When players cannot join a Vintage Story server on PlayNHost, the most likely cause is an address typed without its port, or the whitelist being on with the player not added to it. Copy the Server Address again from the Overview page, including the port, and check the Whitelist field in the serverconfig.json card. Other causes, most likely first, are below.
Is the server running?
The badge next to the server name must say Online. While it says Starting, the game is still loading or generating the world: wait for Dedicated Server now running on Port in the Console. If it never gets there, see Vintage Story server problems and fixes.
Is the address complete?
PlayNHost gives your server its own port, so the address must include it after a colon, for example address:port. Without the port, the game tries its default port 42420 and finds nothing. Copy it again with the copy icon next to Server Address, and have the player remove and add the server again under Multiplayer.
Is the whitelist blocking them?
Open Settings, click serverconfig.json under Config files and look at Whitelist:
1: off. The whitelist is not the cause.2or0: on. Only players added to the whitelist can join, the owner included. Add each player in the Console with/player NAME whitelist on, or set Whitelist to1and click Save & restart.
Since game version 1.20, a dedicated server uses the whitelist by default. PlayNHost switches it off once on a new server; a server that was set to 0 or 2 since then keeps it on. See How to turn the whitelist on or off on your Vintage Story server.
Is a join password set?
If Join password in the same card is filled in, every player must type it in the password field when they add the server. Send it again, or clear it: How to set a password on your Vintage Story server.
Is the player banned?
Type /unban PlayerName in the Console to lift a ban: How to kick, ban and unban players on your Vintage Story server.
Does the player's game version match?
The player's game must run the server's version: the official troubleshooting guide lists a version mismatch as a cause of failed connections, and says players can download an update or an earlier version of the game from the Client Area downloads on vintagestory.at. After the server takes a patch update, players update their game too. If players moved to a newer minor version than the server, see How to update your Vintage Story server.
Is the server full?
When every slot is taken, nobody else gets in. Raise Slots on the Overview page, up to your plan's number, or set a Join queue size: How to change player slots on your Vintage Story server.
Does the player have their own account?
Each player needs their own Vintage Story account, logged in. With Verify player accounts on (the default), the server checks every joining player against the official account server.
Still stuck?
Open a ticket with the player's name, the time they tried and the last lines of the Console: How to open a support ticket. More general checks: How to join your server.
