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The simplest private Unturned server is a dedicated-server instance running on your Windows or Linux computer, protected with a password in Commands.dat. Install Unturned Dedicated Server through Steam or SteamCMD, create an instance with its own ID, set the map and player limit, then let friends connect through Steam’s LAN/server-code system. You do not need router port forwarding when everyone is on the same local network.
Godlike.Host offers hosted Unturned servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
For friends joining from outside your home network, choose either Unturned’s Fake IP option or conventional port forwarding. Internet hosting also requires a Game Server Login Token. Conventional forwarding uses two consecutive UDP ports: the defaults are 27015 and 27016.
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A private server does not require a second copy of the game for every player, but the host computer must run the Unturned Dedicated Server application whenever people want to play. Prepare the following:
- A Windows PC for the easiest desktop setup, or a Linux machine/VPS for an always-on service.
- Steam, or SteamCMD if you prefer a command-line installation.
- Sufficient storage for the dedicated-server files, the world save and any workshop content you later add.
- A Steam account for the person administering the server.
- A password that you can share privately with your group.
- For Internet play, either Fake IP support or access to the router and host firewall so you can forward two consecutive ports.
The dedicated server and the client game should be kept reasonably current. An update to the game can require an update to the server before players can connect.
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Choose how friends will connect
Decide the access scope before changing network settings. LAN/server-code hosting and Internet hosting are alternatives for reaching players; you do not need to configure port forwarding merely because you have enabled a password.
| Approach | Who can connect | Network work | Best use | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAN or Steam Server Code | People on the same local network, or friends invited through Steam’s supported server-code flow | No router port forwarding | A small friends-only session when the host is online | Only while the host computer and server are running |
| Fake IP | Players joining over the Internet | Use the game’s Fake IP path and supply the required login token | Internet play without manually forwarding ports, when Fake IP is available to your setup | Depends on the host machine remaining online |
| Port forwarding | Players joining over the Internet | Forward two consecutive ports to the host, allow them through the firewall, and use a Game Server Login Token | Direct control over router and firewall networking | Depends on the host machine, router and Internet connection |
Install Unturned Dedicated Server on Windows
Steam Library installation
The official documentation lists Unturned Dedicated Server as an installable tool in the Steam Library. In Steam, open the Library, change the library filter to show tools, find Unturned Dedicated Server, and install it. This is the most approachable route because Steam handles the initial files and later updates through the normal library interface.
SteamCMD installation
SteamCMD is useful on a headless Windows machine, for scripted updates or when you want the server files separated from the graphical Steam client. Open SteamCMD and use an anonymous login, then install the dedicated-server app with its documented application ID:
login anonymous
app_update 1110390
quitSteamCMD places the files in the U3DS directory you selected. If the command reports that the app is already up to date, the installation is complete; if it downloads files, wait for the update to finish before launching the server.
Create a server instance
A dedicated-server installation can contain multiple independent worlds. Each world is identified by a unique server ID, such as MyServer. The ID becomes the name used in launch commands and separates that instance’s save data and configuration from other instances.
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First Windows launch
- Open the U3DS installation directory.
- Launch the server executable with a unique ID. The Windows community setup documented for a headless process uses
-nographics -batchmode +secureserver\Server. In a normal command prompt, the backslash separates the secure-server mode from the instance name. - Allow the process to run long enough to create the instance’s save-data and configuration directories, then stop it cleanly.
- Open the generated configuration directory for that instance and locate
Commands.dat. Edit this file with a plain-text editor, not a word processor.
Use a different ID for each world you want to maintain. Do not point two running processes at the same instance, because both processes would attempt to modify the same save data.
Configure privacy in Commands.dat
Commands.dat is read one setting per line. At minimum, define a recognizable name, a map, a player limit and a password. The official documentation identifies Map, Password and Max Players as core settings; adding an owner SteamID64 gives your account administrative control.
Name My Private Server
Map <your-map>
MaxPlayers 8
Password <private-password>
Owner <your-SteamID64>What each line does
- Name: The display name friends see in the server listing or connection interface. Choose something they will recognize.
