How to Make a Rust Server
Learn how to make a Rust server quick with this easy to follow guide.
Last Updated: 3/13/24
There are two ways to make your own Rust server, you can either purchase a game hosting service, or use a Virtual Private Server or Dedicated Server to host a Rust server yourself. This guide will detail both methods, feel free to choose the one that is most useful for you.
If you have a good computer, it’s a good idea to set up a dedicated server to save some money. If you want to avoid the hassle of starting up your server every time you want to do work on your server, we recommend purchasing server hosting.
Purchasing a Rust Hosting Service
To create a Rust server on a game hosting service, follow the steps below:
Go to https://atomicnetworks.co/rust-server-hosting
Start your own Rust community for only $10 a month by purchasing your own rust server hosting.
Pick your server.
Depending on the type of Rust server you want to make, you will have different hardware requirements for your server.
| Package | Price | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Package | $10/mo | Development and Small Maps, 0-50 Players |
| Scalable Package | $15/mo | Growing Rust Communities |
| Unleashed Package | $50/mo | Large Rust Communities |
Get logged into the game panel.
Once you choose your plan and finish the checkout process, you will receive an email with information on how to sign into the Atomic Panel.
If you’re looking to have more control over your server hosting resources, follow the guide below to create a Rust dedicated server.
Rust Dedicated Server Setup
Rust System Requirements
Before beginning the setup process for creating your own Rust server, you’ll need to check to make sure that your server meets the system requirements to run a Rust dedicated server.
- 8GB RAM
- 2-4vCPUs Allocated
- Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD FX-9590 or better
If you need a cost effective solution, we recommend our Ryzen VPS line for Rust dedicated servers.
Installing SteamCMD
SteamCMD (Steam Command Line Interface) is a command-line version of the Steam client, used primarily to install and update various dedicated game servers and other Steam applications without needing the full Steam client.
Follow the steps below to Install SteamCMD on your operating system.
Once the steamcmd.exe program is ran, the latest version of SteamCMD will be installed and updated on your computer.
Installing Rust Dedicated Server
Once you have the SteamCMD application open, run the following commands on the command line.
Command 1: force_install_dir "c:\rustserver\"
Command 2: login anonymous
Command 3: app_update 258550
Command 4: quit
These commands will install all of the files you need to run a Vanilla Rust Server.
Changing Rust Branches
If you’re looking to change your dedicated rust server to the staging branch, use the command: app_update 258550 -beta staging
If you want to change your server to the prerelease branch (receives future updates), use the command: app_update 258550 -beta prerelease
Creating and Configuring RustServer.bat
To have your server installation start, you will need to create a batch script file. To create a batch file, create a file in the directory you installed your server in (ex: c:\rustserver) called RustServer.bat
Batch script files are used to store a list of commands that will run on sequence when you start your server. There are a few perks of having a batch script:
- Having a batch script will help you to keep your server up to date.
- If your Rust dedicated server crashes, it will resume.
In your batch script, you can configure just about every single setting for your server. Since the config files for your server aren’t going to work yet, defining all of your settings in this batch script is the easiest method. Below is an example script, feel free to copy and tailor it to your needs in your own file.
Changing Variables
Below are some important variables you will need to change in your RustServer.bat file.
+server.port 28015 - If port 28015 is occupied on your server, you will need to change this value.
+server.level "Procedural Map" - This setting will change what map type your server will use. The options are:
- “Procedural Map”
- “Barren”
- “HapisIsland”
- “SavasIsland”
- “SavasIsland_koth”
+server.seed 9292 - Changes the shape of procedural and barren maps. Values can range from 0 to 2147483647. This command is used with +server.worldsize
+server.worldsize 4000 - Changes the size of procedual and barren maps. Size can range from 1000 to 6000. This command is used with +server.seed
+server.maxplayers 10 - Change the maximum players you want connecting to your server.
+server.hostname "Your Server Name" - This will change the name of the server on the list.
+server.description "Your Description Here" - This will change the description in the server window for your server.
+server.url "http://atomicnetworks.co" - Causes the “View Webpage” button to appear on the connection window if you set this value to a valid URL.
+server.headerimage "http://atomicnetworks.co/image.jpg" - Shows a background image in the connection window if you set this value to a valid image URL.
+server.identity "server" - The directory name used as the parent for all the server files. Avoid using spaces and special characters.
+rcon.port 28016 - Rcon client connection port.
+rcon.password password - The password required for Rcon access. Do not use spaces or special characters.
+rcon.web 1 - Enable websocket connection mode for rcon (Recommended Setup)
goto start - Instructs the batch file to jump to the ‘start’ label. Remove this line if you do not want your server to automatically restart after it shuts down.
Connecting to a Rust Server
To connect to a Rust server with an IP, open the Rust client. Press F1 and go to the client console. If you used the default port (28015) in your setup, type the command client.connect localhost:28015 to connect to your server.
Setting Staff Permissions
Once you have your server online and you are connected, you will want to give yourself owner perms. To do so, you will need to find your STEAMID64. This is a 17 digit SteamID number that you can find by joining your server, pressing F1 and typing the users command.
Below are the commands needed to give different levels of adminstration perms on your Rust Server.
To give a user ownerid permissions, use the ownerid 12345678901234567 "PlayerName" command. Replace the “PlayerName” with the name of the player.
To give a user moderatorid permissions, use the moderatorid 12345678901234567 "PlayerName" command. Replace the “PlayerName” with the name of the player.
Once you are done configuring your permissions, use the writecfg command. This will save your changes. Players receive new permissions must log out and rejoin the server to receive permissions.
Port Forwarding
If you want to make your server public, you will need to port forward. Below is a video tutorial on how to port forward a Rust Server.