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How to Configure RCON on an Arma 3 Server

Set up Arma 3 RCON by enabling BattlEye, creating the correct beserver configuration, choosing a free port, opening UDP access, and connecting with an RCON client.

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To configure RCON on an Arma 3 server, enable BattlEye in server.cfg, create the BattlEye configuration file that matches your server executable, set RConPassword and a free RConPort, restart the server, and connect with an RCON client. Keep the RCON port separate from Arma 3’s game-port range and allow it through the server firewall.

This guide covers dedicated servers using BattlEye, including the 64-bit executable, custom ports, hosted servers, and the common reasons an RCON connection fails.

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What Arma 3 RCON does

RCON is BattlEye’s remote-console interface. After it is enabled, an administrator can authenticate from a separate tool and issue server-management commands without joining the game or opening the server’s local console. Typical uses include checking players, kicking or banning users, and monitoring a live server.

RCON is not the same as the Arma 3 game connection. Players connect to the game port and its associated ports; an RCON client connects to the BattlEye RCON port with a password. A client pointed at the game port, such as 2302 on a default installation, will not authenticate as RCON.

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Before you edit anything

  • Have file access to the dedicated-server directory and permission to restart the service.
  • Know whether the server starts the 64-bit Arma 3 executable. That determines whether the file is named beserver_x64.cfg or beserver.cfg.
  • Identify the server’s game port and the public IP address or hostname that administrators will use.
  • Choose an unused UDP port for RCON. Do not assume that a vendor’s stated default is free on your machine.
  • Plan a strong, unique RCON password. An alphanumeric password is the safest compatibility choice because one hosting-tool guide warns that punctuation can confuse the BattlEye parser; that warning is not established as a universal Arma 3 rule.

Step 1: Enable BattlEye in server.cfg

Open the server’s active server.cfg and make sure BattlEye is enabled. A common entry is:

BattlEye = 1;

Keep the setting in the main server configuration, not in the BattlEye RCON file. RCON will not work if BattlEye is disabled, even when the password file and firewall are correct. If your hosting panel exposes a BattlEye toggle instead of the file, enable the toggle and confirm that it writes the equivalent setting.

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Save the file and note the exact directory in which the server starts. Hosted services sometimes expose several configuration folders; editing a template or an inactive profile has no effect on the running instance.

Step 2: Create the BattlEye configuration file

Choose the correct filename

Use beserver_x64.cfg when the server runs the x64 Arma 3 executable. Use beserver.cfg for a non-x64 executable. Both files normally belong in the server’s battleye folder.

Server process Filename Usual location
64-bit Arma 3 executable beserver_x64.cfg battleye folder in the server directory
Non-x64 executable beserver.cfg battleye folder in the server directory

File extensions matter. On Windows, turn on “File name extensions” in File Explorer so you do not accidentally create beserver_x64.cfg.txt. On Linux, check the spelling and case with ls; a differently named file will not be loaded.

Add the minimum RCON settings

Put the password and port on separate lines with no equals sign. For example:

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RConPassword ReplaceThisWithAUniquePassword
RConPort 2307

The password in the example is only a placeholder; replace it before starting the server. The port number is an example as well. Choose a free port appropriate to your installation rather than copying 2307 blindly.

You may add other BattlEye settings supported by your build. A frequently shown example includes a ping limit:

RConPassword ReplaceThisWithAUniquePassword
RConPort 2307
MaxPing 200

MaxPing is independent of whether RCON can log in. Add it only when you want BattlEye to enforce that limit and understand the effect on players with high latency.

Step 3: Select an RCON port that will not collide

Understand the default-port conflict

With the default Arma 3 game port of 2302, community discussions identify 2302 through 2305 as reserved for the game and related traffic. Other discussions include 2306, and a Bohemia Interactive developer note describes BattlEye traffic moving to a separate default port of 2306. The conservative choice is therefore to keep RCON out of 2302–2306 when those are the ports used by your server.

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Do not connect RCON to 2302 simply because it is the game port. That is a common cause of an immediate failure.

Do not rely on one universal formula

Guides make different recommendations: one hosting guide uses game port plus four, a Steam guide increments the RCON port by 10 for each additional server, and a tooling page describes RCON as independent of the game port with 2306 as a default. These are deployment conventions, not a rule that applies to every build and host.

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For one server, pick a port that is demonstrably unused and outside the game’s assigned range. For several servers on the same machine, assign a different RCON port to each instance and record the mapping. Check the host’s reserved-port documentation when the game port is customized.

Check whether the port is free

Stop any service that might already be listening on the chosen port, or choose another one. On Linux, an administrator can inspect listeners with a command such as:

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ss -lunp | grep 2307

On Windows, use:

netstat -ano -p udp | findstr 2307

Replace 2307 with your selected port. These checks show local listeners; you must still allow the port through the host firewall and any upstream firewall or NAT device.

Step 4: Save, restart, and verify that BattlEye loaded the file

Stop the Arma 3 server cleanly, save the configuration file, and start the server again. A restart is required because BattlEye reads its settings during startup.

Watch the startup console and BattlEye log for evidence that BattlEye initialized. The exact log location varies by operating system, server wrapper, and host panel, so use the active instance’s log directory rather than a copied template. A successful startup should not be treated as proof that the intended file was read: if the server silently uses an old password or port, investigate the filename and directory before changing firewall rules.

When a launch parameter is suggested

Some hosting guides advise adding a launch parameter that points the server at its BattlEye folder when the default folder is not detected. This is a host- or wrapper-specific remedy rather than a confirmed universal Arma 3 requirement. Use it only when the server’s startup output shows that BattlEye is looking in the wrong directory, and follow the syntax documented for your particular wrapper. Do not add an unverified parameter merely because an RCON client cannot connect.

