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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To host a private BeamNG.drive session, install the BeamMP server software, set Private = true in ServerConfig.toml, forward the server port (TCP and UDP 30814 by default) to the host computer, and allow the server through its firewall. You connect locally with 127.0.0.1; friends connect through your public IPv4 address and port using BeamMP Direct Connect.
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A home server costs nothing but exposes a service through your router and may be impossible behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT). A VPS avoids home-router changes and is described by BeamMP as easier and more secure, but it adds a hosting cost.
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BeamMP is the multiplayer mod and server software used for this workflow. BeamNG.drive by itself does not provide the private-server setup described here.
- A legal, working installation of BeamNG.drive for every player.
- The BeamMP client mod installed for each player and the BeamMP server software installed on the host.
- A Windows or Linux computer that can remain online while people play, or a VPS running one of those operating systems.
- Router administration access if you are hosting at home.
- An IPv4 address that accepts inbound connections. A router port-forwarding screen alone does not guarantee this; CGNAT can prevent inbound hosting.
- Permission to create firewall rules for both TCP and UDP traffic.
Use the same port number in the server configuration, router rule, firewall rules and Direct Connect address. The normal BeamMP port is 30814. If you change it, every reference to the port in this guide must use the replacement value.
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Choose home hosting or a VPS
Both approaches can run a private server, but they solve different problems. Decide where the BeamMP executable will run before configuring networking.
| Consideration | Home computer | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Server cost | Free apart from your existing electricity and internet service | Recurring charge from the VPS company |
| Router changes | Required for players outside your network | Not required on your home router |
| Exposure | A forwarded service is reachable from the internet; firewall and update discipline matter | BeamMP describes VPS hosting as easier and more secure, but the VPS still needs its own firewall and maintenance |
| Availability | Depends on your computer, power and home internet remaining online | Generally suited to continuous operation when the VPS plan is running |
| Best fit | A small group playing while the host is at home and able to troubleshoot the network | A group that wants an always-available server or cannot accept inbound connections at home |
BeamMP’s home-server guidance warns that port forwarding carries risk and presents a VPS as the easier, more secure alternative. Home hosting remains practical for a private group when you understand the exposure and your ISP supplies a usable public IPv4 address.
Install the BeamMP server software
Windows installation
- Download the BeamMP server executable for Windows from the BeamMP project’s official server download location.
- Install the required Microsoft Visual C++ redistributables if they are not already present. Without these runtime components, the executable may fail to launch or close immediately.
- Create a dedicated folder for the server. Keeping the executable and its generated files together makes backups, updates and troubleshooting easier.
- Place
BeamMP-Server.exein that folder and run it once. The first launch generates supporting files, includingServerConfig.toml. - Close the server after the first launch so you can edit the generated configuration before allowing anyone to connect.
Linux installation
- Download the Linux BeamMP server build supplied by the project.
- Put the server binary in a dedicated directory owned by the account that will run it.
- Give the binary permission to execute, then launch it once to generate
ServerConfig.tomland the other supporting files. - Stop the process and edit the generated configuration before opening the server to friends.
The exact package and service-management commands vary by Linux distribution. Use the file names and configuration produced by the BeamMP release you downloaded rather than copying a command intended for a different build.
Configure a private server in ServerConfig.toml
Open the generated ServerConfig.toml in a plain-text editor. The generated template is the authority for the option names and formatting in your release. Set a recognizable server name, confirm the listening port, add an authentication key, and keep the privacy switch enabled.
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[General]
Name = "My private BeamNG server"
Port = 30814
Private = true
AuthKey = "replace-with-your-server-authentication-key"The excerpt illustrates the values that matter for this setup. Preserve the surrounding sections and any additional options generated by your version. If your template uses a slightly different section layout, edit the existing fields instead of adding duplicate keys.
Keep Private set to true
Private = true keeps the server out of BeamMP’s official public server list. People join by invitation through Direct Connect rather than finding the server in a public browser. This setting does not make the service invisible to a person who knows its address, so still protect the address and authentication key.
