Project Zomboid Can't Connect to Server? Fixes That Work (B42)

If you can't connect to a Project Zomboid server, the cause is usually one of four things: the UDP ports are not reachable, your build does not match the server, a Workshop mod is out of date, or your account is rejected by a whitelist. Errors like "Connection failed", "Server did not respond" or getting stuck on "Getting server info" all point to these. Work through the checks below in order, they are sorted from most to least common.

Quick fix

1. Check the server is actually running and fully started.
2. Make sure you and the server are on the same build and branch (Build 42, or legacy41 for both).
3. Self hosting? Forward UDP 16261 and 16262, not TCP, and allow the server through the firewall.
4. Restart the server if a Workshop mod updated recently.
5. Toggle Use Steam Relay on the connection screen and try again.
6. On a whitelist server, make sure an admin added your account.

What the error messages mean

"Getting server info" is a stage label, not a diagnosis. It can hide any of the causes above, which is why the checks below go in order.

Check 1: Is the server fully up?

A Project Zomboid server takes a while to start, especially with a big mod list that has to download and load. Players who try too early sit on "Getting server info" or time out. Watch the server console until it reports the server has started, then connect.

Check 2: Same build and branch

The game and the server must run the same build. Build 42 has been the stable default since 29 July 2026, and Build 41 lives on the legacy41 branch.

• Your game: the build shows on the main menu. To change it, right click Project Zomboid in Steam, open Properties, then Betas.
• The server: installed with SteamCMD app 380870. Add -beta legacy41 to install Build 41, leave it off for Build 42. After a game update, stop the server, run the update, and start it again.

If one friend left an old beta selected in Steam, that alone blocks them.

Check 3: UDP ports (self hosting)

Project Zomboid uses UDP, and forwarding TCP does nothing for it. With default settings, forward these to the server's local IP:

If you changed either value in servertest.ini, forward the numbers you chose. Then allow Java or the server through Windows Defender Firewall or ufw. UPnP=true in the ini asks the router to open ports automatically, but many routers ignore it.

Test from outside your network. Many routers cannot connect to their own public IP from inside, so the host joining via the public IP fails even when forwarding is fine. The host should join with the local IP, friends with the public IP. Our port forwarding guide covers routers and CGNAT, where your ISP shares one public IP between many homes and forwarding cannot work at all.

Check 4: Workshop mods

When a mod updates on Steam, players get it straight away but the server keeps the old version until it restarts. Joining then fails with a mod error. Restart the server. If that does not help, follow our fix for workshop item version is different than server's.

Check 5: Steam relay

The connection screen has a Use Steam Relay option. Relay routes your connection through Steam's network, which helps behind strict NAT but can fail with VPNs or restrictive ISPs. Try it on, then off. Some players also have a matching Steam Relay Networking option in the game's settings. Turn off any VPN while testing.

Check 6: Account, password and whitelist

• On a server with Open=false, only accounts an admin created with adduser or addusertowhitelist can join.
• The username and password you typed the first time you joined became your account. Using a different password later fails.
• An admin can reset it with setpassword "name" "newpassword" in the console.
• Banned players are rejected as well. Check with the admin.

Check 7: Clear your saved server entry

If the server's IP or port changed, delete its entry in your favourites and add it again. Type the IP in the IP box and the port in the port box, not ip:port in one field.

Read the logs

Your own log is console.txt in the Zomboid folder: %UserProfile%\Zomboid\console.txt on Windows, ~/Zomboid/console.txt on Linux and macOS. Search it for "timeout", "version", "workshop", "whitelist" or "exception". The server has its own log with the same name in its Zomboid folder, and it usually says exactly why a player was rejected.

Skip the router entirely

Checks 3 and 5 exist because a home connection sits behind a router. A Project Zomboid server from GamezServers has its own address with no port forwarding, runs on dedicated hardware so the host's internet does not matter, and restarts from a button when mods update. Setup takes about a minute, see how to host a Project Zomboid server.

FAQ

Why does Project Zomboid say "Connection failed"?

The server did not answer. Usually UDP 16261 and 16262 are not forwarded, the IP or port is wrong, or the server is offline.

Why am I stuck on "Getting server info"?

The server is still starting, the UDP ports are blocked, your build differs, or the Steam relay is failing. Work through the checks above in order.

Can I host and join from the same PC?

Yes. Join with the local IP or 127.0.0.1 on the host PC. Friends use your public IP.

Do I need to forward TCP ports?

No. Project Zomboid game traffic is UDP.