Game servers: ports, address and firewallWhy the server address always consists of IP and port

Published on October 20, 2026

The server address has two parts

A game server is always addressed via IP and port. The IP says which computer is meant - the port, which of the many services on that computer. Together, they make up the fixed server address you give your fellow players:

192.0.2.10:28015

With us, several game servers share one IP and are told apart by the port. Your address made of IP and port is fixed and does not change during operation - you will find it in the web interface for your server.

This leads to the most common source of errors of all: if you only pass on the IP, you pass on an incomplete address. The client then tries the game's default port and may end up on someone else's server or nowhere at all.

Default ports of the games

The following ports are the factory settings of the respective games. They help you get your bearings - what counts is always the port shown for your server in the web interface. With us, every server is assigned its own ports, so the factory setting usually does not apply.

Notice that most games use UDP. That is relevant for network restrictions - some restrictive networks block UDP entirely, while websites load without any problem.

Query and RCON ports

Besides the game port, many games use further ports for secondary tasks:

• Query port - servers use it to register in server lists and with tools such as server browsers. It is often right next to the game port.
• RCON port - for remote control via console. It does not belong in players' hands and is protected with its own password.

If your server does not show up in the server list even though connecting via the address works, the query port is almost always the cause. The fix depends on the game - usually a setting in the server configuration that announces the server publicly.

Do I have to open ports myself?

With a rented game server: no. The ports your game needs are already reachable on the server side - you neither have to set up port forwarding nor configure a firewall.

It is different with a VPS on which you run the game server yourself: there, you manage the system's firewall yourself and open the ports. How to secure it is explained in Secure your VPS, and what a complete setup looks like in Host a Minecraft server on your VPS.

And when hosting on your own home PC, port forwarding in the router comes on top - one of the reasons why this often fails in practice. The comparison is in Rent or self-host?.

When a single player cannot get in

If everyone except one person gets onto the server, the server is not the problem. Typical causes on the player's side:

• Local firewall or antivirus blocks the game - if in doubt, add an exception as a test.
• Restrictive network at school, work, a hotel or on public Wi-Fi - UDP is often blocked there. Cross-check via a mobile hotspot.
• VPN active - some providers do not forward game traffic cleanly.
• Outdated address - the player still has an old IP or an old port saved.

The quickest test is always the cross-check: if a second player from a different network connects without problems, the server is fine. For Minecraft, the typical error messages and their causes are listed in Minecraft connection errors.

DDoS protection and ports

All our game servers run behind DDoS protection with 250 Gbit/⁠s capacity. For you, nothing changes about the address: you keep connecting via the same IP and the same port.

Good to know: attack protection filters at network level and is not a firewall that you configure. What it can and cannot do is explained in DDoS protection for game servers. The servers are located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Frequently asked questions