The address you give friends depends on where they are playing. Use 127.0.0.1 only on the computer hosting the server, the host computer’s private IPv4 address for another device on the same home network, and the hosting network’s public IP plus port for remote Steam-backend players. Crossplay servers can be joined with a public IP and port, a join code, or the server list; they do not accept local or loopback addresses.
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Choose the correct address first
Valheim does not have one universal “server IP.” The usable address changes with the player’s location and the server backend. Decide which case applies before looking up an address:
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| Player’s location | Backend | Address to use | Port format | Router forwarding | Other ways to join |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The same computer that runs the server | Steam or Crossplay | 127.0.0.1 (loopback) |
address:port |
Not needed for that computer | Join IP |
| Another device on the same home or office network | Steam or Crossplay | The server PC’s private IPv4 address, such as a 192.168.x.x address |
address:port |
Not needed for local-network traffic | Join IP |
| Outside the hosting network | Steam backend | The network’s public IP address | public-IP:configured-port |
Required for internet access | Join IP or server browser when visible |
| Outside the hosting network | Crossplay backend | Public IP and port, or a join code | public-IP:configured-port when using IP |
Not required; the backend uses a relay | Join code or server list |
A private address identifies a device inside the router’s network. A public address identifies the internet connection hosting that network. Giving a remote friend a private address normally sends them to an address that is not reachable from the public internet.
Understand Valheim’s port notation
Valheim’s Join IP field expects an address and port separated by a colon: address:port. For example, 203.0.113.25:2456 shows the format; it is only an example address, not a server you should use.
The official dedicated-server default is -port 2456. Valheim uses that port and the next port, so the default range is 2456-2457. If the server starts with a different value, substitute that configured port and its next port everywhere you configure forwarding or a firewall rule. The player entering Join IP should use the server’s configured port, not automatically assume the default.
Find the server PC’s private IPv4 address on Windows
Use this procedure when the joining player is on the same local network as the computer hosting Valheim.
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- Run
ipconfigand press Enter. - Locate the adapter that is actually carrying the connection: normally the connected Ethernet adapter or Wi-Fi adapter.
- Read its IPv4 Address line. Ignore disconnected adapters, virtual adapters, and IPv6 entries if the player needs an IPv4 address.
- Give that private IPv4 address to the player on the same LAN. They will append the server port in Join IP, for example
192.168.1.42:2456if that is the address and port shown by your setup.
The address can change when the router gives the computer a new local lease. If an address that worked previously stops working for a LAN player, run ipconfig again and check the active adapter before changing Valheim settings.
Which IPv4 line is the right one?
A Windows computer may list several adapters. The correct value belongs to the adapter marked as connected and using the same network as the joining device. An address beginning with 192.168., 10., or 172.16. through 172.31. is typically private, but the decisive test is whether both devices are on that same router network. Do not send this private address to a friend who is elsewhere on the internet.
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Find the public IP for remote Steam-backend players
Remote players using a Steam-backend dedicated server need the public IPv4 address assigned to the internet connection hosting the server. This is not the IPv4 value shown for the server PC’s LAN adapter. The public address belongs to the router or other gateway that connects the hosting network to the internet.
Give the remote player the public address followed by the configured port, such as 203.0.113.25:2456 as a format example. Before testing, make the server reachable through the router:
- Sign in to the router that provides internet access for the server computer.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding, virtual-server, or NAT rule page. The exact label and menu path vary by manufacturer.
- Create a rule that sends Valheim’s required port range to the server computer’s private IPv4 address. With the official default, this is ports
2456-2457; with a custom-portvalue, forward that port and the next one. - Select the protocol options the router provides for the Valheim rule. If the interface offers a combined TCP/UDP choice, use the router’s documented method; if it requires separate entries, follow the dedicated-server instructions for the configured range.
- Save or apply the rule, then verify that the server is running with the same port value you forwarded.
- Allow Valheim or the dedicated-server executable through the server computer’s firewall when Windows or another security product prompts for network access.
- Give remote players the public IP and configured port. They should enter the pair in Join Game → Join IP.
Router interfaces differ, so the router manufacturer’s manual is the authoritative source for the exact forwarding fields. A forwarding rule aimed at the wrong private address will fail even when the public IP and port are correct.
Why a public IP can still fail
- The server is listening on a different port from the one forwarded.
- Only one of the two required ports was forwarded for a Steam-backend server.
- The forwarding rule points to an old private IPv4 address.
- The host firewall blocks the dedicated-server process.
