PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf your Satisfactory server is missing, first determine whether you are trying to join a Friends Only session or a dedicated server. Friends Only sessions are joined from the Join Game menu by friends; dedicated servers are added and managed in the in-game Server Manager. For a current dedicated server, confirm that the process is running, listening on the expected interface, and reachable through 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP, and 8888/TCP. Since Patch 1.1.0.0, forwarding only port 7777 can make a server appear in a list while joins hang indefinitely.
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Start with the session type
The correct fix depends on how the world is hosted. A peer-hosted Friends Only session does not use the same public-server workflow as a dedicated server. Applying dedicated-server port-forwarding rules to a Friends Only game can waste time and send you toward the wrong router settings.
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In a Friends Only session, one player’s game acts as the host. Friends join through the game’s Join Game menu. There is no separate FactoryServer process to monitor and no dedicated-server port map to configure. If friends cannot join, begin with the host’s game session, platform presence settings, local firewall and whether the host remains in the world. A dedicated-server troubleshooting procedure will not repair a peer-hosted session.
Dedicated servers
A dedicated server runs separately from the client and is managed through Satisfactory’s in-game Server Manager. It must have a running server process, listening sockets, reachable network interfaces and matching firewall and router rules. The checks below apply to this arrangement.
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Use a five-minute triage sequence
Work from the server outward. This prevents changing router settings when the process is actually stopped, and it distinguishes a local failure from an Internet-path failure.
- Confirm the process. Make sure the dedicated server is running and has not crashed.
- Confirm listeners. Verify that the configured ports are bound to the expected interface and are not occupied by another instance.
- Confirm the three current default flows. Unless you changed the configuration, test 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP.
- Confirm the host firewall. Permit the server executable and the required protocols.
- Test locally, then remotely. A successful LAN test followed by a failed Internet test points to NAT, CGNAT, ISP filtering or an upstream firewall.
Make sure the server process is actually running
The official dedicated-server troubleshooting guidance identifies a stopped or crashed process as the simplest reason a connection fails. Check the machine that runs the server, not the computer from which you are trying to join.
Windows process check
Open Task Manager and look for the server process. You can also use an elevated Command Prompt and run:
tasklist | find "FactoryServer.exe"If the command returns no process, start the dedicated server and watch its console for startup errors. If it starts and then disappears, treat that as a crash or configuration failure before changing any network rules. Restarting the process after correcting a setting is useful, but repeatedly restarting a process that immediately exits will not make the server visible.
Linux process check
On Linux, use the process check documented for your Satisfactory server installation and verify that the server process remains present after startup. A process that is absent, repeatedly restarting or terminating under a service manager cannot accept connections, regardless of port-forwarding.
Verify listening ports and interface binding
A running process is not enough. It must be listening on the ports you expect, and it must be bound to an interface reachable by clients.
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Check the configured port, not just the default
The default dedicated-server flows are 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP. If the launch configuration uses -Port= or a reliable-port parameter, the server may use different values. Read the actual configuration or launch arguments and use those values consistently in the server, host firewall and router. Testing 7777 while the instance is configured for another port produces a false diagnosis.
Check the bind address
The listener should be attached to 0.0.0.0, *, :: or the intended LAN address, depending on the operating system’s display format and your configuration. A listener bound only to loopback or an unrelated adapter can be visible to the host itself while remaining unreachable to other devices.
If the machine has several network adapters, identify which address belongs to the LAN used by players. A VPN, virtual machine adapter or second physical interface can cause the process to bind somewhere other than the address your router forwards to.
Look for multiple server instances
Running more than one instance can create a subtle failure. One process may hold the preferred port while another starts on a different available port. The server you see in a manager or browser may therefore not be the instance you intended to expose. Stop duplicate processes, start one instance, and verify its listeners again.
