The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Install the Assetto Corsa Competizione dedicated-server files through Steam, then edit the JSON files in the server’s servercfg folder. Put network ports and lobby visibility in configuration.json; put the server name, passwords, car-slot limit and entry requirements in settings.json. Open the selected TCP and UDP ports in the host firewall and router, start the server, and verify the generated files in cfgcurrent before inviting anyone.
Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted Assetto Corsa servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
What you need before installing
An ACC dedicated server is a software process running on a machine that can remain online while people race. No special physical product is required. You need Steam access to the dedicated-server files, permission to edit their folder, and a network connection that allows the server’s ports to be reached. If the machine is behind a router, you also need access to that router’s port-forwarding page.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Decide which of these operating modes you actually want:
- Public server: the server registers with the public multiplayer lobby so people can find it there.
- Private internet server: the server is reachable by people who know its address and password, but it does not register in the public lobby.
- LAN server: clients on the same local network can discover it when LAN discovery is enabled; internet reachability is a separate issue.
Make a backup of the original configuration files before changing them. Keep the official ACC Server Admin Handbook PDF that ships in the dedicated-server folder nearby. Search snippets identify handbook versions 1.10.2, 1.9.3 and 1.6.0, so use the copy bundled with your installed server for the field names accepted by that version.
#1 Best Overall
- [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
- [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
- [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
- [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
- [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.
Install the dedicated-server files through Steam
- Open Steam and install the Assetto Corsa Competizione dedicated-server package using the Steam library interface.
- After installation, use Steam’s file-browsing option to open the package’s installation directory. The exact parent folder depends on your Steam library location.
- Confirm that the installation contains a
serverdirectory and that its configuration files are underservercfg. - Do not create a second, similarly named configuration folder elsewhere. A server started from the wrong directory can regenerate defaults and make it appear that your edits were ignored.
The configuration folder normally contains four JSON documents named assistRules.json, configuration.json, event.json and settings.json. The first two you will usually edit for a basic server; event.json controls event data, and assistRules.json contains assistance rules. Broadcasting has its own file and is not configured in configuration.json.
Know which file controls which setting
| File | Purpose | Typical changes |
|---|---|---|
configuration.json |
Network and server-identity-level configuration | TCP port, UDP port, lobby registration and LAN discovery |
settings.json |
Session settings that are changed more frequently | Server name, passwords, car group, entry requirements and maximum car slots |
event.json |
Event definition | Race-event data supplied by the server configuration |
assistRules.json |
Driving-assistance rules | Permitted assistance settings |
broadcasting.json |
Broadcasting integration | Broadcasting settings, when that feature is used |
Use a text editor that preserves JSON punctuation and encoding. Keep the existing braces, commas and quotation marks intact, and change only the values you intend to change. A missing comma or an extra comma can make the server reject a parameter or recreate defaults.
Configure ports and visibility in configuration.json
Choose the TCP and UDP ports
The handbook describes tcpPort as the port ACC clients use to establish a connection. It describes udpPort as the port connected clients use to stream car positions and as the port used for the ping test. Both ports must be unique on the host, allowed through its firewall and reachable from the internet if you want a public internet server.
Published setup material does not agree on one universal pair of numbers. One commonly cited convention is UDP 9231 and TCP 9232, while a handbook sample uses 9201 for both fields. Treat neither pair as a guaranteed default. Open the file that belongs to your installation and copy the numbers already present, or choose unused numbers and then use those same numbers consistently in the operating-system firewall and router.
If players can connect but the server never shows a ping, the UDP port is the first thing to check. A reachable TCP port alone does not provide the position stream or the ping test.
Rank #2
- 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
- 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
- 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
- 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
- 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.
Set public or private registration
The registerToLobby value determines whether the server registers in the public multiplayer lobby:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Set
registerToLobbyto1when you want a public listing. - Set
registerToLobbyto0for a private multiplayer server that stays out of public lobby registration.
This setting does not replace a password. A server can be publicly listed and still require a password, or it can be private and reachable by direct address.
Decide whether to answer LAN discovery
lanDiscovery controls whether the server answers local-network discovery requests. Enable it when people on the same LAN should see the server through LAN discovery. It does not make a server reachable from the wider internet, and disabling public registration does not automatically disable LAN discovery.
