If Vintage Story cannot connect to the master server, first determine whether the problem affects the public server list or only one server. A blank or timing-out list usually points to your client firewall or client settings. A failure involving one friend’s server is more often caused by that host’s address, port forwarding, firewall, whitelist, game version, or mods. Test another server before changing anything; that single check prevents most troubleshooting detours.
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Master-server failure or one-server failure?
Vintage Story uses a master server to publish multiplayer listings. The master server is not the same machine as the game server you eventually join. Your client first retrieves a list; when you select an entry, it then connects to that server’s IP address and port. These are separate network paths, so a working list does not prove that every listed server is reachable, and a failed list does not prove that a friend’s server is offline.
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| What you observe | Most likely area | Who can fix it |
|---|---|---|
| The public list is blank or times out | Client firewall, clientsettings.json, master-server URL, or request timeout |
You, on the affected computer |
| The list works, but one server fails | Server address, host IP, port forwarding, host firewall, whitelist, password, version, or mods | The server operator, sometimes with your client changes |
| LAN play works but Internet play fails | Router reachability, carrier-grade NAT, UPnP, or WAN firewall | The host and Internet service provider |
| A modded server alone fails | Different game version or incompatible mod set | Player and server operator together |
1. Test the scope before editing files
- Start Vintage Story and try another multiplayer entry, including the Official Public Test Server if it is available in your list.
- If another server opens, your Internet connection and basic client access are probably working. Ask the target operator to verify the server address, current public IP, port, whitelist, password, game version, and mods.
- If no public entries load, continue with the client-side checks below.
- If you are the operator, have a second person try the server from outside your home network. A test from the same LAN can succeed even when Internet port forwarding is broken.
Do not treat the phrase “master server” in every error as proof that the central listing service is down. A direct-connection error can be generated after the listing step, when your client is attempting to reach the selected game server.
2. Allow the client through your firewall
The official multiplayer troubleshooting guidance says that the firewall must not block Internet access for Vintagestory.exe. Check both private and public network profiles when your operating system offers separate checkboxes. A reinstall may leave an old blocked rule in place, so reinstalling alone is not a reliable firewall fix.
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Windows checks
- Open Windows Security and choose Firewall & network protection.
- Select Allow an app through firewall, then Change settings.
- Find the Vintage Story executable and allow it on the network profiles you actually use. If it is missing, use Allow another app and browse to the game’s
Vintagestory.exe. - Save the rule, restart the game, and test the server list again.
Third-party security suites can maintain their own application-control rules. Temporarily pausing such a suite is useful only as a short diagnostic; create a specific allow rule rather than leaving protection disabled. If the list works only while protection is paused, restore protection and correct that application rule.
3. Inspect the client settings that control the list request
Vintage Story stores client preferences in %appdata%VintagestoryDataclientsettings.json on Windows. Close the game before editing the file and make a backup copy first. JSON syntax is strict: preserve braces, commas, quotation marks, and capitalization.
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A Vintage Story forum troubleshooting reply identifies this value as the expected endpoint:
"masterserverUrl": "https://masterserver.vintagestory.at/api/v1/servers/"
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Keep the trailing slash. If the key is present with a different address, correct it, save the file, and relaunch Vintage Story. Forum advice is a practical report rather than a guarantee that every list problem has this cause.
Allow more time for a slow response
Forum users have reported that increasing webRequestTimeout allows the full server list to finish downloading when the default request period expires. The setting is useful when the list eventually appears after a long delay or when a slower connection fails consistently at the same point. Increase it conservatively and change one setting at a time so you can identify the effect; a longer timeout cannot repair a blocked firewall, an invalid URL, or a disconnected service.
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The official guide suggests deleting %appdata%VintagestoryDataclientsettings.json and restarting the game. Before doing so, copy the file somewhere safe. Resetting it removes or restores more than the server endpoint: saved servers, keybinds, graphics choices, and other client preferences can return to defaults. Re-enter your preferred settings only after confirming that the list works with a clean file.
4. Match the game version and mod set
Both sides must run compatible Vintage Story versions. A server can appear in the list yet reject a connection when its game build differs from the client. Check the exact version shown by the launcher or main menu and ask the operator which version the server is running; “both are on the same major release” is not enough if a point release changed compatibility.
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Use a minimal mod test
- Back up your current mod folder and note which mods the server requires.
- Disable optional client mods and attempt the connection again.
- If you control the server, test with only the vanilla Survival, Creative, and Essential mods recommended in the troubleshooting guidance.
- Add the required mods back in small groups until the failing set is identified.
Do not copy a server’s entire mod folder blindly between installations. Mods can have client-only, server-only, or matching-version requirements. A failure limited to one modded server is evidence for version or mod alignment, not automatically a master-server outage.
5. Fix a single server that will not accept you
Verify the address and current host IP
Ask the operator to send the current address exactly as displayed by the server setup. Home Internet connections may receive a new public IP after a modem restart, lease renewal, or service change. If the server worked previously and suddenly stopped, checking the host’s current public IP is one of the fastest tests. An old saved entry can continue pointing to an address that no longer belongs to the host.
