How to Fix “Could Not Retrieve Server Information” in 7 Days to Die

The “Could not retrieve server information” message means your 7 Days to Die client cannot obtain the server’s query or rules response. First confirm that the dedicated server has finished starting and is running the same game version as your client. Then verify the configured game and query ports, allow the server through the host firewall, forward those ports to the correct LAN address, and test direct IP separately from the Steam browser. The usual default is TCP 26900 for the game and UDP 26900–26903 for gameplay traffic; Steam queries commonly use game port plus two, making 26902 the query port when the game port is 26900.

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What the error actually means

7 Days to Die uses more than one network exchange when you join a server. The game connection carries gameplay traffic, while a query request retrieves information such as whether the server is responding, its rules and its advertised status. “Could not retrieve server information” normally indicates that the client did not receive that query response. It does not, by itself, prove that the world save is damaged.

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The failure can happen because the server is offline, still loading or generating its world, running a different game version, listening on a different port than you expect, blocked by the computer’s firewall, unreachable through the router, or unable to answer the Steamworks TCP rules request. A server can therefore be playable by direct address while its Steam Favorites entry still reports this error.

Check these prerequisites before changing network settings

Wait for a complete startup

A dedicated server process may appear in Task Manager or a hosting panel before it is ready to accept queries. Wait until the console has finished loading the world and reports that it is listening. If the world is being generated for the first time, startup can take considerably longer than later launches. Retry after that point rather than changing several settings while the server is still initializing.

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Match the client and server versions

The connecting game and the dedicated server must be on compatible builds. Check the version shown in the game’s main menu and the version reported by the dedicated-server installation or hosting panel. Update the side that is behind, restart the server after an update, and have every player leave an old session before testing again. Network troubleshooting is inconclusive while the versions do not match.

Confirm that you are testing the intended server

Write down the machine running the server, its current LAN address and the public address you intend friends to use. A stale Steam Favorite, an old dynamic-DNS address or a second server process can make a correct fix appear ineffective.

Know which ports 7 Days to Die is using

Do not assume that every installation uses the defaults. Open the server’s serverconfig.xml or the corresponding fields in your hosting panel and record the actual game port, query or browser port, and any advertised-port setting. The commonly cited defaults are shown below.

A Steam moderator summarized the usual defaults as “TCP 26900 UDP 26900-26903.” Treat those as starting points, not proof of your own configuration. If you changed the game port, the cited joining guidance maps the query port to that game port plus two. For example, a game port of 27000 would normally make 27002 the query port under that convention; confirm the value in your server configuration or panel before forwarding it.

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A seven-day troubleshooting plan

Day 1: Establish server state and version

1. Start the dedicated server and leave its console or panel visible.
2. Wait for world loading or generation to finish and for the listening message to appear.
3. Record the server build and compare it with the client build on the computer that is testing.
4. Restart the client after updating it, then try the server once without changing ports or firewall rules.

If the message disappears after a complete startup or version correction, stop there. A firewall change is unnecessary when the service was simply not ready or was incompatible.

Day 2: Record every configured port

1. Open serverconfig.xml in the dedicated-server installation, or open the network settings in the managed-server panel.
2. Record the game port, query/browser port and advertised port exactly as shown, including any non-default values.
3. Check whether the panel applies changes only after a restart; save the configuration and restart when required.
4. Prepare a short note containing the server’s LAN address, game port and query port. Use that note for every later test so an old value is not reused.

Do not forward a port simply because it appears in an internet guide. A forwarding rule for 26900 cannot help a server actually listening on 27015.

Day 3: Allow the server through the host firewall

The firewall on the computer running the server is separate from the router. Both devices can block traffic, so a correct router rule does not automatically permit the application.

1. On Windows, open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security and create or verify inbound rules for the 7 Days to Die dedicated-server executable.
2. Create rules for the configured TCP game port and the required UDP ports. With the common defaults, that means TCP 26900 and UDP 26900 through 26903.
3. Apply the rules to the active network profile and limit them to the intended private network or trusted sources where practical. Do not disable the firewall globally as a test.
4. On Linux, make equivalent allow rules in the distribution’s firewall tool for the same configured ports, then reload the firewall and verify that the rules are active.
5. Restart the server and test from the host itself, then from another device on the same LAN.

If the server works locally but not from another LAN device, recheck the local address and firewall profile. A rule attached only to a different Windows network profile can look correct while remaining inactive.

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Day 4: Forward ports to a stable LAN address

Port forwarding must point from the internet-facing router to the computer that actually runs the server. Give that computer a DHCP reservation or another stable LAN address first; otherwise a reboot can assign a new address and silently invalidate the rule.

1. Sign in to the router that owns the public WAN address and open its port-forwarding or virtual-server page.
2. Create a rule for the configured TCP game port and rules for the required UDP range. For the common defaults, forward TCP 26900 and UDP 26900–26903 to the server computer’s fixed LAN address.
3. Add the query/browser port when it is distinct from the game port. Under the commonly cited game-plus-two convention, a 26900 game port uses 26902 for Steam queries.
4. Save the rules and restart the router only if its interface requires that step.
5. Check the router’s WAN address. If the router is connected behind an ISP modem/router, identify which device has the public address and either forward through both layers or place the downstream router in the appropriate bridge/DMZ arrangement according to the equipment documentation.