Save and validate the JSON
- Stop the server if it is running; editing a file while the process is active can be overwritten when the process exits.
- Open
servercfgconfiguration.jsonand change only the port and visibility values required for your chosen mode. - Save the file in the same location and with the same
.jsonextension. Avoid accidentally creatingconfiguration.json.txt. - Check that every opening brace, quotation mark and comma is still paired correctly before starting the server.
Set the name, passwords and entry rules in settings.json
Open servercfgsettings.json for the settings that players see or that determine who may enter. The documented fields include the following:
| Field | What it controls | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
serverName |
The name displayed for the server | Use a recognizable name that identifies your group, region or event. |
password |
Driver-entry password | Set it when participation should be restricted. |
spectatorPassword |
Password for spectator access | Use a separate value if spectators should be admitted without giving them driver access. |
adminPassword |
Administrative access password | Keep it different from the driver and spectator passwords. |
maxCarSlots |
Maximum number of car slots | Set a limit that matches the event you intend to run and the capacity supported by your configuration. |
carGroup |
Permitted car group | Restricts which class or group of cars can join. |
trackMedalsRequirement |
Track-medal requirement | Requires drivers to meet the configured track-medal threshold. |
safetyRatingRequirement |
Safety-rating requirement | Requires drivers to meet the configured safety-rating threshold. |
Passwords should be treated as credentials: do not paste an administrator password into a public chat, and change it if it has been shared accidentally. If you want an open practice server, leave the driver password according to the value accepted by your installed handbook rather than deleting the field.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
- [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
- [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
- [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
- [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
Save settings.json in the same servercfg directory. A valid-looking file in another folder has no effect because the running process reads the configuration directory associated with its own installation.
Open the ports on the host and router
- Record the exact
tcpPortandudpPortvalues from your configuration file. - Create inbound firewall allowances on the server machine for those ports and protocols. Allow the TCP port as TCP and the UDP port as UDP; do not assume one rule covers both protocols.
- If the host is behind a router, create port-forwarding rules from the router’s internet-facing interface to the host machine’s local IP address, using the same port numbers and protocols.
- Give the host a stable local address, or reserve its address in the router, so forwarding does not break when the machine reconnects.
- For a public listing, confirm that the internet connection is not behind a carrier-grade NAT or another upstream device that prevents unsolicited inbound connections. If you cannot control that upstream device, public registration may fail even when the local firewall is correct.
Do not forward arbitrary ranges “just in case.” The two configured ports are the values that need to be unique and reachable. If another service already uses either port, select unused values in the ACC configuration and update every firewall and forwarding rule to match.
Start the server and prove that the files loaded
- Launch the dedicated-server executable from the Steam installation you configured, rather than from a shortcut pointing at an old copy.
- Watch the console during startup for errors about invalid JSON or rejected parameters.
- After startup, inspect the
servercfgcurrentfolder. The handbook says the server writes text files there; these files provide the effective configuration and are useful for confirming what the process accepted. - Check the server list or direct connection from a client on the appropriate network. For a public server, allow time for registration. For a private server, look for it by direct address or through LAN discovery when enabled.
- Have one player test entry, driving, and—if relevant—spectator and administrative access before announcing the server widely.
The console message reported in community discussions as “Starting server ACC Server (please edit settings.json)” is a strong indication that the intended settings file was not picked up. Treat that message as a path or installation problem first, not as proof that an individual field is wrong.
Three reliable setup patterns
Public league server
Use registerToLobby = 1, choose unique reachable TCP and UDP ports, set a descriptive serverName, and protect the event with a driver password if the grid is invitation-only. Add the car-group, track-medal and safety-rating requirements that match your league rules. Verify the listing, ping and a test connection before race night.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Private internet practice server
Use registerToLobby = 0, keep the same port-forwarding and firewall requirements, and distribute the external address and driver password only to participants. Because the server is not publicly registered, absence from the public lobby is expected rather than a fault.
Rank #4
- Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
- Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
- All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
- Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
- Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.
