Can't Join a Teeworlds Server? Fix 0.6, 0.7 and DDNet Mix Ups

When friends cannot see or join your Teeworlds server, the usual cause is that they are on a different branch of the game: the official 0.7 server only talks to 0.7 clients, older 0.6 clients cannot see it at all, and the DDNet client needs version 18.5 or later and a special address to reach it. After that, check sv_register, the UDP port and the password. Here is how to tell which problem you have and fix it.

Why this happens so often with Teeworlds

Teeworlds split into separate networks over the years. Official 0.6 and 0.7 use different network protocols and different server lists. DDraceNetwork (DDNet), the most active fork, grew out of 0.6 and runs its own list of thousands of race servers. Steam also offers DDNet as its own free game, separate from Teeworlds.

So two friends can both say "I have Teeworlds" and be looking at completely different server lists. Nothing on your server is broken, they just cannot see each other's world.

Step 1: Find out what everyone is running

Ask each player to check:

The version is shown in the bottom corner of the main menu in official Teeworlds and under the settings in DDNet.

Fix 1: Put everyone on 0.7

The simplest fix is for everyone to install the official 0.7 client, from Steam or teeworlds.com. It is free, it runs next to DDNet without conflict, and it sees your server in its own list.

If your group really wants 0.6 (for an old mod, for example), you need a 0.6 server instead. A 0.7 server cannot be made to accept 0.6 clients.

Fix 2: DDNet players connecting to a 0.7 server

DDNet added support for joining 0.7 servers in version 18.5. Two catches:

• Your server will not show in DDNet's normal server list, which lists DDNet and 0.6 style servers.
• A plain connect ip:port makes DDNet try its own protocol. To join a 0.7 server, open the F1 console and use the 0.7 address form, for example connect tw-0.7+udp://203.0.113.10:8303.

Some features look slightly different through DDNet, so if one DDNet player has odd problems the others do not, have them try the official client.

Fix 3: The server is hidden on purpose

If the server is up but missing from every list, check autoexec.cfg:

sv_register 1

sv_register 0 keeps it off the master server list. That is a fine setup for a private group, but then everyone must connect by address:

1. Press F1 in game to open the console.
2. If there is a password, type password yourpassword first.
3. Type connect 203.0.113.10:8303 with your server's address and port.

Also allow a minute after start. The server sends heartbeats to the master servers and players' lists refresh on their own schedule. Refresh the Internet tab before deciding it is missing.

Fix 4: The port is not reachable

Teeworlds uses UDP only, 8303 by default.

• On a home server, forward UDP 8303 in the router to the PC running teeworlds_srv and allow it through the firewall. A TCP rule does nothing.
• Running two servers on one machine? Each needs its own sv_port.
• If the router maps a different outside port, set sv_external_port to it so the list shows the right one.
• Behind carrier grade NAT, no port forward can work. Our port forwarding guide shows how to check.

A good test is to connect by address yourself from outside your network, for example from a phone hotspot. If that fails too, it is the port, not the version.

Fix 5: Full, password or banned

If players see the server but get kicked straight back:

• Wrong or missing password. Set it in the F1 console with password ... before connecting, or enter it when the browser asks.
• Server full. sv_max_clients counts everyone, spectators included. Raise it if a full lobby turns people away.
• Too many from one IP. sv_max_clients_per_ip defaults to 4. Friends at one house or LAN party hit it fast.
• Banned. A failed rcon login three times bans that IP for a few minutes by default (sv_rcon_max_tries, sv_rcon_bantime). Check the server console for a ban line, and use status and the ban list in rcon to clear it.

Fix 6: Stuck downloading the map

A player who freezes on a loading bar is downloading your custom map. Large custom maps take a while for every new player. Check the map is in the server's maps folder and in sv_maprotation, keep custom maps reasonably small, and if needed raise sv_map_download_speed (up to 16).

Quick symptom table

A server that is just reachable

Fixes 3 and 4 disappear on a hosted server. A Teeworlds server on GamezServers runs the official 0.7 build with its own public address, so there is no router to configure, and you edit autoexec.cfg in the file manager. It also stays up when your PC is off, which suits a group that drops in at random times. For every setting in that file, see our autoexec.cfg guide, and for doing it all yourself, how to host a Teeworlds server.

FAQ

Can Teeworlds 0.6 players join a 0.7 server?

No. 0.6 and 0.7 use different network protocols and server lists. Everyone needs the 0.7 client.

Can I join a Teeworlds 0.7 server with DDNet?

DDNet 18.5 and later can, by address from the F1 console using the tw-0.7+udp:// form. Older DDNet versions cannot.

Why can't anyone see my Teeworlds server in the list?

Check that sv_register is 1, UDP 8303 (or your port) is open, and players are on the 0.7 client and looking at the Internet tab.

How do I join a Teeworlds server by IP?

Press F1, type connect address:port and press Enter. Set password first if the server has one.