How to Configure Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) on a Rust Server

Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) is enabled by default on Rust servers. For a public server, leave it enabled: disabling EAC or related security settings can remove the server from Rust’s in-game public list. If you are running a private, local, or specially modded server, you can change the setting from your host’s control panel, a Rust server settings file, startup arguments, or server.cfg. Whichever method you use, stop the server before editing and restart it afterward.

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The command set most often shown by hosting guides is +server.secure 0, +server.eac 0, and +server.encryption 0. Set the values back to 1, or remove the lines, to restore the protected configuration. Because Facepunch’s public documentation and hosting-panel labels can change, verify the current Rust convar names in the Facepunch Rust wiki or in your host’s documentation before changing a live server.

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What Easy Anti-Cheat does on a Rust server

EAC is the anti-cheat service used by Rust to detect prohibited client behavior. It operates as part of the connection between the player and the server rather than as a plugin that an individual administrator installs. Hosting guides describe EAC as enabled by default on Rust servers, which is why a normal installation generally needs no extra anti-cheat configuration.

Keeping EAC enabled also affects server discovery. Multiple hosting guides warn that disabling EAC, encryption, or other security controls can prevent a server from appearing in Rust’s in-game public browser. The server may continue running, but players might need a direct console connection instead of finding it through the public list.

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Facepunch has described additional EAC work aimed at recoil cheats, sometimes called scripting, and says it works closely with the Epic Games EAC team. EAC enforcement is not an ordinary per-server ban list: administrator guidance says that when EAC catches a player, Facepunch can ban that player across Rust servers. There is no published, independently verified statistic that establishes an overall EAC success rate for Rust.

Choose the configuration method that fits your host

All four approaches require a restart before the new state can be relied on. Do not change several configuration locations without checking which one your host loads last; a later file or argument can override an earlier value.

Before you change EAC

• Decide whether you really need it off. Public servers should keep EAC enabled. A private test server, a local development instance, or a client-side modification that cannot run with EAC may justify a temporary change.
• Record the current configuration. Copy the existing startup arguments and settings file, or take a screenshot of the panel, so you can restore the previous state.
• Stop the server cleanly. Editing a file while the server is running can be overwritten when the process shuts down.
• Check the current labels. The names and layout used by hosting panels change. If your panel calls the option “anti-cheat,” “EAC,” or “secure mode,” use the current help text supplied by that panel.
• Plan a way for players to connect. If the server leaves the public list, give trusted players the address and port needed for a direct connection.

Method 1: Use a hosting control-panel toggle

This is normally the safest option for a managed Rust server because the panel validates the setting and keeps the command syntax out of your hands. The exact navigation differs, but hosting instructions commonly follow this sequence.

1. Open the server in your hosting control panel.
2. Stop the Rust server and wait until the panel reports that the process has stopped.
3. Open the Settings, Configuration, or similarly named tab.
4. Find the Easy Anti-Cheat, EAC, or security toggle.
5. Switch it off only for a private, local, or otherwise intentionally non-public server. Leave it on for a public server.
6. Save or apply the change.
7. Start or restart the server.

After startup, check the panel’s console and server status. If the panel exposes the generated command line or configuration file, confirm that it contains the value you selected. If the server does not start, restore the previous setting and inspect the startup log for a syntax or unsupported-option error.

Method 2: Edit the Rust server settings file

Some hosts provide a Rust Server Settings file through a file manager or configuration editor. The file may be presented as a form rather than raw text. The option can be named EAC, Easy Anti-Cheat, secure mode, or something similar.

1. Stop the server from the control panel.
2. Open the host’s file manager or configuration editor and locate the Rust server settings file.
3. Make a backup or copy the current contents.
4. Find the EAC or security entry and change it only if your host’s documentation identifies that entry as the anti-cheat control.
5. Save the file, close the editor, and start the server.
6. Review the startup output to confirm that the file loaded without an error.

Do not assume that an entry from one host’s template exists in another host’s template. Some panels regenerate settings files from their own forms, and an update can replace manually added lines. If a value disappears after a restart, use the panel’s supported field or startup-argument section instead.

Method 3: Add startup arguments

For a service that offers an “Additional startup arguments” field, hosting guides commonly show this command sequence for disabling EAC and associated security controls:

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+server.secure 0 +server.eac 0 +server.encryption 0

1. Stop the server.
2. Open the startup, launch, or command-line settings page.
3. Append the three arguments exactly as separate space-delimited tokens, without quotation marks.
4. Save the startup configuration.
5. Start the server and inspect the console for an invalid-argument or unknown-convar message.

These names and their meanings are not equally well documented. One convar list describes server.eac as the EAC switch and server.secure as an EAC-related security toggle, while another description of server.secure as Valve Anti-Cheat appears outdated for Rust. The command set is therefore a hosting-guide convention, not a guarantee that every current Rust build or host accepts all three values. Verify the current behavior against the Facepunch Rust wiki or your host before applying it to a production server.

