Server Not Showing in Community List Print

If your Rust server is online but doesn’t appear in the in-game community server list, this guide will help you fix visibility issues. Follow each step carefully using your FinnishHost Game Panel.

Step 1: Verify the Server Is Running

Log in to your FinnishHost panel and check that your server status shows Online. If it says Stopped or Starting, click Start and wait until the Web Console confirms the server is ready.

Step 2: Check the Server Configuration

Open Configuration Files → server.cfg and confirm these settings exist:

server.hostname "My Rust Server"
server.identity "my_server_identity"
server.level "Procedural Map"
server.url ""
server.headerimage ""

• server.hostname — must be unique and non-empty.
• server.identity — should not contain spaces or special characters.
• server.level — should be valid, such as Procedural Map or Barren.

Save the file and restart the server after editing.

Step 3: Check for sv_lan and Visibility Settings

Open your server.cfg or command line and confirm the following line is set:

sv_lan 0

If this is missing or set to 1, your server will only be visible locally and won’t appear online.

Also verify that server.secure is enabled (default):

server.secure 1

Step 4: Make Sure the Server Is Tagged Correctly

Rust servers missing gameplay tags may fail to show under the correct filter category. In your server.cfg, add the following line if not already present:

server.tags "modded,vanilla,pvp"

These tags help the Rust browser index your server properly. Restart the server after editing tags.

Step 5: Check Ports and Firewalls

All hosted Rust servers require the following ports to be open:

UDP 28015 (Game)
TCP 28015 (Query)
UDP 28016 (RCON)

These are automatically managed on our systems, but if you’ve customized your ports on your home network, ensure they’re correctly assigned and not overlapping with another process.

Step 6: Verify Your IP Address and Connection

Find your server’s IP in the Game Panel under Connection Info. Try connecting directly from Rust using the console:

client.connect YOURSERVERIP:28015

If this works, your server is online — it may just take a few minutes for it to appear in the community list.

Step 7: Wait for the Server to Propagate

New servers can take up to 10–15 minutes to appear publicly due to Steam’s server list caching. If you just installed or restarted your server, wait a few minutes and refresh the list.

Step 8: Avoid Blacklist or VAC Issues

If your server is running with server.secure 0 or using invalid files, it may be excluded from the community list. Make sure your server files are clean and unmodified by clicking Update Server Files in your panel.

Notes

We provide support for configuration, startup, and connectivity issues related to hosting only. We don’t provide support for Steam network delays, modded content indexing, or client-side visibility problems. New servers may take time to appear due to Steam cache updates.