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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For a self-hosted Sons of the Forest dedicated server, stop the server, open dedicatedserver.cfg, set "Password" to a non-empty shared secret, save the file, and restart. Players must enter that password before they can join. If everyone is on the same local network, also set "LanOnly": true to keep the server out of the public listing.
A rented or managed server exposes the same control in its provider panel. A password protects access; LAN-only mode controls visibility. Neither setting removes the networking requirements for players connecting over the internet.
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The dedicated server has two separate controls that are often confused:
- Password protection: The
Passwordfield requires a connecting player to enter a shared secret before proceeding. This is the access-control setting for a private server. - LAN-only visibility: The
LanOnlyfield limits visibility to the local network. It is useful for a household, classroom, or office LAN, but it is not a substitute for a password when players outside that network must be excluded.
The Steam Community Dedicated Server Configuration Guide, updated January 15, 2025, describes the password as being requested “before the client can proceed.” A blank password leaves the server without password protection, even if its name is obscure.
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Configuration fields that affect privacy and access
| Field | Value and limit | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
Password |
Any string up to 40 characters | Prompts clients for a password before they join. A non-empty value is required for password protection. |
LanOnly |
true or false |
Restricts server visibility to the local network when set to true. |
MaxPlayers |
Integer from 1 to 8 | Sets the maximum number of connected players; it does not make the server private. |
GamePort |
UDP port; default 8766 | Game traffic. Use the configured value when creating firewall and router rules. |
QueryPort |
UDP port; default 27016 | Server-query traffic used for discovery and status. |
BlobSyncPort |
UDP port; default 9700 | Blob synchronization traffic. It must be reachable when required by the server. |
SaveMode |
new or continue |
Chooses how a save is initialized; it has no privacy function. |
The port numbers above are the documented defaults in the 2025 Steam Community configuration guide. If you changed them, use your actual values instead of the defaults.
Before you edit the server
Install or update the dedicated server
Install the Dedicated Server tool through Steam, or install/update it with SteamCMD using app ID 2465200. The supplied Windows server package is started with StartSOTFDedicated.bat. Do not edit the configuration while the process is running; the server can overwrite changes during shutdown or startup.
Launch once to create the files
Run StartSOTFDedicated.bat one time and allow the server to complete its initial startup. This first launch creates the user-data directory and the default configuration file. Stop the server cleanly before making changes.
Find the correct user-data directory
Unless you selected a custom -userdatapath, the normal Windows location is:
C:Users<user>AppDataLocalLowEndnightSonsOfTheForestDSReplace <user> with the Windows account that runs the dedicated server. If the startup command includes -userdatapath, use that custom directory instead; changing the default folder will have no effect on a server pointed elsewhere.
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Make a self-hosted server password-protected
- Stop the server. Close the dedicated-server process and wait until it has fully exited. Editing a live file risks losing the change.
- Back up the configuration. In the
SonsOfTheForestDSuser-data directory, copydedicatedserver.cfgto a safe location. A dated copy lets you restore the previous settings if a JSON edit fails. - Open the file as text. Use a plain-text editor. The file is JSON, so quotation marks, commas, braces, and the capitalization of field names matter.
- Set a non-empty password. Add or replace the
Passwordvalue. For example:
{
"Password": "a-long-random-shared-secret",
"LanOnly": false,
"MaxPlayers": 8,
"GamePort": 8766,
"QueryPort": 27016,
"BlobSyncPort": 9700,
"SaveMode": "continue"
}Keep the quotation marks around the password and retain commas between properties. The example uses the documented default ports and an eight-player limit; preserve your existing values if they differ. The password may contain spaces, but avoid characters that your editor or hosting panel could reinterpret. Keep it within the documented 40-character maximum.
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- Save the file. Confirm that the editor did not append an extra extension such as
.txt. The filename must remaindedicatedserver.cfg. - Restart the server. Start
StartSOTFDedicated.batagain and wait for the server to finish booting. Give the password only to the people who should play.
When a player connects after the restart, the game should request the password before allowing the connection to continue. If no prompt appears, use the troubleshooting section below rather than assuming the server is protected.
Make the server LAN-only
For a server intended only for devices on the same home or office network, set:
"LanOnly": trueSave and restart after changing the value. LAN-only mode limits visibility to the local network; it does not replace a password if you want an additional access barrier for people who can already see that network. Conversely, setting LanOnly to false does not make a server public when a password is configured. It simply allows normal internet discovery, subject to the server’s password and network rules.
Internet connectivity: private does not mean offline
A password controls who is admitted after reaching the server. It does not create a network path through your router or operating-system firewall. For friends connecting from another house, the configured UDP ports must be allowed through both layers.
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| Traffic | Default UDP port | Required action for internet players |
|---|---|---|
| Game | 8766 | Forward the port to the computer running the dedicated server and allow it through the host firewall. |
| Query | 27016 | Forward and allow it when using the default configuration. |
| Blob synchronization | 9700 | Forward and allow it when using the default configuration. |
The Steam Community configuration guide notes that the startup self-test can stop boot when a required UDP port is closed. Therefore, a server that refuses to start may have a firewall or forwarding problem rather than a bad password. If you changed any port in dedicatedserver.cfg, create rules for the changed value and remove stale rules that point to an old one.
