# How to Connect to Your Romestead Server (/docs/romestead/join-server)



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

Romestead is currently a Steam-only Early Access title, so all multiplayer happens between PC players. Your hosted server runs Beartwigs' official **standalone dedicated server tool** in the background — you connect to it like any other Steam game server, by direct IP and port.

Find Your Server Address [#find-your-server-address]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open the panel [#open-the-panel]

    Log in to the [XGamingServer Panel](https://panel.xgamingserver.com) and select your Romestead server.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Copy the IP and port [#copy-the-ip-and-port]

    On the **Dashboard**, copy the server's public IP. Click the **Network** sidebar entry to confirm the game port allocation — Romestead's dedicated server listens on **UDP 8050** by default.

    If you change the port in your config (see [Server Configuration](/docs/romestead/server-config)), use that value instead.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Make sure the server is running [#make-sure-the-server-is-running]

    On the **Dashboard**, the power state should be green (**Online**). If it's red or amber, click **Start** and watch the **Console** for the "listening on port 8050" line that confirms the dedicated server is accepting connections.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Connect to Your Server [#connect-to-your-server]

<Tabs items={['Direct IP', 'Steam Friend Invite']}>
  <Tab value="Direct IP">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Launch Romestead [#launch-romestead]

        Open Romestead from Steam. From the main menu, look for the multiplayer / join option.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Enter your server address [#enter-your-server-address]

        Type your server IP and the game port:

        ```
        123.45.67.89:8050
        ```

        Replace the IP and port with what your panel shows. If you didn't change the port in your config, `8050` is correct.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Connect [#connect]

        Enter your server password if you set one, and join. Your character will spawn into the persistent world the server has been running — exactly where you (or another admin) left things.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="Steam Friend Invite">
    If everyone you play with is already on your Steam friends list, the easiest path is for one player to join through Steam and then invite others — but for a **dedicated server** there is no "host" player to invite from. Use direct IP instead, or share the IP/port in your Steam group chat / Discord and have friends connect that way.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

Default Ports [#default-ports]

| Port     | Protocol | Purpose                                                   |
| -------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **8050** | UDP      | Game traffic (player connections to the dedicated server) |

Romestead's dedicated server uses a single UDP port by default. If you change the port in the config, remember that **firewall and panel network mappings** need to match — XGamingServer handles that for you when you change it via the panel.

Can't Connect? [#cant-connect]

| Problem                      | Fix                                                                                                                                                                            |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Connection refused / timeout | Check the **Dashboard** power state. If the server is offline, click **Start**. Watch the **Console** for startup errors                                                       |
| Wrong port                   | Confirm the **Network** tab port matches the `Port` value in `config.json`. Default is `8050` UDP — if you edited it, both must agree                                          |
| Password rejected            | Open `config.json` via the **Files** tab and confirm the `Password` value (case-sensitive). An empty string = open server with no password                                     |
| Version mismatch             | Your Steam client and the server build must match. Romestead is in active Early Access — see [Update Guide](/docs/romestead/update-guide) once Beartwigs publishes patch notes |
| Friend can't find server     | Romestead is PC-only on Steam. Anyone on Xbox or PlayStation can't join — there is no console version                                                                          |

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Server Configuration](/docs/romestead/server-config)
* [Admin Setup](/docs/romestead/admin-setup)
* [Automated World Backups](/docs/romestead/world-backups)