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Open all three required default flows
Patch 1.1.0.0 changed the practical port checklist for current dedicated servers. The server uses 7777 for server traffic, its HTTPS API and game traffic, while 8888 carries reliable messaging. Both transport protocols on 7777 matter.
| Port | Protocol | Function | Default status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7777 | TCP | Server traffic and HTTPS API | Required by the default configuration |
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic and lightweight query | Required by the default configuration |
| 8888 | TCP | Reliable messaging | Required since Patch 1.1.0.0 |
A common migration mistake is to keep an older rule that forwards only 7777. That can leave the server discoverable while the join never completes because reliable messaging on 8888/TCP is blocked. Permit and forward the matching TCP or UDP flow at every layer.
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Match router forwarding to the server’s current LAN address
Port forwarding is valid only when it points to the machine currently running FactoryServer. Routers usually forward to an internal address such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. If that address changed because of DHCP, the rule can remain present but send traffic to the wrong device.
Correct the destination
- Identify the server host’s current LAN IP address.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding or virtual-server page.
- Create or edit rules for 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP.
- Set the destination of every rule to the server host’s current LAN IP.
- Use the server’s configured port values if you changed them from the defaults.
- Save the rules and restart the server process if the host or configuration changed.
Keep the external and internal port values aligned unless you have a deliberate translation design. If you translate to another internal port, the destination must match what the server actually listens on, and the same translated value must be allowed by the host firewall.
When the server works on LAN but not from the Internet
LAN success proves that the process, local interface and at least part of the host firewall path work. An external failure then points beyond the server process: a wrong forwarding destination, an upstream router, carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), ISP filtering or another firewall in front of the host.
CGNAT is especially important because the router may not possess a directly reachable public IPv4 address. In that situation, a port-forwarding rule on your own router cannot accept unsolicited Internet traffic from players. Check whether the router’s Internet-facing address matches the address reported by an external service; if they differ because of an ISP’s shared address layer, ask the ISP about a public address or use a hosting arrangement that supplies reachable networking.
Allow the server through the host firewall and antivirus
The operating-system firewall must allow inbound traffic for the server executable and for each required port and protocol. Permit both TCP and UDP on 7777, plus TCP on 8888, unless your configured values differ.
Windows firewall and security software
Create inbound allowances for the dedicated-server executable and the required port flows. If Windows reports a strict or TBD NAT state, the official support guidance recommends resetting the firewall and allowing the game executable through antivirus or Windows Defender. A security product can block the process even when the Windows firewall rule looks correct, so check its network-protection or application-control log as well.
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Linux firewall
Apply equivalent inbound rules in the firewall used by the distribution, and make sure the service is allowed on the interface connected to the player LAN. A rule that permits loopback or a management interface but denies the LAN interface can produce a server that appears healthy from the host while remaining invisible to other devices.
Do not disable protection permanently
Temporarily testing with a controlled firewall change can isolate a rule problem, but restore protection and create a narrow executable and port exception after the test. Exposing unrelated services or opening broad port ranges makes the diagnosis less reliable and increases attack surface.
Test from the same LAN before testing the Internet
Use two tests in order. First, connect from another device on the same LAN. Second, switch that device to an external network, such as mobile data or a different Internet connection.
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- Works on LAN, fails on Internet: investigate forwarding, CGNAT, ISP filtering and upstream firewalls.
- Works externally but not for one player: that player’s network, local firewall or NAT may be the limiting path.
- Server appears but joining hangs: verify 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP end to end, not only discovery on 7777.
Run the tests while the server process is running. A port can look closed simply because nothing is listening at the moment of the check.
Verify reachability from outside
The official wiki suggests using nmap and online port-checking services while the server is active. Treat web checkers carefully: many test TCP only and cannot prove that 7777/UDP is reachable. Check 7777/TCP and 8888/TCP with a TCP-capable test, and use an appropriate UDP test or an actual game connection for the UDP path.
An external result is meaningful only when all of these conditions hold:
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- The dedicated-server process is running continuously.
- The test targets the current public address.
- The router forwards to the server’s current LAN address.
- The tested port matches the configured port.
- The host firewall and any upstream firewall permit the same protocol.
If a checker reports 7777/TCP open but the game still hangs, that result does not clear 7777/UDP or 8888/TCP. Discovery and the completed join use more than one flow.
