# How to Connect to Your DayZ Server (/docs/dayz/join-server)















import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';
import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs';

Your DayZ server may not appear immediately in the in-game **Community** server list — this is normal and can take time. The fastest way to connect is to **add the server to your Steam Favorites first**, which makes it appear in the in-game **Favorites** tab instantly.

<Tabs items={['Via Steam Favorites (Recommended)', 'Via DZSA Launcher (Modded)', 'Via Direct Connect']}>
  <Tab value="Via Steam Favorites (Recommended)">
    Adding your server to Steam Favorites is the most reliable way to find and join it, especially if it doesn't show up in the Community tab yet.

    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Add to Steam Favorites [#add-to-steam-favorites]

        In Steam, go to **View → Game Servers → Favorites**. Click the **+** button at the bottom and enter your server's IP and Steam query port.

        Find your query port in the **Startup** tab on the panel — look for the **\[HOST] STEAM QUERY PORT** field:

                <img alt="Startup tab showing Steam Query Port" src={__img0} placeholder="blur" />

        Enter your IP and query port:

        ```
        your-ip:your-query-port
        ```

        Your server appears in the list showing the server name, map, player count, and latency.

                <img alt="Steam Favorites showing the server" src={__img1} placeholder="blur" />
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Launch DayZ and open Favorites [#launch-dayz-and-open-favorites]

        Launch DayZ. In the server browser, click the **Favorites** tab at the top. Your server now appears here because Steam syncs favorites to the in-game browser.

                <img alt="DayZ in-game browser showing the server under Favorites" src={__img2} placeholder="blur" />
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Join [#join]

        Select the server and click **Play**. If the server has a password, you'll be prompted to enter it.

                <img alt="Connected to DayZ server" src={__img3} placeholder="blur" />
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="Via DZSA Launcher (Modded)">
    For modded servers, [DZSA Launcher](https://dayzsalauncher.com/) is recommended — it auto-downloads required mods.

    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Download DZSA Launcher [#download-dzsa-launcher]

        Install from [dayzsalauncher.com](https://dayzsalauncher.com/).

                <img alt="DZSA Launcher server list" src={__img4} placeholder="blur" />
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Find your server [#find-your-server]

        Search by server name or add by IP.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Join [#join-1]

        Click **Join**. DZSA Launcher downloads any required mods automatically before connecting.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="Via Direct Connect">
    In the DayZ in-game browser, click **Direct Connect** at the bottom-right and enter:

    ```
    your-ip:2302
    ```

    Use the **game port** (2302), not the query port.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

Why Your Server Isn't in the Community Tab [#why-your-server-isnt-in-the-community-tab]

The **Community** tab in the DayZ launcher lists community servers, but your server may not appear there right away. This can take time to propagate.

<img alt="Community tab — server not yet listed" src={__img5} placeholder="blur" />

If your server isn't showing in the Community tab:

1. **Add it to Steam Favorites first** (see above) — this is the immediate fix while you wait
2. **Check `shardId`** in `serverDZ.cfg` — if `shardId` is set to any value, the server is marked as **Private** and won't appear in the Community tab. Remove or leave `shardId` empty to make it public
3. Make sure port **2305 UDP** (Steam query) is open — this is what makes the server visible in browsers
4. Verify `steamQueryPort` is set correctly in your server config
5. **Wait 24–48 hours** — the DayZ community browser is slow to index new servers. This is normal

Make Your Server Public [#make-your-server-public]

If your server shows as **Private** type in the browser, the `shardId` setting in `serverDZ.cfg` is the cause. To make it appear publicly in the Community tab:

1. Stop the server
2. Open `serverDZ.cfg` in **Files**
3. Find `shardId` and either **remove the line entirely** or set it to empty:
   ```
   shardId = "";
   ```
4. Save and restart

With `shardId` removed, the server will appear in the Community tab once the browser indexes it (can take 24–48 hours).

Required Ports [#required-ports]

| Port     | Protocol | Purpose                       |
| -------- | -------- | ----------------------------- |
| **2302** | UDP      | Game traffic                  |
| **2304** | UDP      | Steam networking              |
| **2305** | UDP      | Steam query (browser listing) |
| **2306** | TCP      | RCON (if enabled)             |

All ports must be open for the server to be reachable and visible in browsers.

Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

| Issue                           | Fix                                                                                             |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Server not in any browser       | Verify port 2305 UDP is open. Check that BattlEye is enabled (`BattlEye = 1` in config)         |
| Version mismatch                | Server and client must be on the same DayZ version. See [Update Guide](/docs/dayz/update-guide) |
| Mod mismatch                    | Use DZSA Launcher to auto-download matching mods                                                |
| "Signature verification failed" | Missing `.bikey` files for mods — see [Mod Setup](/docs/dayz/mod-setup)                         |
| High latency / timeout          | Server may be in a different region. Try connecting via Direct Connect instead of the browser   |

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Server Configuration](/docs/dayz/server-config)
* [Install Mods](/docs/dayz/mod-setup)
* [Update Guide](/docs/dayz/update-guide)