Method 4: Put the values in server.cfg

If your installation loads a persistent server.cfg, the same guides give these lines as a file-based alternative:

server.secure 0
server.eac 0
server.encryption 0

1. Stop the Rust server.
2. Open the server.cfg file using the host’s editor or your server’s file-transfer method.
3. Back up the file before editing.
4. Add one setting per line, using the syntax accepted by your host. Do not combine the lines with commas or explanatory text.
5. Save the file and start the server.
6. Check the console to ensure the file was read and no later startup argument overrides it.

Some hosts use a different configuration filename, load a file from a host-specific directory, or generate server.cfg from a web form. If your changes have no effect, check the launch command and startup log to identify which file is actually being loaded.

How to turn EAC back on

Restoring protection is the reverse of disabling it. Stop the server, then either turn the panel switch on, change the relevant values to 1, or remove the custom lines so the default applies. For the command form, hosting guides describe the corresponding values as:

+server.secure 1 +server.eac 1 +server.encryption 1

After saving, restart the server. If you disabled EAC only for a test, remove the temporary arguments rather than leaving two conflicting copies in different files. Confirm that the server appears in the public browser before announcing it as a public server.

Public server versus private or modded server

Public community server

Keep EAC enabled. The public-list warning is the practical reason, and the security benefit is the broader one. Players expect a public Rust server to use the game’s standard anti-cheat path. If you turn it off, you may have to distribute a direct-connect address and accept that the server will not be discoverable in the usual list.

Private or local test server

A private server can be useful for development, map testing, administration practice, or a closed group. Disabling EAC may be appropriate when every participant is trusted and the server is intentionally excluded from public discovery. Restrict access separately with your normal server password or network controls; turning off EAC is not an access-control mechanism.

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Modded server

Server-side uMod (Oxide) plugins do not require EAC to be disabled. You can run server-side plugins while EAC remains on. The exception is a client-side modification that changes the player’s game client and is incompatible with EAC; in that case, assess the security and discoverability trade-off before disabling protection for everyone.

How players connect when the server is not listed

Players who cannot find a non-public server can connect through Rust’s in-game console. They press F1 to open the console and enter:

client.connect <IP>:<port>

Replace the angle-bracketed values with the server’s actual address and port. This method does not make the server public; it only provides a direct route for players who already know the endpoint. Share the address through a trusted channel and avoid publishing it broadly if the server is intended to remain private.

Understanding EAC bans and administrator responsibilities

EAC enforcement is centralized. Administrator guidance states that when EAC catches a player, Facepunch can ban the account from every Rust server, rather than requiring each server owner to maintain a separate EAC-ban decision. Your normal administrative tools still matter for chat abuse, griefing, or rule violations that are unrelated to an EAC detection, but they do not replace the game’s anti-cheat service.

Do not advertise an unsupported detection percentage or promise that EAC catches every cheat. No published Rust-specific effectiveness statistic has been established. The defensible configuration decision is to use the default protection on public servers and treat any disabled state as a deliberate, limited exception.

Fixing “EAC: Timed out” on a player’s PC

An EAC timeout is usually a client-side service or connectivity problem, not a reason for a server owner to disable anti-cheat globally. Have the affected player work through these checks:

1. In Steam, open Rust’s properties, find the installed-files section, and run the option to verify the integrity of the game files.
2. Open Rust’s EasyAntiCheat folder and run EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe as an administrator. Choose the repair option for the installed service, if offered.
3. Restart the computer after the repair.
4. Check firewall and antivirus rules. Add exclusions only for the legitimate Rust and Easy Anti-Cheat installations, following the security product’s instructions.
5. Try connecting again. If the timeout persists, record the exact error and check whether a recent game, Windows, security-software, or network change coincided with the failure.

These client repairs preserve server-side EAC. Changing the server’s security settings to accommodate one player removes protection for everyone and can also affect public listing.

Common failure modes and recovery

Configuration checklist

• Is this server public? If yes, keep EAC enabled.
• Did you stop the server before editing?
• Did you back up the existing panel settings, startup arguments, or configuration file?
• Are you using the method your host actually supports?
• Did you change only the documented EAC/security entries?
• Did you restart and inspect the startup output?
• Can trusted players use client.connect <IP>:<port> if the server is intentionally private?
• If a client has a timeout, did you troubleshoot that client instead of disabling EAC for the whole server?

The safest default is simple: leave EAC enabled, use the host panel’s supported control, and change it only for a clearly defined private or testing scenario. When a command or convar is not recognized, revert the change and consult the current Facepunch Rust wiki or your host’s current configuration documentation rather than relying on an older guide.

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