update your The Bus server.
Maximum Players will not save
The panel answers "Your plan allows between 1 and {cap} player slots." with your plan's number in place of {cap}. Pick a number in that range: How to change player slots on your The Bus server.
A player's game crashes but the server stays Online
When the badge still says Online and other players are fine, the crash is on that player's PC. On 26 October 2026 the developer reported an increase in game crashes that it thinks may be linked to a Windows update, and on 28 October 2026 it released a hotfix as a temporary workaround (see the Steam news for The Bus). Ask the player to update The Bus in Steam. The developer's roadmap of 19 October 2026 also lists work on multiplayer crashes and disconnections.
Short answers to other questions: The Bus server FAQ.
