Troubleshooting: Players Can't Connect

Before You Start

First, check your game panel — your server should show as "Running". If it is offline or stuck on "Starting", see our crashes and performance guide instead.

Rust Just Updated

After a Rust update, the server must also update to the same version. If the server has not updated yet, players on the new version cannot connect. This is especially common on the first Thursday of the month (forced wipe day). Wait for the server to update or contact support if it seems stuck.

EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat) Errors

If a player gets an EAC error:

1. Right-click Rust in Steam, then go to Properties
2. Go to Local Files, then Verify Integrity of Game Files
3. Wait for the process to complete and try connecting again

"Connection Attempt Failed"

This usually means the server is still starting up. Wait a minute or two and try again. If the server has been running for a while and you still see this, check the console for errors.

"Disconnected: Kicked"

A plugin may be kicking the player. Common causes:

• A whitelist plugin is active and the player is not on it
• A VPN blocker plugin is rejecting their connection
• An anti-cheat plugin flagged them

Check the server console for details on why the kick occurred.

Slow or Unstable Connection

• Try connecting via a wired connection instead of WiFi
• Make sure no downloads or streams are using their bandwidth
• If the server is full, the player will be rejected — check the max player slot count

Still Cannot Connect?

Ask the affected player for the exact error message they see — it makes troubleshooting much faster. Then open a support ticket with the error and your server IP.