Forwarding to the wrong device, forwarding only TCP, or forwarding only the game port while omitting the query port produces the same symptom as an entirely closed connection.

Day 5: Test game access and Steam queries separately

Use two distinct tests because they exercise different paths.

1. From a player outside the server’s LAN, connect directly with the server’s public IP address and game port. Use the actual configured values, not an assumed default.
2. After the direct test, add or refresh the server in Steam Favorites using the server’s public address and query port.
3. Allow enough time for the browser to refresh, then compare the displayed rules and status with the direct-connection result.

If direct IP connection succeeds but Steam Favorites still says that server information cannot be retrieved, the basic game path is reachable. Concentrate on the query port, the advertised port, the Steam browser entry and any firewall rule that permits the game port but not the query request. Do not delete the save or rebuild the world for this split result.

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Day 6: Distinguish LAN, internet and single-player failures

A successful LAN connection proves only that local routing works. Many home routers do not support NAT loopback (also called hairpin NAT), so a player inside the same network may be unable to test the public address even while an outside player can connect. Conversely, local success combined with an outside failure points toward internet routing, forwarding or address translation.

1. Have one player test from a genuinely external connection, such as a phone hotspot or a friend’s home network, rather than from the server’s Wi-Fi.
2. If the server is behind an ISP gateway and a second router, test for double NAT and forward the ports through the device that owns the public address.
3. Check whether the WAN address is private or shared. Carrier-grade NAT can prevent unsolicited inbound connections even when your own router has perfect rules; in that case ask the ISP about a public IPv4 address or use a managed server instead.
4. If only one friend fails while others connect, compare that player’s network, VPN, security software and local firewall with a working player. The server may be healthy while that player’s network blocks the query.

Day 7: Test SteamNetworking and inspect logs

Use this step only after verifying startup, versions, ports, firewall rules and routing. Back up serverconfig.xml before changing it.

1. Make a copy of serverconfig.xml outside the server folder.
2. In the active configuration, locate or add the SteamNetworking protocol property shown in the Fun Pimps community discussion: <property name="ServerDisabledNetworkProtocols" value=""/>.
3. Save the file, restart the server and repeat both the direct-IP and Steam-browser tests.
4. If the installed build does not support this property, restore the backup and do not force the setting. It is a configuration workaround, not a substitute for opening the correct ports.
5. Review the server log for messages such as Steamworks.NET ... Requesting rules from TCP failed. Use that message to focus on query connectivity and security software instead of changing unrelated world settings.

Diagnose the result by symptom

Everyone receives the error, including local players

Return to server state and version first. A stopped process, incomplete startup or mismatched build affects every client. If the service is ready, verify that it is listening on the port recorded in the configuration and that the host firewall allows the executable and both protocols.

LAN players connect, but an outside friend cannot

The server application is probably functioning, but local success does not validate internet reachability. Check the fixed LAN address, router forwarding, double NAT and carrier-grade NAT. Have the outside friend use the public address and game port; do not ask a LAN player to validate the public route when the router lacks NAT loopback.

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Direct IP works, but Steam Favorites fails

This is the clearest sign of a query or browser-path problem. Confirm the Steam query port, which is commonly game port plus two, and verify that the advertised port matches the value used in the Favorite. Permit the query traffic through the host firewall and inspect the log for a failed Steamworks TCP rules request.

Only one player cannot join

Compare that player’s network with a player who succeeds. A restrictive school, office or mobile network, a local security suite, VPN routing or a stale Favorite can affect one person without indicating a server-side fault. Have the affected player remove and recreate the Favorite with the current address and query port, then test direct IP.

The problem returns after every reboot

A changing LAN address is the usual cause of a forwarding rule that worked once and then stopped. Reserve the server computer’s address in DHCP, confirm that the forwarding target still matches it, and verify that the server did not revert to a different port after an update or configuration reset.

Self-hosted versus managed servers

If home-router administration, firewall rules or carrier-grade NAT remain the blocker, a managed 7 Days to Die server hosting service removes those network layers from your responsibilities. Before moving a save, obtain the provider’s exact game port, query port, supported game version and backup procedure; the same client/server version requirement still applies.

What not to do

• Do not assume the default ports apply after changing the game port or moving to a hosting panel.
• Do not disable the operating-system firewall permanently. Create narrow application and port rules, then re-enable normal protection.
• Do not test only from inside the server’s LAN and conclude that outside players should connect.
• Do not rebuild the world or delete the save when direct IP works and only the Steam listing fails.
• Do not change several network variables at once. Record the current value, change one layer, restart if required and retest.
• Do not expose additional administrative ports that are unrelated to the game or query service.

Information to collect before asking for support

Support can resolve the issue faster when the report separates symptoms from guesses. Include:

• Client and dedicated-server versions.
• Whether the server had completed world loading when tested.
• The configured game port, UDP range, query/browser port and advertised port.
• Whether the test used LAN, direct public IP or Steam Favorites.
• Whether direct IP works, and from which network it was tested.
• The server computer’s LAN address and whether it is reserved in DHCP.
• The router topology, including an ISP gateway plus a second router.
• The relevant log line, such as a failed Steamworks TCP rules request.
• The exact firewall and forwarding rules already created, without posting passwords or public-sensitive credentials.

That record lets a technician determine whether the failure is the server process, the game path, the query path, or a particular player’s network instead of repeating the same port changes.

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