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What port does a Nitrox Subnautica server use?
The official Nitrox hosting instruction states: “Nitrox uses port 11000 UDP.” That is the default port and protocol for a normally configured Nitrox server. UDP is not the same as TCP: a router rule limited to TCP 11000 will not satisfy the official default setup.
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Container deployment examples can expose both TCP and UDP 11000, but the standard hosting instruction specifically identifies UDP. Unless you have deliberately changed the server configuration or are following a deployment method with its own requirements, create a UDP rule for port 11000.
The port number identifies the network entry point; it does not by itself determine which address players should enter. The correct address depends on whether a player is on the same LAN as the host, is the host computer itself, or is connecting over the internet.
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Which IP address should players use?
The host’s own game
When the person running the server also launches a Nitrox client on that computer, use the “My server” or localhost route described in the Nitrox documentation. The loopback address is 127.0.0.1, also called localhost. This traffic does not need to leave the computer or pass through the router’s public address.
Players on the same home network
Friends connected to the same router should use the host computer’s LAN address, such as the private address displayed in the server window. The exact private address varies by network and may change if the router assigns addresses automatically. Give LAN players the local address shown by Nitrox rather than the public address intended for remote connections.
Players connecting over the internet
Remote players need the address that the Nitrox server window identifies for port-forwarded connections. The host should copy that externally usable address and give it to the remote players. They open Multiplayer in the Nitrox launcher, add the server IP or address, and connect.
Do not assume that the host’s local address, 127.0.0.1, or an address copied from a different network is usable from the internet. A remote player must reach the router’s public side, which then forwards the selected UDP port to the host computer.
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How port forwarding works for Nitrox
A port-forwarding rule tells the router where to send incoming traffic. For the default configuration, the rule receives UDP traffic on external port 11000 and sends it to UDP port 11000 on the host computer’s LAN IP. The host computer must keep that LAN IP, or the rule can eventually point at the wrong device.
Router menus differ by manufacturer and firmware. Look for a section named Port Forwarding, NAT, Virtual Server, or a similar term. The labels can vary, but the values you need are consistent:
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- Protocol: UDP.
- External/WAN port: 11000.
- Internal/LAN port: 11000.
- Destination device or internal IP: the LAN IP of the computer running the Nitrox server.
- Enabled: turn the rule on and save the router configuration.
If you configure a custom Nitrox port, replace 11000 with that port in the server configuration, router rule, firewall rule, and the address supplied to players. A mixed setup—for example, a server listening on one port while the router forwards another—will fail even if the rule appears enabled.
Step-by-step: host a Nitrox server for internet players
- Start the launcher with administrator rights. Open Nitrox Launcher as an administrator, then start the server. Keep the server process running while friends connect.
- Read the server window. Nitrox displays the local address and the address intended for friends reaching the host through port forwarding. Record both so you can distinguish LAN and internet connections.
- Reserve or identify the host’s LAN IP. Use the address shown for the server computer as the destination in the router rule. If your router supports a DHCP reservation, reserving that address helps prevent the forwarding rule from becoming stale after a reboot; the exact reservation controls depend on the router.
- Create the forwarding rule. In the router’s Port Forwarding, NAT, or Virtual Server area, forward UDP 11000 to the host computer’s LAN IP on UDP port 11000. Save and enable the rule.
- Allow the applications through the firewall. Create firewall exceptions for
Subnautica.exeandNitroxServer-Subnautica.exe. The official guidance calls out both files when blocked connections occur. Apply the rule to the network profiles you actually use, following your operating system’s firewall prompts. - Share the right address. Send remote players the externally reachable address displayed by the server window. Send same-LAN players the host’s local IP instead.
- Have players add the server. In the Nitrox launcher, players open Multiplayer, add the supplied server address, and connect while the server remains running.
Only the host needs to configure the router and host firewall. Each player still needs a working Nitrox installation and must enter the address appropriate to their location.
UPnP, manual forwarding, or a VPN?
Nitrox’s homepage advertises automatic UPnP port forwarding, which can open the required mapping without manually entering a router rule. UPnP depends on router support and on UPnP being enabled and permitted on the network. If automatic mapping succeeds, the server can be reachable without a hand-created forwarding entry.
