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To enable RCON (remote console) on an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server, set RCONEnabled=True, define an RCON TCP port (the documented default is 27020), set ServerAdminPassword, allow that TCP port through the firewall and router when you self-host, then restart the server and connect with an RCON client. RCON is disabled by default, and the settings must be placed in the server’s GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings].
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This guide covers ASE dedicated servers. The available documentation does not establish that every setting or path applies unchanged to ARK: Survival Ascended; verify Ascended-specific instructions before using this procedure there.
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What RCON does and what you need
RCON gives an administrator a remote console connection to a running ARK server. After authentication, an RCON client can send the administrative commands supported by the server without requiring the administrator to be physically logged in at the game machine. It is an optional service: the ARK Official Community Wiki configuration reference lists RCON as disabled by default.
You need all of the following before attempting a connection:
- An ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server and permission to edit its configuration.
- The correct
GameUserSettings.inifile for your operating system or hosting provider. - An administrator password configured as
ServerAdminPassword. - An unused TCP port for RCON. The documented default is
27020, but a host or an existing server instance may assign another port. - Firewall, router, and hosting-panel access if the server is not directly reachable from the client.
- An RCON client. The documentation reviewed here does not endorse a particular client, so use one that supports ARK’s RCON connection fields.
RCON is separate from the ports used for players and server queries. Opening the game’s UDP ports does not replace the RCON TCP rule.
Configuration values at a glance
| Setting or traffic | Required value | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
RCONEnabled |
True |
Turns the RCON service on. The documented default is False. |
RCONPort |
A TCP port number; 27020 is the documented default |
Port on which the RCON service listens. Use the port actually allocated by your host. |
ServerAdminPassword |
Your administrator password | Password used by the documented RCON access path. |
| RCON network rule | Incoming TCP on the selected RCON port | Allows the RCON client to reach the server through the operating-system firewall, router, or provider mapping. |
| Game traffic | UDP 7777 (listed separately by the setup reference) |
Gameplay traffic; not an RCON substitute. |
| Peer traffic | UDP 7778 (listed separately) |
Peer traffic; not an RCON substitute. |
| Steam query traffic | UDP 27015 (listed separately) |
Server-query traffic; not an RCON substitute. |
The configuration reference describes the dependency directly: enabling RCON also requires RCONPort=<TCP_PORT> and ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>. Keep each value’s role distinct: the port is a number, the enable switch is Boolean, and the password is a secret.
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Step 1: Locate the right GameUserSettings.ini
ARK can use different configuration locations depending on whether you run the server on Windows, Linux, or a managed host. Do not assume that a path from another installation is valid for yours. Locate the file exposed by your server’s startup documentation or control panel, and verify that it belongs to the instance you intend to administer.
Self-hosted installations
On a self-hosted machine, inspect the server’s ShooterGame/Saved/Config directory and select the operating-system-specific subdirectory used by your installation. The exact subdirectory name differs by platform, so follow the path created by your server package rather than copying a path blindly.
Managed hosting
A hosting panel may provide an editor instead of direct filesystem access. The path shown in one provider’s ASE documentation is ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini; that is an example for that provider’s Linux layout, not a universal location. If the panel has separate files for different instances, open the file associated with the correct server.
Back up before editing
Stop or pause automated configuration changes if your host offers that option, then save a copy of the current file. A backup lets you restore unrelated settings if a formatting mistake prevents the server from starting.
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Open GameUserSettings.ini as plain text. Find the [ServerSettings] section. Add the settings there, or change existing entries so each key appears only once. A minimal configuration looks like this:
[ServerSettings]
ServerAdminPassword=replace-with-your-password
RCONEnabled=True
RCONPort=27020Replace the example password with your own value and replace 27020 if your provider or multi-instance layout uses another port. Preserve the spelling and capitalization of the keys. Do not put these lines in a different section or in a client-side configuration file.
Password practices
Use a strong, unique administrator password that is not reused for another service. Anyone who obtains this credential and can reach the RCON port may be able to administer the server. A provider tutorial uses a simple alphanumeric example for demonstrating its panel workflow; that example should not be treated as a general password recommendation. Store the real password in a password manager or another protected location, and do not paste it into public chat, issue trackers, or screenshots.
Choose a port deliberately
The wiki lists 27020 as the default RCON port. You may choose another unused TCP port when a provider allocates one, a firewall policy requires it, or another server already occupies the default. Record the selected number because it must match the server setting, every network rule, any provider mapping, and the RCON client.
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Step 3: Make the TCP port reachable
RCON uses TCP. The operating-system firewall, router, and hosting control panel must therefore treat the selected port as TCP from end to end. A rule that permits only UDP will not satisfy the documented RCON requirement.
Self-hosted server behind a router
- Create an inbound operating-system firewall rule for the selected TCP port.
- In the router, forward that same TCP port to the server’s private IP address.
- Confirm that the forwarding target is the machine running the intended ARK instance, not another device that received a changed DHCP address.
- Keep the game, peer, and query UDP rules separate; do not convert them into a substitute RCON rule.
The dedicated-server setup reference warns that manual forwarding may be needed because the server does not support UPnP or other automatic port-forwarding protocols. If your router or firewall is managed by someone else, ask for an inbound TCP rule rather than a generic “ARK ports” rule.
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Provider-managed server
A provider may map a public port to a private server port, reserve a port in a command center, or apply firewall rules automatically. Use the public or allocated port shown by the panel when configuring your client. Do not assume that the internal port displayed in a file is the same number clients on the internet should use unless the panel says so.