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Fix strict or TBD NAT status
Strict or TBD NAT usually means that the client cannot establish the network paths expected for the session. For a dedicated server, treat the status as a symptom rather than proof of one specific cause.
- Confirm the dedicated process is running.
- Reset the host firewall if its rules may be corrupted.
- Allow the game or server executable through antivirus and Windows Defender.
- Confirm router mappings for 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP.
- Check that mappings target the current LAN address.
- Test from LAN and an external network.
- Investigate CGNAT or an ISP restriction if LAN works but Internet access does not.
pfSense-specific outbound mapping
On pfSense, users may need Hybrid or Manual outbound NAT mapping when the default outbound mode does not produce the required return path. Choose the mode only after confirming the server and inbound rules; changing outbound NAT cannot repair a stopped process or a missing inbound forward. Apply the mapping to the correct internal host and retest from an external network.
Read the symptom before changing settings
| Observed symptom | First check | Likely action |
|---|---|---|
| Server absent everywhere | Process and listener state | Start or restart the dedicated server and verify that the expected port is bound. |
| Visible on LAN, absent from the Internet | NAT and an external test | Correct the LAN destination IP and investigate CGNAT or ISP restrictions. |
| Appears in a list, but joining hangs | 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP | Forward and allow both flows from the public edge to the host. |
| Strict or TBD NAT | Firewall, antivirus and router NAT | Reset the firewall, allow the executable and correct the NAT mappings; pfSense may require Hybrid or Manual outbound mapping. |
| Only the host can see it | LAN firewall and interface binding | Confirm the process listens on the LAN interface and permit inbound LAN traffic. |
Recover after changing ports or updating
Port changes and game updates often leave one layer behind. Use this order to avoid mixing old and new values:
- Record the server’s effective launch arguments and configuration.
- Write down the actual TCP and UDP listeners shown by the host.
- Remove obsolete router rules that point to an old address or port.
- Create matching rules for the configured TCP and UDP flows.
- Update host-firewall allowances to the same values.
- Restart the server and confirm that it binds successfully.
- Run one LAN test and one external test.
Do not assume that a successful update preserved the old network requirements. Patch 1.1.0.0 specifically made 8888/TCP part of the default reliable-messaging path, so an older 7777-only setup needs an additional rule.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting for this problem
If repeated Internet-side failures come from CGNAT, ISP filtering or complex firewall administration, managed hosting can remove some network constraints. It does not automatically solve every compatibility issue. Evaluate the choice using the networking facts established for the current server branch.
| Decision factor | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall and file control | Direct control of the machine, firewall and server files | Depends on the provider’s control panel and support policy |
| Port configuration | You can choose and map configured ports directly | Provider must expose or support the required TCP and UDP flows |
| CGNAT or ISP exposure | Can be blocked by CGNAT, ISP filtering or upstream NAT | Often avoids a home connection’s inbound-reachability limits, subject to provider design |
| Maintenance burden | You maintain updates, process restarts, firewall and backups | Some operational work may be delegated, but policies vary |
| Compatibility | You control the exact Satisfactory branch and configuration | Confirm that the provider supports the current branch and all required TCP/UDP flows |
| Cost and performance | Depends on your hardware, power and connection | Prices and performance vary; verify them separately before choosing |
Whichever model you choose, a provider that exposes only TCP is insufficient for the default dedicated-server arrangement because 7777/UDP carries game traffic.
When to stop troubleshooting the router
Stop changing router rules when the evidence points elsewhere. If the process is not running, fix startup or crashes. If listeners are bound only to the wrong interface, correct binding. If LAN connections fail, focus on the host firewall and local network. If LAN succeeds but every external test fails and the router has no directly reachable public address, the remaining constraint is likely CGNAT or ISP policy rather than a missing Satisfactory setting.
The reliable path is therefore procedural: identify the session type, prove the process exists, prove the listeners, open the current three flows, align every rule with the host’s present LAN address, and separate LAN results from Internet results. That sequence explains both a server that never appears and one that appears but never finishes joining.
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