Enshrouded Dedicated Server Ports — Firewall and Router Guide

A server can start perfectly and still be invisible to every friend outside your home network. That usually means the process is running but the network path is incomplete. Enshrouded’s official documentation names the browser query port and IPv4 behavior; your firewall, router and Steam connectivity must permit the same setup.

Which port does Enshrouded document?

Keen Games documents queryPort with a default value of 15637 in the dedicated-server configuration. The Dedicated Server FAQ also says that Steam uses the ports listed in Valve’s required-ports documentation. Do not rely on an old copied port list without checking your own configuration and host panel.

The safe rule is simple: if your enshrouded_server.json uses a non-default queryPort, the firewall and router must permit the value you actually configured. Record the value when you create the server so you can troubleshoot it later.

Is IPv4 required?

Keen’s FAQ states that the dedicated server uses IPv4. For a home-hosted world, that means the router rule must target the host’s local IPv4 address. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT or you only have an IPv6 route, ordinary consumer router forwarding may not make the server reachable from the public internet.

Before changing settings, distinguish two tests:

1. Local test: the host can start the server and its log reaches HostOnline.
2. Remote test: a player outside the host network can find or favorite the server.

A local success does not prove the remote path is open.

What should you check in the firewall?

Allow the dedicated-server executable through the host firewall, then add an inbound UDP rule for the configured query port if your platform requires an explicit rule. On a managed host, the equivalent control may be a network or firewall panel rather than the operating system firewall.

Do not open broad port ranges “just in case.” Start with the documented query port, the Steam requirements referenced by Keen, and only the additional ports your actual host configuration requires. Broad rules create exposure without proving the game is configured correctly.

What should a home router rule point to?

A router forwards internet traffic to one internal machine. Give the server host a stable local IPv4 lease or reservation, then create a UDP forwarding rule from the public port to that local address and port. If the local address changes after a reboot, a router rule can quietly point at the wrong machine.

After saving the rule, restart neither the router nor the server unnecessarily. First use the server log and in-game browser to check the result. Restarting several layers at once makes it harder to tell which change fixed the issue.

How can players join when the browser is unreliable?

Keen’s FAQ recommends enabling the dedicated-server option in the in-game server filter. Dedicated servers can also be starred in game. If the listing is not appearing, Keen notes that players can add a server through Steam’s View > Game Servers > Favorites interface using its IP address, then connect from the server browser.

That is a useful diagnostic path, not a replacement for correct public networking. A password-protected server may also be hidden by the browser’s filters, so check the filter state before assuming the host is down.

A troubleshooting order that avoids guesswork

1. Confirm the startup log reports HostOnline.
2. Confirm queryPort in enshrouded_server.json.
3. Confirm the host has an IPv4 address and the firewall permits the executable or port.
4. Confirm a router forward targets the correct stable local IPv4 address if hosting from home.
5. Test from a remote network, not from the same Wi-Fi.
6. Check in-game dedicated-server and password filters.
7. Add the server as a Steam favorite if discovery still fails.

If friends can see the server but cannot join, move to server unavailable troubleshooting. If it does not start, review dedicated server requirements before changing network rules.

Related guides

• Dedicated server setup
• Dedicated server requirements
• Server unavailable troubleshooting
• Server password settings

Sources: Keen Games dedicated server configuration, Keen Games dedicated server FAQ, and Keen Games network troubleshooting. Last verified 2026-10-19.