You spun up a Satisfactory dedicated server, your factory is waiting, and then nothing — the server doesn’t show up, friends get an “encryption token missing” error, or clients simply can’t connect. The good news is that almost every Satisfactory connection problem traces back to a small handful of causes: the wrong ports forwarded, a firewall blocking the server process, NAT/router misconfiguration, or players trying to join the wrong way. This guide walks through each one in the order you should check them.
Which ports Satisfactory actually needs
This is where most “server not showing up” issues start. A Satisfactory dedicated server uses two ports, not one. The query/game port defaults to 7777 and the Reliable Messaging port defaults to 8888. Both must reach the server. The Reliable Messaging port handling was reworked in Patch 1.1.0.0, which added explicit configuration for it (the -ReliablePort= launch parameter and a configurable port range starting at 8888), so older guides that only mention a single port are out of date.
| Port | Default | Protocol | Purpose | Can it be remapped? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game / Query | 7777 | TCP + UDP | Main server traffic and API | No — external and internal port must match |
| Reliable Messaging | 8888 | TCP | Reliable in-game messaging | Yes — via -ExternalReliablePort= |
The critical detail: port 7777 cannot be port-remapped. The external and internal port numbers must be identical on your forwarding rule. If you map external 7778 to internal 7777, clients won’t find the server. Port 8888 is more flexible — you can advertise a different external port using -ExternalReliablePort= if you genuinely need to. (If you’ve changed the game port with -Port=, forward that number instead of 7777.)
Step 1: Confirm the server is actually listening
Before touching your router, make sure the server process is up and bound to its ports. On Linux you can check with:
pgrep -f FactoryServer— confirms the process is runningss -plnut | grep Factory— confirms it’s listening on 7777 and 8888- On a managed host, the panel’s console log will show the server reporting its listen ports during startup
If the process isn’t listening at all, port forwarding won’t help — fix the server startup first. A correctly provisioned host opens these ports for you, which is one reason a ready-to-run Satisfactory hosting plan sidesteps most of this troubleshooting entirely.
Step 2: Firewall and port forwarding
If you’re self-hosting at home, two layers can block traffic: the host machine’s firewall and your router’s NAT.
- Host firewall: Allow inbound TCP+UDP on 7777 and inbound TCP on 8888 for the server executable (Windows Defender Firewall on Windows;
ufw/firewalldon Linux). - Router port forward: Create forwarding rules sending 7777 (TCP+UDP) and 8888 (TCP) to the server’s LAN IP. Set external and internal port equal — especially for 7777.
- Static LAN IP: Give the server a reserved/static internal IP so the forward rule doesn’t break when DHCP reassigns addresses.
- UPnP: Some setups can auto-open ports via UPnP, but it’s unreliable for dedicated servers. Manual port forwarding is the recommended, predictable approach.
Share your public (WAN) IP plus the game port with friends — not your LAN 192.168.x.x address. If you’re behind CGNAT (common on mobile/some ISPs), you won’t be able to forward ports at all; that’s a frequent hidden cause of “clients can’t connect” and is a strong reason to host off-site.
Step 3: Join via Server Manager — the encryption token workaround
This is the single most common fix for the dreaded “encryption token missing” error. Satisfactory dedicated servers are not meant to be joined through the in-game “Join Game” option. Players must add the server through the Server Manager screen first, then join from there.
- Open Server Manager from the main menu.
- Add the server by its public IP and port (e.g.
your.ip.address:7777). - Accept the certificate warning — dedicated servers use a self-signed certificate, so this prompt is expected.
- Set the admin password / claim the server if it’s the first connection, then join from inside Server Manager.
Have every player connect this same way. If the certificate or token error persists, check that the client computer’s local time and timezone are set correctly — a wrong clock breaks the certificate time-sync and produces token errors even when ports are perfect. For the full first-boot claim and admin-password flow, see our admin password and claim/reset guide, and the step-by-step setup in the Satisfactory server docs.
Step 4: Still showing offline? Other things to check
- Remove stale launch flags: An old
-Multihomeparameter that was carried over from a previous version can bind the server to the wrong interface and hide it. Drop flags you don’t explicitly need. - Version mismatch: Client and server must be on compatible builds. If the server auto-updated and a client didn’t, the server may appear offline — see our guide to updating a dedicated server.
- Mods: Mismatched or missing mods between client and server can block the join after the server is found.
- Underpowered host: If the server is reachable but laggy or dropping clients, RAM/CPU may be the bottleneck rather than networking — check the server requirements (RAM and ports).
FAQ
What ports does a Satisfactory dedicated server need?
Two: the game/query port (default 7777, TCP+UDP) and the Reliable Messaging port (default 8888, TCP). Port 7777 must be forwarded with matching external and internal numbers — it cannot be remapped. Port 8888 can be remapped using -ExternalReliablePort= if needed.
Why do I get “encryption token missing” when joining?
Almost always because you tried to join through “Join Game” instead of the Server Manager. Add the server in Server Manager first, accept the self-signed certificate, and join from there. If it continues, verify your client PC’s clock and timezone are correct, since the certificate is time-sensitive.
My server doesn’t show up at all — where do I start?
Confirm the server process is running and listening on 7777/8888, then check that your host firewall and router both allow those ports through to the server’s LAN IP, and that you’re sharing your public WAN IP. If you’re behind CGNAT you can’t port-forward at all, which is the most common silent cause of an off-site-only failure.
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