- The address was entered without the colon and port, or with a typo.
- The server is on a different router or gateway than the one configured.
Check these in order. First compare the launch parameter and Join IP value, then compare the forwarding destination with a fresh ipconfig result, and finally inspect the firewall permission.
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Enter an address in Valheim
Once you know which address applies, the joining player can use Valheim’s built-in IP form:
- Start Valheim and choose a character.
- Open Join Game.
- Select Join IP.
- Type the complete value in
address:portform, with no spaces. Examples include a loopback value for the host computer, a private IPv4 value for a LAN player, or a public value for an internet player. - Submit the connection and wait for the server response.
If the server was started with -public 0, it is hidden from the browser and is intended to be reached directly through Join IP. A server started with -public 1, which is the default, is visible in the server browser when it is otherwise reachable.
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A server started with Valheim’s Crossplay backend sends traffic through a relay. That design means internet players do not need a router port-forwarding rule for the server to be accessible from outside the local network.
Crossplay offers three connection paths:
- Enter the public IP address and configured port in Join IP.
- Use the server’s join code.
- Find the server through the server list.
Crossplay does not accept a local private IP or the loopback address. Therefore, 192.168.x.x and 127.0.0.1 are not valid substitutes when the server is using Crossplay and the player is connecting through that backend. If an IP attempt fails, use the join code or server list instead.
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Join with a Crossplay code
- Have the server host display or copy the current join code from the running server.
- In Valheim, open Join Game.
- Select Add server.
- Paste the join code and confirm.
The code is separate from an IP address. Do not add a colon or port to the code, and do not paste a private LAN address into the code field.
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Many connection problems come from mixing rules from different scenarios. Use this decision sequence:
- Ask where the joining player is: on the server computer, on the same router network, or somewhere else.
- Identify whether the server uses the Steam backend or Crossplay.
- Choose the address type from those two answers: loopback for the host computer, private IPv4 for another LAN device, or public IP for an internet connection.
- Read the server’s
-portlaunch value. If it is absent, use the official default port; if it is present, use that value and its next port for Steam-backend forwarding. - Use Join IP unless the Crossplay player chooses a join code or server list.
This prevents a common mistake: a LAN address can be correct for a nearby laptop and completely wrong for a friend in another city, while a public address can be unnecessary for two devices already connected to the same home router.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot a failed connection
The host computer cannot connect to itself
Try 127.0.0.1 with the server port in Join IP. Confirm that the server process is running and listening on the port shown in its launch configuration. Router forwarding is irrelevant to this same-computer test.
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A second device on the LAN cannot connect
- Run
ipconfigagain on the server and use the active adapter’s current IPv4 value. - Check that both devices are on the same home or office network rather than one being on a guest network or a different connection.
- Use the configured port after the address.
- Allow the Valheim server through the host firewall.
- Do not test with the public IP first; a private LAN address is the appropriate address for this case.
A remote Steam player times out
- Confirm the server is using the Steam backend, not Crossplay.
- Verify the remote player has the network’s public IP rather than the server computer’s private IPv4 address.
- Compare the Join IP port with the server’s
-portvalue. - Check that the router forwards the configured port and the next port to the current private IPv4 address.
- Check the host firewall and any second firewall on the router or gateway.
- If the public address or port was changed, send the remote player the current pair.
A Crossplay player cannot connect with an IP
Do not use a private or loopback IP for Crossplay. Try the join code through Join Game → Add server, or locate the server in the server list. Crossplay’s relay removes the need for router forwarding, so adding a forwarding rule is not the remedy for a local-address error.
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The server is missing from the browser
Check the visibility flag. -public 0 deliberately hides the server from the browser, so players must use Join IP (or the appropriate Crossplay code). With -public 1, the default, the server is intended to appear in the browser, subject to the backend and network being reachable.
Practical hand-off checklist
Before sending connection details, confirm each item that applies:
- Player location is identified as same computer, same LAN, or remote.
- Backend is identified as Steam or Crossplay.
- Address type matches that location and backend.
- Port is copied from the server’s
-portsetting, or the official default is being used. - Steam-backend remote hosting has forwarding for the configured port and next port.
- The server computer’s firewall permits the server process.
- Join IP is entered as
address:port. - Crossplay users are using a public IP, join code, or server list rather than a private or loopback IP.
- The server’s
-publicsetting matches the intended discovery method.
Following that checklist gives each player the one address format appropriate to their connection instead of relying on a single IP that only works in one location.
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