An Unturned server uses two ports in a row: the port players type, which also answers the server list, and the next number up, which carries the game traffic. On PlayNHost both are assigned and open for you, and players only type the first one, from Server Address on the Overview page.
Which ports does an Unturned server use?
| Port | Protocol | Unturned default | On your PlayNHost server | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server port: players type it, server list queries | UDP | 27015 | The Primary port | Server Address on Overview, and Ports & Network |
| Game traffic port: the port above it | UDP | 27016 | The Primary port plus 1 | Ports & Network, described as Game traffic port, used by the game automatically |
Smartly Dressed Games, the developer, says the same in its port forwarding guide: "Each Unturned server uses two consecutive ports while running. The first is for server list queries, and the second for in-game traffic." Setting another port "uses that value and plus one", and both ports are forwarded as UDP.
The panel starts Unturned with your Primary port every time, and your server always holds the port right above it as well. There is no setting for the second port: Unturned picks it itself.
Why is my Unturned port usually not 27015?
Each PlayNHost server gets its own ports from the machine it runs on, so many servers can share one IP address without getting in each other's way. 27015 and 27016 are the numbers Smartly Dressed Games uses for a server you run yourself. Your server's numbers are usually different, so always give players the address the panel shows, never a number from a guide for home servers.
Where do I find the address and ports in the panel?
- Open your server in the panel and click Ports & Network in the left menu.
- Under Give this to your players, find the address written as IP and port, for example
203.0.113.10:25600. Click the copy icon next to it. This is the only address players need. - Look under All ports. The row with the Primary badge, described as The port players connect to, is the port players type. The row one number higher, for example
25601, is described as Game traffic port, used by the game automatically. That is the game traffic port. If you renamed it, the row shows your own description instead.
The Overview page has the same address on the Server Address row of the server card. Its Join button copies it.
How do players connect to an Unturned server on PlayNHost?
With a Steam login token set, players open Connect Directly in Unturned and enter your server's IP and the port from Server Address. Smartly Dressed Games' Fake IP page notes that pasting an address with its port into the Host field of the connect menu moves the port into the Port field. They never type the game traffic port. With a token, the server is also listed in the Internet server list under its Server Name. The full steps are in How to join your Unturned server.
Why do joins by IP need a Steam login token?
Unturned refuses them otherwise. Smartly Dressed Games says that servers without a token "are considered "anonymous" and are hidden from the Internet server list". On a server without a Steam Login Token (GSLT), players who reach it by address see This server is not logged in. instead of a Join button, and the Console says so at every start:
Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT) not set
The ports are not the problem: they are open either way. Players can still join with the 17-digit Server Code that the Console prints once the server has loaded, but that code changes at every restart. Create a free token at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers with App ID 304930, paste it into Steam Login Token (GSLT) on the Settings tab, under Game Settings, and restart.
Do I need to open ports on my router or firewall?
No. The machine your Unturned server runs on accepts connections from the internet on the ports the panel gives to servers, for both TCP and UDP, and both Unturned ports are among them. The panel says so under All ports: Every port accepts TCP and UDP. Your players' home routers let outgoing connections through, so they do not open anything either.
The port forwarding guide from Smartly Dressed Games is for a server you run at home behind your own router. Its alternatives for home servers, Server Codes and Fake IP, are not needed on a hosted server either: with a token, players join your fixed address directly.
What does the firewall not allow?
Only the ports listed under All ports reach your server from outside. A plugin that listens on a port of its own cannot be reached unless it uses one of them. If your plan includes extra ports, All ports shows Add a port. The machine chooses the new port's number, as the panel says: Port numbers are assigned by the machine your server runs on - you can name a port, but not choose its number. Set the plugin to that number, then restart the server so the new port is in use. If there is no Add a port button, your plan includes no extra ports, so open a ticket and say which plugin needs one.
Can I change which port is the primary, or remove one?
Leave both ports as they are. The panel protects the pair. On the game traffic port's row, Remove port is disabled with The game uses this port, so it cannot be removed, and the primary port cannot be removed either. Make primary works only on a row whose next number your server also holds, because Unturned always needs the port above it. Otherwise the menu says Cannot be primary: the game also needs port and the number it is missing.
Common Unturned port problems and fixes
Players see This server is not logged in.
Your server has no Steam Login Token (GSLT). Add one as described above and restart. A wrong token is worse than none: the server then stays on Starting. More in Unturned server problems and fixes.
My server is not in the Internet server list
- Set a Steam Login Token (GSLT). Without one, Unturned keeps the server out of the Internet list.
- Wait for the badge to say Online. The panel shows it once the Console prints
Loading level: 100%. - The server list asks the Primary port, which is already open, so there is nothing to open.
A friend cannot connect with the address
- Copy the address again from Server Address. A missing port, the game traffic port or a port from a guide for home servers is the most common cause.
- Check that the badge says Online and that a token is set.
- School, work and public networks can block game ports. Ask the player to try another network.
The Active players card says No answer from the server
The panel counts players the way the server list does: it asks your Primary port. While the server starts or is stopped, the Active players card says No answer from the server and It is not responding on its query port. That is normal while it is starting or stopped. On Unturned the query port is the Primary port. Wait for Online. If the message stays once the server is online, restart it once, then open a ticket with the last Console lines.
Good to know
- Your other settings are in Unturned server settings: every option explained and How to set up your Unturned server.
- Moving from another host changes the address and ports. With the same token, Smartly Dressed Games says Steam can move players' Favorites and History to the new address within about 24 hours: How to move your existing server to PlayNHost.
- The Ports & Network page itself is explained in How to find your server's ports and IP address.
