No One Survived Server Not Showing or Can't Connect: Fixes

If your No One Survived dedicated server does not appear in the Private Server search, the cause is almost always the search itself: it only matches the full server name, only looks in the region you pick, and the first visit to Private Server makes the game restart before the list works. If the server does appear but shows as a bare IP:Port with 2000 ping and 0/0 players, or you get thrown back to the menu when joining, the game port (UDP 7777) or query port (UDP 27015) is blocked. The steps below go from the quick checks to the network ones.

First, check the server is really up

Before touching anything on the client side, confirm the server finished starting. WRSHServer.exe is an Unreal Engine server and takes a little while to load the save. Look at the console or log for the world load to finish and for no crash or restart loop. If the server is restarting every minute, nobody will find it no matter what they type.

Two settings break startup outright:

• Steam Networking set to True. In Engine.ini this is bUseSteamNetworking under [OnlineSubsystemSteam]. Leave it False. With it on, the server fails to start.
• An empty or malformed Game.ini after a manual edit. If you edited the file while the server was running, it may have been overwritten or half saved. Stop the server, fix the file, then start it.

Fix 1: Search with the exact full name and region

The Private Server screen is a search, not a browser. It will not return partial matches.

1. Launch No One Survived and choose Multiplayer.
2. Pick or create a character and confirm.
3. Select Private Server.
4. Set the region to the same value the server uses (Region under [ServerSetting] in Game.ini: All, AF, AS, EU, NA, OC or SA).
5. Type the server name exactly as it appears in ServerName, then click Search.

"Riverside" will not find "Riverside Survivors". Capital letters, spaces and symbols all matter, so copy the name from the config and paste it to your group instead of typing it from memory. If the server registered in EU and a friend searches in NA, the server is invisible to them. All means the server is not registered in a region, and players should search with the same setting.

Fix 2: Do the Private Server restart once

The first time a player opens Private Server, the game asks to restart. A lot of people close that prompt, open the menu again and see an empty list. Accept the restart, then go back through Multiplayer, the character screen and Private Server. The search box and list only work after that restart. Each player does this once on their own PC.

Fix 3: The server shows as IP:Port with 2000 ping

When the result shows an address like 203.0.113.10:7777 instead of the name, ping 2000 and 0/0 players, the game found the server's registration but could not query it. Joining from that state either times out or sends you back to the main menu.

That means one of the two ports is not reaching the server:

On a home PC:

1. Forward UDP 7777 and UDP 27015 on the router to the server PC's local IP. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side.
2. Allow both server programs through Windows Defender Firewall. No One Survived runs two executables: WRSHServer.exe in the server root starts a second program inside WRSH\Binaries\Win64\. Players on the Steam forums fixed the IP:Port symptom by adding an inbound rule for the second one, which is easy to miss. Our Windows Firewall rules guide shows how.
3. Make sure nothing else on the PC uses 7777 or 27015. Another game server, an ARK or Conan install, or a second No One Survived server will grab the same ports.

If you changed the ports away from 7777 and 27015 and the list still misbehaves, players on older builds fixed it by adding the same values to the game's Steam launch options (right click No One Survived in Steam, Properties, Launch Options), for example -port=7778 -queryport=27016. Try it only if the defaults are not in use.

Fix 4: Friends can join but the host cannot

This one confuses people because it looks like a server problem. The dedicated server does not take LAN connections, so the PC on the same network as the server connects through your public address and back in. That needs NAT loopback (also called hairpinning or NAT reflection) on the router. Many ISP routers do not support it.

Your options:

• Turn on NAT loopback in the router settings if it has the option.
• Run the server somewhere else, so everyone, including you, connects over the internet.
• Accept that the host plays from a different network, which is rarely practical.

If nobody at all can join from outside, check whether you are behind carrier grade NAT. Port forwarding cannot work there. Our guide on how to tell if you are behind CGNAT walks through the check in a few minutes.

Fix 5: Password prompts and wrong password errors

Two settings control the password, and both have to be right:

[ServerSetting]
NeedPassword=True
Password=lanterns

If NeedPassword is False, the password is ignored and anyone with the name can walk in. If NeedPassword is True and Password is empty, players get stuck at the prompt. Passwords and names are limited to 32 characters. After changing either, restart the server.

Fix 6: Everyone was fine until a patch

When Cat Play Studio ships an update, players get it through Steam right away. A server that has not updated is now a different version and players either cannot find it or fail on join. Update the server (SteamCMD app 2329680) and restart. If a player opted into a beta in Steam, switch them back to the default branch so they match the server. The general version of this problem is in our game server version mismatch guide.

A quick checklist

Skipping the network part

Most of this article is about a home connection getting in the way. On a No One Survived server from GamezServers the server has its own address with the ports already open, so the IP:Port, loopback and CGNAT problems do not come up. Server name, region, password toggle, password, admin password and zombie count are fields in the panel, Steam Networking ships set to False, and Auto Update pulls the new build on every restart, so a patch day is one restart. Plans start at 8 GB for a few friends, and the group can split the bill.

If you later want to start over or roll back a bad night, see how to reset or restore a No One Survived server world. The full self hosting walkthrough is in how to host a No One Survived server.

FAQ

Why does my No One Survived server show 2000 ping?

The game can see that the server exists but cannot reach its query port. Open UDP 27015 and UDP 7777 to the server and allow both server executables through the firewall.

Can I search for part of the server name?

No. The Private Server search needs the complete name, in the region the server registered in. Share the exact name with your group.

Why can my friends join my server but I cannot?

You are on the same network as the server and your router does not support NAT loopback. Enable it if the router allows, or host the server outside your home network.

Does No One Survived have direct connect by IP?

The game's join flow is the Private Server search by name and region. Getting the name and region exactly right is the reliable way in.

Do I need to restart the game to see servers?

Yes, once. The first time you open Private Server the game restarts, and the list only works after you go back in.