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The host computer must allow Vintage Story’s incoming traffic, not merely outgoing traffic. Permit the game or dedicated-server process in the operating system firewall and in any security product installed on the host. If the error changes from a timeout to an immediate refusal after a rule change, that is useful evidence that the host firewall was involved.
Check the whitelist and password
A reachable server can still deny a player because the account is not on its whitelist or because the password is wrong. Have the operator confirm the exact player name, capitalization, and password policy. These checks matter only after the network path reaches the server; they will not fix a timeout caused by an unreachable port.
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6. Understand “host has failed to respond” and “actively refused”
The Vintage Story Wiki describes a failed connection as one in which the connected party did not respond in time, or the connected host failed to respond. In practical terms, that message usually indicates an unreachable host, incorrect or changed IP, missing port forwarding, or a firewall silently dropping traffic.
“Host has actively refused” commonly means that a firewall or another network rule rejected the connection immediately. It can also occur when no Vintage Story server is listening on the specified port. Confirm that the server process is running, the address is current, and the host firewall permits it.
Neither message by itself proves which device is at fault. Compare results from a player outside the host’s network, verify the server process is listening, and check router and firewall logs when available.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Make a home server reachable from the Internet
Vintage Story documents TCP and UDP port 42420 as the default for multiplayer hosting. Both protocols matter; forwarding only one can produce inconsistent or failed connections. The host also needs a stable local address so a router rule does not point to the wrong computer after a DHCP change.
Try the built-in Internet option first
- Start the world or server you want to share.
- Choose the game’s Open to Internet option.
- Allow the operating-system firewall prompt for Vintage Story.
- Give the generated address to a player outside your LAN and test.
The Vintage Story Wiki estimates that this UPnP-based setup works instantly about 60% of the time (page accessed 2026). That figure is a setup-success estimate, not a measurement of how often master-server errors occur. UPnP can fail when the router disables it, the ISP blocks inbound connections, or another device controls the gateway.
Forward the ports manually when UPnP fails
- Give the host computer a reserved DHCP lease or static private address, such as the address shown in its network settings.
- Sign in to the router and create one forwarding rule for TCP port
42420to that private address. - Create a separate forwarding rule for UDP port
42420to the same address. The multiplayer troubleshooting guidance specifically recommends separate TCP and UDP permissions. - Allow the same traffic through the host operating-system firewall.
- Restart the server, then test from a different Internet connection rather than from inside the same LAN.
Router interfaces use different names—port forwarding, virtual server, or NAT rules—but the required destination is the host’s private address and the documented port is 42420. Do not forward ports to the router’s public address or to a computer that is not running Vintage Story.
When forwarding cannot work
Some ISPs place customers behind carrier-grade NAT, which prevents unsolicited inbound connections even when your router appears correctly configured. A shared apartment network, mobile broadband plan, or double-NAT arrangement can create the same symptom. Ask the ISP whether the connection has a publicly reachable IPv4 address, or use a VPN-based virtual LAN or managed Vintage Story server instead. Those alternatives change the network path rather than endlessly adjusting the same router rule.
8. Choose the least complex hosting method that fits
| Method | Best for | Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAN session | Players on the same home network | No public port forwarding | Unavailable to ordinary Internet players; host must remain in session |
| Open to Internet with UPnP | Quick experiments when the router supports UPnP | Minimal manual configuration | Depends on UPnP and ISP reachability; not guaranteed |
| Manual TCP/UDP forwarding | A stable home server with router access | Direct control and no hosting fee | Requires firewall, router, IP, and NAT maintenance |
| Dedicated server at home | An always-on world with hardware and bandwidth available | Separates the world from a player’s desktop session | Still requires Internet reachability and ongoing updates |
| Managed Vintage Story server | Hosts blocked by router, ISP, power, or administration limits | Provider handles the public network endpoint and server uptime | Recurring cost and dependence on the provider; verify version and mod support |
The official setup documentation describes both dedicated servers and paid hosts. A managed Vintage Story server is a reasonable fallback when you cannot obtain a reachable public address or do not want to maintain forwarding and firewall rules. It is a hosting choice, not a repair to the central master server, and no particular provider is endorsed by Vintage Story in the available guidance.
9. A fast recovery sequence
- List fails for everyone: check
Vintagestory.exefirewall access, then inspectmasterserverUrlandwebRequestTimeout. - List fails only on one computer: reset that computer’s client settings after making a backup; do not change the server first.
- Only one server fails: verify its current IP or hostname, port, whitelist, password, version, and mods with the operator.
- “Host has failed to respond”: inspect TCP and UDP 42420 forwarding, host IP changes, UPnP status, and both firewalls.
- “Host has actively refused”: confirm that the server process is running and listening, then review the host firewall and router rejection rules.
- Home hosting remains unreachable: check for double NAT or carrier-grade NAT and consider a VPN-based LAN or managed hosting.
No authoritative study establishes how frequently this exact master-server error occurs. Treat the message as a symptom and use the scope test to identify whether the corrective action belongs on the client, the target host, or the network between them.
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