Router checklist
- Assign the server computer a stable local IP address, preferably through a DHCP reservation.
- Create UDP forwarding rules for
GamePort,QueryPort, andBlobSyncPortfrom the router to that local IP. - Make sure the router’s WAN address is actually reachable from the internet. Carrier-grade NAT or a second router can prevent inbound connections even when the rules look correct.
- Do not forward unrelated ports. Only expose the values the server uses.
Windows firewall checklist
- Allow the dedicated-server executable, or create inbound UDP rules for the three configured ports.
- Apply the rule to the network profile the machine is using.
- After changing a port, update the firewall rule and restart the server.
Players on the same LAN may be able to connect even when internet forwarding is wrong, so test from an outside network if remote access is the goal.
Use a managed hosting control panel
A hosted server normally does not expose the Windows file path. Instead, open the provider’s server control panel, go to its configuration area, choose the dedicated-server settings, enter a non-empty password, save, and restart the instance. A provider guide published November 16, 2025, states that setting a server password is currently the available way to make its Sons of the Forest server private; after the change, connecting players are prompted for that password.
Panel labels vary, but the required sequence is consistent:
- Stop the server from the panel.
- Open Config or Configuration, then Dedicated Server Settings (or the equivalent page).
- Enter the shared secret in the password field; do not leave it blank.
- Save or apply the configuration.
- Restart the server and test with an intended player.
If a panel offers both a password and a LAN-only switch, treat them as separate controls. LAN-only may prevent remote friends from discovering the instance, while the password still determines who is admitted once a connection reaches it.
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How friends should connect
- Start the server and wait for its normal ready state.
- Send the password through a private channel. Do not post it in a public server name, forum, or stream overlay.
- Have the player find the server using the method appropriate to your setup.
- When the password prompt appears, enter the value exactly, including capitalization, spaces, and punctuation.
- If the connection fails before a prompt appears, troubleshoot reachability first; authentication cannot happen until the client can contact the server.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server still appears to be public
Visibility and admission are different. Check that Password contains an actual value, not an empty string such as "", then stop and restart the server. A server can remain visible in listings while still requiring a password. If you need it hidden from public discovery for local play, set LanOnly to true.
Friends cannot connect after the password was added
First verify that the server restarted after the edit and that the file you changed is in the active user-data directory. Next compare the configured ports with the router forwards and firewall rules. The defaults are UDP 8766, 27016, and 9700; a custom value in the file requires a matching network rule. Finally, have the player re-enter the password exactly. A typo produces an authentication failure, while closed ports usually prevent the password prompt from appearing at all.
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The password prompt never appears
- Confirm the value is under the
Passwordproperty, not under a similarly named field. - Check that the JSON is valid and that the password is not accidentally followed by a missing comma or extra quote.
- Make sure the server process was stopped before saving and restarted afterward.
- Verify that no startup option points to another
-userdatapath. - Look at the startup output for a configuration error or a port self-test failure.
The server will not start after editing
Malformed JSON is the usual cause. Restore the backup, start the server to confirm it works, and then make one small change at a time. In JSON, property names and string values use double quotation marks; Boolean values such as true and false are unquoted; numeric ports and player limits are also unquoted. A trailing comma before the closing brace can invalidate the file.
LAN players can join but remote players cannot
This pattern points to routing or firewall access, not the password. Confirm that the server computer’s local IP has not changed, that all required UDP ports are forwarded to it, and that the operating-system firewall permits inbound traffic. Test from a phone hotspot or another external connection rather than from the same LAN.
Remote players can reach the server but LAN players cannot see it
Check whether LanOnly is set to true on a network where the players are not actually on the same subnet. Disable LAN-only mode for mixed local-and-remote play, keep the password enabled, and restart.
A server update removed the password
Keep a backup of dedicatedserver.cfg and record your intentional values. After an update, stop the server, inspect the active file, reapply the password if necessary, and restart. Do not assume that a copied configuration is still being used if the installation or startup path changed.
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Use a dedicated shared secret
Choose a random password that is not reused for email, Steam, router administration, or another game. Share it only with the intended players. If someone who should no longer have access knows it, stop the server, replace the value, save, and restart; every player will then need the new secret.
Keep access and capacity separate
Set MaxPlayers to the number of people you actually intend to host, from 1 through the documented maximum of 8. This limits capacity but does not authenticate players. A lower limit can reduce unwanted load, while the password remains the access control.
Protect saves before changing settings
Back up the configuration before each major change and keep routine backups of the game saves. The SaveMode value controls whether the server starts a new save or continues an existing one; changing it while trying to fix privacy can alter how the world is initialized, so leave it alone unless save behavior is the issue.
Review exposure after every network change
When you change ports, move the server to another computer, or replace the router, re-check forwarding, firewall scope, and the active user-data path. A password is valuable only when the intended server process is the one receiving connections.
Quick Recap
Quick verification checklist
- The server is stopped while
dedicatedserver.cfgis edited. Passwordcontains a non-empty value no longer than 40 characters.- The file remains valid JSON and retains the
.cfgfilename. - The server has been restarted after saving.
LanOnlyistrueonly when all intended players are on the same LAN.- For internet play, UDP ports 8766, 27016, and 9700—or your customized equivalents—are forwarded and allowed through the firewall.
- An intended player receives a password prompt and can join with the exact shared secret.
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