Rust Server Not Showing in the Server List? Configure the Query Port

Rust uses separate ports for player connections and server-browser queries. server.port accepts player connections, while server.queryport allows services to query the server and is required for the server to appear in Rust's server browser.

Configure separate game and query ports

Launch the dedicated server with different values for the two ports. For example:

RustDedicated.exe -batchmode +server.port 28015 +server.queryport 28017 +server.hostname "My Rust Server"

The game and query ports cannot use the same number. Both ports use UDP and must be open and accessible.

If server.queryport is not set explicitly, Rust selects a port one number above whichever is greater: server.port or rcon.port. For example, when the game port is 28015 and the RCON port is 28016, the resulting query port is 28017.

RCON is a separate remote-administration service that uses TCP. Opening an RCON port does not replace making the UDP game and query ports accessible.

Wait for startup to finish

Server startup can take several minutes. The server console reports:

Server startup complete

when startup has finished and the server should accept connections.

Test a locally hosted server

If Rust and the dedicated server are running on the same computer, open Rust's F1 console and enter:

connect localhost:28015

Replace 28015 with the configured server.port. Rust also supports the general direct-connect form:

connect IP:Port

Verification checklist

• Wait for Server startup complete.
• Assign different values to server.port and server.queryport.
• Make both ports accessible over UDP.
• Use connect localhost:GAME_PORT to test a server hosted on the same computer.
• If server.queryport is automatic, account for both the game and RCON port values when determining which query port Rust selected.

For more server-administration guides like this one, you can follow sourced Rust coverage on TOP OF GAMES.