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Use an authentication key
BeamMP recommends an authentication key for private servers. Treat it like a password: do not post it in a public chat, commit it to a public repository, or send it to people who do not need server access. If you believe it has been exposed, replace it in the configuration using the key-management process supplied with your BeamMP account or server release.
Choose the port deliberately
Leave the port at 30814 unless another service already uses it or your hosting environment requires a different value. A custom port is valid, but it must be forwarded, permitted by the firewall and entered by every remote player. A mismatch produces the same timeout symptoms as a blocked connection.
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Prepare a home network for remote players
Players on the internet cannot normally reach a computer behind your home router until the router forwards the BeamMP port to that computer. The labels differ by manufacturer, but the sequence is consistent.
- Give the host computer a stable local address. A DHCP reservation in the router is preferable to relying on an address that may change after a reboot.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding or virtual-server page.
- Create a rule for the host computer’s local IPv4 address and port 30814.
- Enable both protocols: one rule for TCP and one for UDP if the router does not offer a combined TCP/UDP option. BeamMP requires both.
- Save or apply the rule, then verify that it points to the computer actually running the BeamMP server.
- If you selected a different port in
ServerConfig.toml, forward that number instead of 30814.
Do not forward the port to the router itself, a different gaming PC or a temporary address. If the host’s local address changes, the rule can continue pointing at the wrong machine even though the router reports it as enabled.
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Allow BeamMP through the firewall
The host operating system can block a correctly forwarded connection. Create firewall permissions for the BeamMP server executable and allow incoming and outgoing traffic on the configured port for both TCP and UDP.
- On Windows, approve the executable on the private network profile when the firewall prompt appears, or create explicit inbound and outbound rules for the BeamMP server and its port.
- On Linux, add equivalent rules to the distribution’s active firewall and ensure the process is allowed to bind to the configured port.
- Do not disable the entire firewall as a permanent fix. A narrow rule for the BeamMP process and port is easier to audit and reduces unnecessary exposure.
- After changing a rule, restart the BeamMP server and test again. Some firewall interfaces do not apply a program rule until the process is relaunched.
Your router and computer firewall are separate controls. A green port-forwarding entry does not override an operating-system rule that rejects the packet, and an open local firewall cannot compensate for a router rule targeting the wrong address.
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Start the server and connect
Host on the same computer as BeamNG.drive
- Start the BeamMP server executable and leave it running.
- Launch BeamNG.drive with the BeamMP client installed.
- Open BeamMP’s Direct Connect tab.
- Enter
127.0.0.1as the address and the configured port, normally30814. - Connect and confirm that you can load into a map before inviting remote players.
127.0.0.1 is the loopback address: it refers to the same computer and does not test your router, public address or ISP.
Host on another computer in your home
Use the server computer’s local IPv4 address in Direct Connect, not 127.0.0.1. This tests the local network path. The server computer still needs its firewall rule, but the router’s internet port-forward is not involved for this local test.
Friends connecting from outside
Give friends the host’s current public IPv4 address and the configured port. They enter that address and port in Direct Connect. They should not use the host’s private address such as 192.168.x.x, and they should not expect a private server to appear in the official public list.
Send the address privately and avoid publishing it alongside the authentication key. If your public address changes, provide the new address to your group; the port remains the configured BeamMP port.
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Test in a controlled order
Testing from easiest to hardest prevents you from changing several variables at once.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- Server process: Start the executable and check its console or log for startup errors. A configuration syntax error must be fixed before networking can work.
- Local loopback: On the host computer, connect to
127.0.0.1:30814(or your custom port). - Local network: From another computer on the same home network, connect to the server computer’s local IPv4 address.
- Internet path: Ask a friend outside your network to connect using the public IPv4 address and port. Testing from inside the same router may fail on routers without NAT loopback even when outside connections work.
Record which step fails. A loopback failure points to the server or configuration; a local-network failure usually points to the host firewall or local address; a remote-only failure points to forwarding, the edge firewall or the ISP.