When UPnP fails, manual forwarding is the direct alternative. A VPN is another alternative when router access is unavailable or inbound internet connections are restricted. The sources establish these as alternatives, not as a measured performance ranking; there is no authoritative latency, bandwidth, or connection-success comparison to apply universally.
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| Method | Router compatibility | Inbound exposure | Setup burden | What players need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPnP | Requires a router and network that support and allow UPnP | Creates an automatic port mapping when successful | Lowest when it works; no manual rule entry | Use the address supplied by the host; no separate VPN client is required |
| Manual forwarding | Works when the router permits an explicit NAT/forwarding rule | Exposes the selected UDP port on the public side of the router | Enter and maintain the rule, host IP, and firewall exceptions | Use the host-provided externally reachable address |
| VPN | Useful when forwarding or UPnP is unavailable, subject to the VPN’s network design | Can avoid opening a public inbound port, depending on the VPN arrangement | Every participant may need the same VPN software and network setup | Install and join the VPN network, then use the address provided for that network |
Choose the simplest method that your network supports. If you use manual forwarding, disable or remove obsolete mappings when changing the server port or moving the server to another computer.
Firewall exceptions for Nitrox
A router rule cannot overcome a host firewall that rejects the incoming connection. The official Nitrox guidance specifically says to create exceptions for Subnautica.exe and NitroxServer-Subnautica.exe when you or other players cannot connect.
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Allowing the executable is preferable to opening every port on the computer. If the firewall asks whether to permit the application on private or public networks, select the profile that matches the network on which you are hosting, while following your security policy. Recheck the exception after a game update or a change in the executable location, because an update can cause the firewall to treat the program as a new application.
Changing the default port
Deployment documentation describes port 11000 as configurable in server.cfg. A custom port can be useful when another service already uses 11000 or when your network plan requires a different mapping, but changing one setting is not enough.
- Set the chosen port in the Nitrox server configuration.
- Forward that same port as UDP on the router to the host computer.
- Permit the corresponding traffic in the host firewall and ensure both Nitrox executables are allowed.
- Give players the address and port information expected by the Nitrox launcher.
- Remove or disable an old 11000 rule if it points at the wrong machine or is no longer needed.
Every component must agree on the custom value. If the server listens on a custom port but the router still forwards UDP 11000, outside players will be sent to the wrong destination.
Nitrox port-forwarding troubleshooting
| Symptom | Checks to make |
|---|---|
| Remote players cannot connect | Confirm the server is running; verify that UDP 11000, or the configured custom port, forwards to the correct LAN IP; and check exceptions for both Subnautica.exe and NitroxServer-Subnautica.exe. |
| LAN play works but internet play does not | Recheck the router forwarding rule, the public address being shared, the host firewall, and any ISP-level inbound restriction. A successful LAN test does not prove that the public mapping works. |
| The host connects but friends cannot | The host may be using localhost while friends need the externally reachable address shown for port-forwarded connections. Replace the address shared with the one displayed by the server window. |
| UPnP did not open the port | Confirm that the router supports and permits UPnP. If automatic mapping still fails, create a manual UDP rule or use a VPN-based alternative. |
| A custom-port setup fails | Compare the port in server.cfg, the router’s external and internal fields, the firewall rule, and the connection details entered by players. One inconsistent value is enough to block access. |
Check the destination computer
Make sure the forwarding rule targets the computer actually running NitroxServer-Subnautica.exe, not another desktop, console, or an old LAN address. If the host’s private address changed, update the router rule or use a DHCP reservation.
Check the address type
Use the local IP for a player inside the LAN, localhost for the host’s own client, and the server window’s externally usable address for an internet player. Testing with the wrong address can look like a port failure even when the server and forwarding rule are correct.
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If the rule and firewall are correct but no internet player can connect, the public address or the internet service may restrict unsolicited inbound traffic. The Nitrox guidance specifically highlights forwarding and firewall checks; an ISP-level restriction may require help from the provider or a VPN alternative.
What the Nitrox port number does—and does not—tell you
UDP 11000 identifies the default network port; it does not establish a published player limit, bandwidth requirement, latency target, or connection-success rate. No authoritative figure for those performance measures is established here, so hosts should not infer capacity or expected latency from the port number alone.
The practical requirement is consistency: run the server, expose the correct UDP port through the chosen method, allow the two named executables through the host firewall, and distribute the address that matches each player’s network location.
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