- Map: The world loaded by this instance. Replace the example value with the map name you intend to use.
- MaxPlayers: The upper player limit for this instance. Set it to the size of your group rather than an unnecessarily high value.
- Password: The gate for players who know the private code. Share it only with the people you want on the server.
- Owner: Your SteamID64, which identifies the account that should receive owner-level administrative privileges. Copy the numeric ID carefully; a mistyped value will not grant control.
Save the file, restart the server and watch the startup output for configuration errors. If a setting is misspelled or placed in a different file than the active instance’s Commands.dat, the server may start with defaults instead of the values you intended.
Start a private LAN server
For a same-home or same-office session, LAN hosting is the least complicated option. Start the instance after saving Commands.dat, leave the server process running, and have friends use Steam’s friend/server interface or the randomly generated Unturned Server Code shown for the running server. They still need the password from Commands.dat.
- Start the dedicated server and wait until it reports that the world is ready.
- Give friends the exact server name and password.
- Have them open Unturned’s server browser or Steam’s supported join flow and look for the LAN entry or enter the displayed Server Code.
- If the server does not appear, confirm that everyone is on the same local network, the host firewall allows the server process, and the server is fully started.
LAN/server-code access avoids direct router configuration. It is therefore the right first test even if you eventually plan to invite people over the Internet: it verifies the installation, map and password before networking becomes another variable.
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Make the server reachable over the Internet
Friends outside your local network need an Internet connection method. The official guide describes Fake IP and port forwarding as alternatives. Internet hosting also requires a Game Server Login Token (GSLT), so obtain and configure that token according to the current Unturned hosting instructions before expecting external players to connect.
Option 1: Fake IP
Fake IP is the lower-maintenance route when it is available to your server setup. Select the Fake IP/Internet hosting mode provided by the dedicated-server configuration, supply the required GSLT, start the instance and give friends the connection information generated by the server. You do not additionally forward the standard ports when Fake IP is handling the Internet path.
Because Fake IP availability and behavior can depend on the current dedicated-server build, verify the startup output and the connection details it displays. If external players cannot reach the server, test LAN access first, then check the token and the mode selected at launch.
Option 2: Port forwarding
Port forwarding sends incoming game traffic from your router to the computer running the server. Unturned uses two consecutive ports. The documented defaults are 27015 and 27016; if you set a custom Port value, forward that port and the next consecutive port.
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- In the router’s port-forwarding page, create rules for the server’s two consecutive ports and direct both to the host computer’s local IP address.
- Use the same protocol selection recommended by your router and the Unturned documentation. If the router asks for a range, enter the starting port and the next port as the end of the range.
- Allow the dedicated-server executable and the selected ports through the host operating system’s firewall. A router rule cannot bypass a firewall rule that still blocks the process.
- Configure the server’s Internet mode and GSLT, start it, and give remote friends the public connection information rather than the host’s private address.
Do not forward random neighboring ports: the required pair is the configured port plus the next consecutive port. If you change the port later, update the router and firewall rules to match.
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Understand the security trade-off
A password limits who can join, but port forwarding still exposes the server service to the Internet. Use a strong, non-reused password, keep the dedicated server updated, grant owner access only to the intended SteamID64, and stop the server when you are not using it. Never publish the password in a public chat or server listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Linux installation and always-on hosting
Linux is a good fit for a spare machine, a VPS or a computer that should run the world without a desktop session. The dedicated-server application and per-instance configuration model are the same as on Windows, but the documented helper script simplifies launching the correct mode.
Install and launch with ServerHelper.sh
After installing the server files and creating the instance ID, run the helper script from the U3DS directory. The documented commands are:
./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer
./ServerHelper.sh +LanServer/MyServerUse the first form for an Internet server and the second for a LAN server; replace MyServer with your chosen ID. The first launch creates the instance’s savedata and configuration directory. Stop the process, edit that instance’s Commands.dat, then start it again.
