How to Connect to Your Rust Server

Rust servers are joined with the game port, not the query port. This article shows the fastest way in and the address to hand to your friends.

Find your connection address

1. Log in at https://panel.playnhost.com and open your Rust server.
2. The server address is shown on the server overview as IP:PORT.
3. The port you need is the one assigned to SERVER_PORT. Rust also uses a separate QUERY_PORT, RCON_PORT and APP_PORT, and none of those three will let a player in.

Join with the F1 console (fastest)

1. Start Rust and wait for the main menu.
2. Press F1 to open the console.
3. Type the connect command and press Enter:

   client.connect 203.0.113.10:28015

4. Replace the address and port with your own. The game loads straight into the server.

This is also the method to give friends. One line of text, no browser search, and it works whether or not the server has finished advertising itself.

Find the server in the browser

1. From the main menu choose Play Game.
2. Switch to the Community tab, or Modded if your server runs Oxide plugins. A modded server never appears under Official.
3. Type part of your server name into the search box and press Enter.
4. Click the server, then Join Server.

A brand new server can take several minutes to appear in the browser because Rust has to register with Facepunch first. The F1 console works immediately.

Add the server to favourites

Once you are connected, press F1 and run:

client.favorite

The server then shows under the Favourites tab, which survives wipes and name changes.

If you cannot connect

• Check the panel console. Rust is not joinable until the log shows the map has finished generating and the server has started listening. On a fresh 4000 size map this can take five minutes or more.
• Confirm you used SERVER_PORT, not the query port.
• If the server has a password set, use client.connect first, then enter the password when Rust asks.
• Disconnected: Steam Auth Timeout usually means Steam itself is having trouble. Restart the Rust client and try again.