Private versus public servers
| Feature | Private server | Public server |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Private = true |
Privacy disabled so it can be listed |
| Discovery | Direct Connect using an address and port | Players can find it through the official server list |
| Audience | People you invite | Anyone who meets the server’s access requirements |
| Operational concern | Protect the address and authentication key | Expect unknown connection attempts and greater moderation responsibility |
Changing a server from private to public is not required for friends to join. If your goal is an invitation-only session, leave the private setting enabled.
Troubleshoot connection failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The server does not appear in the server list | It is private by design | Use Direct Connect. Do not treat list absence as a failure when Private = true. |
| The host cannot connect locally | Server stopped, invalid configuration or wrong port | Read the server console/log, confirm the executable is running, and connect to 127.0.0.1 with the exact configured port. |
| Local players connect but friends time out | Port forwarding, firewall or public-address problem | Confirm TCP and UDP forwarding to the correct local IPv4 address, then check inbound and outbound firewall rules. |
| Only one protocol works | TCP or UDP rule is missing | Create or correct both rules for the configured port. BeamMP requires TCP and UDP. |
| The router says forwarding is enabled, but nobody outside can connect | Carrier-grade NAT or another upstream NAT | Check whether your ISP gives you a dedicated public IPv4 address. CGNAT can make inbound forwarding impossible despite a router menu. |
| Connections fail after changing the port | One component still uses 30814 or an old custom value | Match ServerConfig.toml, router rules, firewall rules and every Direct Connect entry. |
| The server works until the host reboots | The local address changed | Create a DHCP reservation or update the forwarding destination to the host’s current local IPv4 address. |
| Players use IPv6 but cannot connect | This workflow is IPv4-based | Use a reachable public IPv4 address or move the server to a VPS. BeamMP’s setup documentation describes IPv6 support as planned rather than available for this workflow. |
Recognize CGNAT
With CGNAT, the ISP places many customers behind a shared public IPv4 address. Your router may show a port-forwarding control, but unsolicited traffic never reaches your router because the ISP controls the upstream translation. Compare the router’s internet-facing address with the address reported by an external service; if they differ in a way that indicates shared addressing, ask the ISP whether a dedicated public IPv4 address is available.
If the ISP cannot provide reachable IPv4 service, a home port-forward cannot solve the problem. A VPS avoids that inbound path, or you can use another network arrangement that gives the server a publicly reachable address.
Operate the server safely
- Keep the authentication key private and replace it if it is disclosed.
- Run the server under a normal account where practical rather than granting unnecessary system privileges.
- Apply BeamMP server updates and operating-system security updates before opening the service to the internet.
- Back up
ServerConfig.tomland any server-specific files, but store backups containing the authentication key securely. - Open only the BeamMP port and required protocols. Do not expose unrelated administrative services through the router.
- Stop the server when you are not using it if you do not need continuous availability.
- Review logs after failed joins or unexpected behavior; they can distinguish a configuration error from a packet that never reached the process.
When a VPS is the better answer
Choose a VPS when your group wants the server online independently of one person’s gaming PC, when home internet is behind CGNAT, or when you do not want to expose a home router. BeamMP characterizes VPS hosting as easier and more secure because the VPS has a publicly reachable network interface and requires no home-router port-forwarding change.
You still need to install the BeamMP server, configure Private = true, allow TCP and UDP on the selected port in the VPS firewall, and protect the authentication key. “No router change” does not mean “no security work”: the VPS operating system and its network firewall remain your responsibility.
Quick Recap
Final launch checklist
- BeamMP client is installed for every player and the server executable runs on the chosen host.
- The first launch generated
ServerConfig.toml, and the file has a server name, the intended port andPrivate = true. - An authentication key is configured and kept confidential.
- Home hosting has TCP and UDP forwarding to the correct host address, or the VPS firewall has equivalent rules.
- The operating-system firewall allows BeamMP incoming and outgoing traffic on the same port.
- The host has passed a loopback test, then a local-network test where applicable.
- Remote friends use the public IPv4 address and configured port in Direct Connect.
- If remote connections still fail, CGNAT or the lack of a dedicated public IPv4 address has been checked before changing unrelated settings.
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