Run it as a service
Linux administrators can wrap the helper command in a systemd service. A service can start the server after boot, restart it when the process exits and provide a controlled stop operation so the world is saved cleanly. Point the service’s working directory at U3DS, run the appropriate ServerHelper.sh command, and restrict the service account’s permissions to the files it needs. The exact unit-file directives depend on your distribution and directory layout, so test a manual launch before enabling automatic startup.
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Windows versus Linux: which is better?
| Consideration | Windows desktop | Linux machine or VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Most approachable through the Steam Library and a visible server window | Requires comfort with a shell, file permissions and service management |
| Best availability | Good for sessions that run only while you play | Well suited to an always-on host with systemd |
| Launch method | Dedicated-server executable with the secure-server instance argument | ServerHelper.sh +LanServer/<ID> or +InternetServer/<ID> |
| Maintenance | Steam or SteamCMD updates and manual startup | SteamCMD updates plus scripted or systemd startup |
| Networking | Same LAN, Fake IP or router forwarding | Same choices; a VPS usually needs its provider firewall configured as well |
Choose Windows when simplicity matters more than unattended uptime. Choose Linux when the machine should run continuously and you are comfortable maintaining a service and firewall.
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Update safely
- Tell players to disconnect and stop the server gracefully.
- Back up the instance’s savedata and configuration, especially
Commands.dat. - Update the dedicated-server files through Steam or SteamCMD. With SteamCMD, run
login anonymousfollowed byapp_update 1110390. - Start the same server ID again and verify the map, password, player limit and owner settings.
- Have one player test a connection before announcing that the server is open to everyone.
Keeping a copy of Commands.dat prevents an update or accidental edit from silently removing your password or owner setting. Backups of the world save are equally important before major updates or configuration changes.
Control who has administrative access
Use the Owner line only for the intended SteamID64. Administrative authority is separate from the join password: everyone may know the join password, while only the owner account should receive elevated controls. If an administrator’s account changes, replace the old numeric ID and restart the instance.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server starts, but the password is ignored
- Confirm that you edited the active instance’s
Commands.dat, not a similarly named folder for another server ID. - Check that the line is written as
Password valuewith one setting per line and no accidental rich-text formatting. - Stop and restart the server after saving; many settings are read during startup.
The server is not visible on LAN
- Wait for the world to finish loading before searching.
- Verify that the host and players are on the same local network.
- Allow the server executable through the host firewall and try the displayed Server Code or Steam friend-join route.
- Test with the firewall temporarily adjusted only long enough to identify whether it is the cause, then restore an appropriate rule.
Remote friends cannot connect
- Confirm that the server is running in an Internet-capable mode rather than LAN-only mode.
- Verify that a valid GSLT is configured; the official Internet-hosting guidance requires one.
- If using forwarding, check both consecutive ports, the host’s current local IP address, the operating-system firewall and any VPS/provider firewall.
- Make sure friends use the public connection details, not the host’s private LAN address.
- If Fake IP is selected, review the startup output for the generated connection information and any token or registration error.
The server works until the host reboots
A desktop launch is normally manual. On Linux, use a tested systemd service so the helper script starts after boot and stops gracefully. On Windows, configure a reliable startup shortcut or scheduled task only after confirming that the instance launches correctly by hand; otherwise an automatic task can repeatedly start a misconfigured server.
A practical setup sequence
If you want the shortest reliable path, follow this order:
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Quick Recap
- Install Unturned Dedicated Server from the Steam Library, or install it with SteamCMD using app ID
1110390. - Launch a unique instance ID once so its save-data and configuration folders are created.
- Edit that instance’s
Commands.datwithName,Map,MaxPlayers,Passwordand, if needed,Owner. - Start it as a LAN server and verify that one friend can join through Steam or the Server Code.
- For outside players, choose Fake IP or port forwarding. Configure the GSLT in either Internet case.
- If forwarding, send the configured port and the next consecutive port to the host and allow them through every relevant firewall.
- Back up the instance, document the password privately and update the dedicated-server files before the group plays after a major game update.
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