Multiple instances on one host
Every instance needs a distinct RCON port and a matching mapping. The setup reference illustrates instance assignments of 27020, 27021, and 27022. Its separate example also shows 32330 as a possible RCON port. These are examples, not a requirement to use those exact numbers. What matters is that no two instances listen on the same port and that each firewall or panel rule points to the correct instance.
Step 4: Apply the file and restart the server
- Save
GameUserSettings.iniwithout changing its filename or extension. - If a hosting panel has a separate save or apply control, use it after editing.
- Restart the ARK server. The settings are read when the server starts; changing the file while the process is running does not by itself prove that RCON has been enabled.
- Wait for the server to finish starting and confirm that it is the intended instance before testing.
If the server overwrites your edit on restart, check whether the panel uses a generated configuration, whether you edited the wrong instance, or whether the file was saved in the wrong location. Correct the source used by the host, then restart again.
Step 5: Configure an RCON client
In the RCON client, enter the server address reachable from your location, the selected TCP port, and the same administrator password stored in ServerAdminPassword. For a server on your local network, the reachable address may be private; for remote administration, use the public address and the provider’s public port mapping.
The available setup material does not establish a particular client, a universal client interface, or a guaranteed connection-test result. Client labels can differ, but the required information is the same: address, TCP port, and password. If a client asks whether the port is UDP or TCP, choose TCP.
Provider-specific workflow: Akliz example
Akliz’s ASE documentation describes a workflow for its customers. In its Command Center, the customer opens an RCON port using TCP, edits GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings], ensures ServerAdminPassword exists, sets RCONEnabled=True, assigns the allocated port to RCONPort, and restarts the server.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsUse those clicks only as a provider-specific example. Other hosts may expose different menus, require a separate port allocation, or handle public-to-private mapping differently. The example also describes the admin password as the RCON password for that platform; do not assume every host uses the same account arrangement. If the panel’s allocated port differs from 27020, use the allocated value consistently in the file, panel rule, and client.
Diagnose a connection that fails
Work from the server outward so that each check eliminates one class of failure. Make one change at a time and restart when a configuration change is involved.
The client times out
- Verify that the server process is running and that you restarted it after saving the file.
- Check that
RCONEnabledis exactlyTruein the active instance’s[ServerSettings]section. - Confirm that the client’s address is reachable from its network and that you are using the public address when connecting from outside the LAN.
- Check the operating-system firewall and router forwarding for an inbound TCP rule on the selected RCON port.
- If a provider is involved, confirm that the panel has allocated and mapped the port; a private listening port alone may not be publicly reachable.
The client reports an authentication failure
- Compare the password in the client with
ServerAdminPassword, including capitalization and any characters that may have been omitted while copying. - Make sure you edited the file for the correct server instance rather than a backup or another map.
- After correcting the password, save and restart before trying again.
A UDP rule was opened instead of TCP
Replace or add the rule as TCP on every layer: host firewall, router forwarding, and provider mapping. The RCON requirement is TCP; the game and query UDP ports do not accept that connection in its place.
Two servers interfere with each other
Inspect the port assignments for every instance. Assign a unique RCON port to each one, update its corresponding firewall or panel mapping, and connect each client profile to the matching address and port. The sample sequence 27020, 27021, and 27022 is useful for illustrating separation, but any unused, correctly routed ports can work.
The setting appears to have no effect
- Recheck the file path and operating-system/provider-specific directory.
- Confirm the entries are under
[ServerSettings]and are not duplicated later in the file. - Check whether the hosting panel regenerates the file from a separate settings page.
- Verify that the server is ASE, because the available references do not establish that these exact instructions carry over to ARK: Survival Ascended.
These checks follow from the documented requirements; they are not a claim that every RCON client or network behaves identically.
Security and ongoing administration
RCON exposes administrative capability over a network socket. Limit exposure to the networks that genuinely need access when your firewall or provider supports source restrictions, and avoid publishing the port and password together. Change the administrator password if it has been shared or stored insecurely, then update every authorized client. Keep a record of which instance owns each RCON port so that a maintenance change cannot be applied to the wrong server.
When changing ports, update the configuration and network mapping as one change, restart the affected instance, and then update the client profile. When migrating hosts, do not copy an old public address or assume the previous provider’s mapping still exists; confirm the new host’s allocated TCP port and file location.
Self-hosted versus provider-managed setup
| Decision point | Self-hosted server | Managed provider |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration location | You locate and edit the OS-specific GameUserSettings.ini. |
The panel may expose the file or a generated settings editor; the exact path is provider-specific. |
| Port exposure | You handle the host firewall and, where required, router forwarding. | The provider may allocate a public port and map it to the instance; follow the panel’s assignment. |
| Port collisions | You must reserve a unique TCP port for each instance. | The panel may reserve ports, but you still need to select the correct one in the file and client. |
| Restart control | You restart the server process yourself. | Use the provider’s restart control after saving; a file edit alone may not apply the change. |
Neither model changes the core sequence: enable RCON, provide the port and administrator password, make the TCP path reachable, restart, and connect.
Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The server is confirmed to be ARK: Survival Evolved.
- The active
GameUserSettings.inicontains one[ServerSettings]entry forRCONEnabled=True. RCONPortcontains the port actually assigned to this instance.ServerAdminPasswordis present, private, and matches the client credential.- The selected port is permitted as TCP by the host firewall, router, and provider mapping where applicable.
- No other instance on the same host uses that RCON port.
- The server was restarted after the edit.
- The RCON client uses the correct reachable address, TCP port, and password.
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