You can see your The Isle Evrima server in the browser (or you know it’s running) but players keep getting connection errors or timeouts. Here is a systematic guide to diagnosing and fixing every common cause.
Step 1: Confirm the Server Is Online
Open your panel’s Console tab and confirm the server is running and not crash-looping. If it’s restarting repeatedly, fix the underlying crash first — check the console for error messages and compare your Game.ini against a known-good configuration.
Step 2: Check the Game Branch
This is the most common cause of connection failures. Every player must be on the evrima beta branch in Steam:
- Right-click The Isle in Steam
- Go to Properties → Betas
- Select evrima – EVRIMA Public Branch
- Wait for Steam to download the branch files, then launch
If a player is on the wrong branch or an outdated version, they cannot connect — even if the server shows in the browser.
Step 3: Verify the IP and Port
Players must use the exact IP and port shown on your hosting dashboard. The default port is 7777, but if you’ve customised it, make sure everyone is using the correct value. For direct connect:
- Steam → View → Game Servers → Favorites → Add server → enter
IP:PORT
Step 4: Check Server Capacity
If MaxPlayerCount is reached and bQueueEnabled=false, new players will get a connection refused error. Either raise the player limit or enable the queue:
[/script/theisle.tigamesession]
bQueueEnabled=true
QueuePort=10000Restart the server after making this change.
Step 5: Check for a Password
If bServerPassword=true is set, players will be prompted for a password. Passwords are case-sensitive. If the password prompt isn’t appearing and players are getting rejected, there may be a mismatch between the panel setting and Game.ini — check both.
Step 6: Check the Whitelist
If bServerWhitelist=true, only Steam IDs listed under WhitelistIDs= can join. Non-whitelisted players will be refused. Either add the player’s Steam64 ID or disable the whitelist:
[/script/theisle.tigamesession]
bServerWhitelist=falseStep 7: Self-Hosted — Check Port Forwarding
If you’re self-hosting, ports must be forwarded on both your router and Windows Firewall. Required ports:
- 7777 UDP — Game traffic
- 10000 TCP — Queue (if enabled)
- 8888 TCP — RCON (if enabled)
Test whether your port is open using an online port checker tool. If your ISP uses CGNAT, port forwarding won’t work — you’ll need a VPN tunnel or managed hosting instead.
Step 8: Firewall on the Server Machine
On self-hosted Linux servers, check that UFW or iptables isn’t blocking the game port:
ufw allow 7777/udp
ufw allow 10000/tcp
ufw allow 8888/tcpAvoid These Headaches with Managed Hosting
Port forwarding, firewall rules, and network configuration are the biggest pain points of self-hosting. With XGamingServer The Isle Evrima hosting, all ports are pre-configured and players can connect immediately after setup — no network troubleshooting required.