Same-network LAN server
Keep the clients and host on the same local network, enable lanDiscovery if you want automatic discovery, and ensure the host firewall allows the selected TCP and UDP ports on the local-network profile. Internet port forwarding is unnecessary for a LAN-only event, but the clients still need to reach the configured ports.
Configure broadcasting separately
Broadcasting is configured in broadcasting.json, not in configuration.json. Keep that file separate from the core network settings and validate it independently.
One community report describes a server that ignored the broadcasting file until it was saved as UTF-16 little-endian with a byte-order mark (BOM); the report also says the log did not show the broadcasting plugin starting. This is a single-user report, not an official schema guarantee. If broadcasting is not detected, first confirm the filename and folder, then consult the handbook shipped with your version. Only after those checks should you test the reported UTF-16 LE with BOM encoding, and keep a backup of the original file so you can revert safely.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
The server starts with default settings
- Confirm that the process is running the Steam installation whose
servercfgfolder you edited. - Search for duplicate ACC server installations and remove ambiguity from shortcuts or launch scripts.
- Check that Windows did not hide a second extension such as
.json.txt. - Read the startup console and inspect
cfgcurrentfor the effective values. - Stop the server, correct the file, and start it again; do not rely on a live edit being re-read.
The server overwrites your edits
This usually means the server is not reading the folder you changed or that a JSON error caused it to fall back to defaults. Compare the path of the running executable with the path of the edited files. The handbook notes that an unaccepted parameter indicates a mistake in the JSON file. Correct the syntax, then repeat the startup verification.
The server never appears in the public list
- Check whether
registerToLobbyis set to0; that intentionally keeps the server private. - Confirm that the server has finished registering and that the configured TCP and UDP ports are reachable from outside the LAN.
- Verify that the firewall and router rules use the correct protocol for each port.
- Inspect the console and
cfgcurrentfor a configuration-file failure.
The listing exists but shows no ping
The handbook’s UDP description makes the likely cause clear: the UDP port is not reachable. Recheck the UDP firewall rule, router forwarding, host address and any upstream NAT. Changing the TCP rule alone will not fix a missing UDP ping.
Players cannot join despite seeing the server
- Confirm that the driver password is correct and that the player is not attempting spectator access with the wrong credential.
- Check
maxCarSlots; a full grid rejects additional drivers. - Review
carGroup,trackMedalsRequirementandsafetyRatingRequirementfor restrictions the player does not meet. - Ensure the client is using the same reachable address and that the server is not bound to a stale local IP through an outdated forwarding rule.
You need to restore factory-generated files
Stop the server, back up the existing JSON files, delete the JSON files from the server’s configuration folder, and start the server once. The handbook says the server regenerates the files with defaults. Stop it again, apply your changes carefully to the newly generated files, and perform the startup verification before opening the server to players.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Maintenance and version checks
Keep a dated backup of working JSON files and note the port-forwarding values alongside it. After a Steam update, compare the regenerated or bundled files with your backup rather than blindly replacing new files with old ones. Field names, accepted values and defaults can change between handbook revisions; the versions identified in published snippets range from 1.6.0 to 1.10.2, and a current version was not established in the available material.
When a setting behaves differently from the instructions above, open the official handbook PDF included with your installed server and use its definitions as the authority. In particular, verify the current names and meanings of port, lobby, discovery and broadcasting fields before troubleshooting at the network layer.
Final pre-invitation checklist
- The dedicated-server files came from Steam and the running process points to that installation.
configuration.jsonandsettings.jsonare in the activeservercfgfolder.- TCP and UDP ports are unique, recorded, and opened with the correct protocols.
- Router forwarding, if needed, points to the host’s current local IP address.
registerToLobbymatches the intended public or private mode.lanDiscoverymatches whether local-network discovery is wanted.- The server name, passwords, car group, entry requirements and car-slot limit are correct.
- The startup console shows no JSON or rejected-parameter errors.
- The generated files in
cfgcurrentcontain the values you intended. - A test driver has connected successfully and the ping is visible when the server is intended to be public.
Once those checks pass, the ACC server is ready for regular sessions. Keep the handbook and your known-good configuration backup with the installation so future updates or troubleshooting do not require rebuilding the setup from memory.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