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Step 5: Open the right firewall path

Allow inbound UDP traffic on the selected RCON port at every layer that filters the server:

  1. Allow the port in the operating-system firewall on the game server.
  2. If the server is behind a router or NAT, forward that UDP port to the server’s private address.
  3. Open the corresponding port in a hosting provider’s network firewall or security group.
  4. Keep the Arma 3 game-port rules separate; opening the game port does not automatically open RCON.

Restrict the source address to your administration network when the firewall supports source-IP rules. If your administrators use changing addresses, a VPN or private management network is safer than exposing RCON to every Internet address. Never publish the RCON password in a server name, public configuration paste, or support screenshot.

Step 6: Connect with an RCON client

BattleWarden and BERCon are examples of clients that can connect to BattlEye RCON. In the client, create a connection using:

  • Host: the server’s public IP address or DNS name, not the in-game nickname.
  • Port: the exact number in RConPort.
  • Password: the exact value in RConPassword, including capitalization.

For a client running on the same machine, test the server’s local address first. From another network, use the public address and verify that NAT and upstream firewalls forward the selected UDP port. A connection that works locally but not remotely points to routing or firewall policy, not usually to the password file.

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After login, issue a harmless status or player-list command supported by your client to confirm that the session is authenticated. Avoid testing with destructive commands such as a global kick or ban.

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Recommended configuration example

The following illustrates the separation between the main server configuration and the BattlEye file. Adapt the paths, password, and port to your installation.

server.cfg
------------
BattlEye = 1;

battleye/beserver_x64.cfg
-------------------------
RConPassword UseAUniqueAlphanumericSecret
RConPort 2307
MaxPing 200

The example assumes the x64 executable and a free UDP port of 2307. It is not a claim that 2307 is available on your server or that MaxPing 200 is appropriate for every community.

Troubleshooting: RCON will not connect

Check the basics in order

  1. Confirm BattlEye is enabled in the active server.cfg.
  2. Confirm the filename matches the executable: beserver_x64.cfg for x64 or beserver.cfg otherwise.
  3. Confirm the file is inside the running instance’s battleye folder.
  4. Confirm the client uses the same port and password, with no extra spaces or quotation marks.
  5. Confirm the selected port is not the game port and is not already in use.
  6. Confirm UDP, rather than only TCP, is allowed through the operating-system firewall, NAT, and hosting firewall.
  7. Restart the server after every configuration change.
  8. Read the current BattlEye and server startup logs for a rejected password, a bind error, or a file-load error.

Symptom: the client times out

A timeout usually indicates that packets are not reaching the RCON listener. Check the public address, UDP forwarding, security-group rules, and whether the server is actually listening on the chosen port. If the game itself is reachable but RCON times out, remember that the game and RCON rules are separate.

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Symptom: the client immediately rejects the login

Re-enter the password manually and compare it with the file. Check capitalization and remove accidental quotation marks. Stop the server before editing so that a wrapper cannot overwrite the file during a restart.

Symptom: changing the file has no effect

Look for a generated file whose name begins with beserver_active. Forum users report that the running server can rename or generate such a file. If an old beserver_active... file remains while the server is stopped, back it up and remove the stale copy so the intended configuration can be loaded on the next start. Do not delete files while the server is running, and preserve a backup if you need to compare settings.

Symptom: only one of several servers accepts RCON

Each instance needs its own BattlEye configuration, password, and RCON port. Verify that the launch command for each instance points to the intended profile and battleye directory. Check for duplicate listeners and ensure the firewall forwards each external port to the correct private server address.

Symptom: local access works but remote access fails

This isolates the problem to the network path. Check the public address, NAT forwarding, provider firewall, and source-IP restrictions. If the server is behind carrier-grade NAT, ordinary port forwarding may not provide a reachable public endpoint; use a host with a public address or a private administration network.

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Security practices for an exposed RCON service

  • Use a long, unique password that is not used for the game panel, operating-system account, or any other service.
  • Prefer alphanumeric characters if you need maximum compatibility with older BattlEye parsers, while recognizing that the symbol restriction is a vendor precaution rather than a documented universal limitation.
  • Limit inbound RCON traffic by source IP or place it behind a VPN.
  • Give the password only to trusted administrators and rotate it when staff access changes.
  • Keep BattlEye, the server software, and the RCON client maintained according to their current release guidance.
  • Review BattlEye and server logs for repeated failed logins or unexpected administrative commands.
  • Do not store the password in public repositories, screenshots, chat transcripts, or shared panel notes.

Version and compatibility notes

The RConPort setting is documented for Arma 3 update 1.58.135656 and later. Community discussions also describe RCON changes around builds identified as 158.135170. Older guides may therefore describe different port behavior, especially the relationship between the game port and BattlEye traffic.

No specific 2026 RCON change is established here. If your server runs an older or unusual build, check the current Bohemia Interactive wiki and build notes for that version before relying on an old port formula. The file names, BattlEye requirement, and need for a free, reachable port remain the first checks, but a version-specific wrapper can change where files are read.

A concise deployment checklist

  • BattlEye = 1; is enabled in the active server.cfg.
  • The correct beserver_x64.cfg or beserver.cfg exists in the active battleye folder.
  • RConPassword and RConPort are present on separate lines.
  • The chosen port is free, outside the server’s game-port range, and unique to this instance.
  • Inbound UDP access is allowed through the host firewall, NAT, and provider security rules.
  • The server has been restarted and its logs checked.
  • The RCON client uses the correct public host, port, and password.
  • No stale beserver_active... file is overriding the intended configuration.

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