How to Make a Sons of the Forest Server: Step-by-Step Windows Setup Guide

The reliable way to make a Sons of the Forest server is to install the Windows dedicated-server app with SteamCMD, launch it once to generate its files, edit the resulting dedicatedserver.cfg JSON, forward three UDP ports, add owner Steam IDs, and test from outside your home network. The dedicated-server app uses Steam app ID 2465200, supports 1–8 players, and stores saves and settings in a separate data directory.

You can run that server on your own Windows PC or rent managed hosting. Self-hosting gives you control over files, networking and updates; managed hosting shifts firewall, uptime and backup work to a provider. This guide covers the repeatable self-hosted setup and explains what to verify if you choose managed hosting instead.

What is a Sons of the Forest dedicated server?

A dedicated server runs the game world as a separate process rather than making one player’s game act as the host. Friends connect to that process, so the world can remain available while the owner is not actively playing. The official-style Windows workflow documented for this game uses SteamCMD and a JSON configuration file generated on first launch.

The current setup is Windows-oriented. Do not substitute Java, Linux, or ServerSettings.ini instructions copied from unrelated survival games. The active configuration is dedicatedserver.cfg, and the server’s own first-run process creates the correct directory and companion files.

Should you self-host or use managed hosting?

Self-hosting is appropriate when someone in the group can maintain a Windows machine, router and backups. Managed hosting is easier when you need an always-on location without exposing a home network, but you must compare the provider’s region, latency, controls, backup policy and cancellation terms.

Decision factor	Windows self-hosting	Managed hosting
Upfront and recurring cost	Uses a machine and internet connection you already own; electricity, Windows licensing and hardware remain your responsibility.	Recurring fee and any setup charges depend on the provider; current prices are not established here.
Region and latency	Players connect to your home’s ISP location, which may be excellent for local friends and poor for distant players.	You normally select a data-center region; verify the actual location and network quality before paying.
Ports and firewall	You control Windows Firewall and router forwarding.	The provider normally exposes a panel or firewall rule; you should not forward ports on your home router for the hosted instance.
Updates	You run SteamCMD updates and decide when to restart.	The provider may offer scheduled or one-click updates, but confirm whether they preserve saves and configuration.
Backups and restores	You create and test your own copies of the complete data directory.	Ask how often backups run, how long they are retained, and whether you can download or restore them yourself.
Mods, panels and advanced access	Full access to files and the Windows process.	Convenience depends on the panel; restrictions may apply to files, launch arguments or mods.
Uptime and cancellation	Uptime depends on your machine, power and internet connection.	Read the uptime terms, maintenance policy and cancellation rules; no performance guarantee is established by the setup documentation.

What do you need before installing the server?

Prepare the host before downloading anything. The references do not publish authoritative CPU, memory or disk minimums, so avoid treating an arbitrary hardware specification as an official requirement.

• A Windows PC or Windows-hosted virtual machine that can remain powered on while people play.
• Administrator access to install SteamCMD, create firewall rules and run the server process.
• A stable LAN address for the host if it is behind a home router. A DHCP reservation is preferable to an address that changes.
• An internet connection that accepts inbound traffic and provides a reachable public IPv4 address. The server’s startup self-test can fail when it cannot retrieve a public IPv4 address.
• Permission to change the router and operating-system firewall, or a managed-hosting control panel that provides equivalent rules.
• Enough free storage for the installation, generated data and backups. The documentation does not state a fixed capacity number.
• Optional wired Ethernet. A Cat6 cable can make a home host more predictable than Wi-Fi, but it is not a software prerequisite.

How do I install the Sons of the Forest dedicated server with SteamCMD?

SteamCMD can download the dedicated-server files without signing in to a Steam account. The app ID is 2465200. On Windows, use a short installation path without spaces if you want simpler troubleshooting.

1. Download and extract SteamCMD from Valve’s distribution, then open a Windows Command Prompt in the folder containing steamcmd.exe.
2. Run this command, changing only the destination if you want another drive or folder:

   steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "c:/sons-dedicated/" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit

3. Wait for SteamCMD to report that the app has finished validating. The same command is the repeatable update command you will use later when you intentionally patch the server.
4. Close SteamCMD after it returns to the command prompt. Do not edit configuration files yet; the first server launch must generate them.

If SteamCMD reports a permission error, choose a directory where the account running the command has write access, or start the command prompt with the required Windows permissions. A failed validation leaves an incomplete installation, so resolve that error before attempting to start the server.

How do I generate the server files on first launch?

The first launch creates the user-data directory, default JSON and save-related files. Starting the process once is essential even if you plan to change every setting.

1. Open the installation directory and run StartSOTFDedicated.bat.
2. Allow the process to continue until it has created its data files and completed or displayed its startup checks.
3. Stop the server cleanly. Closing it after file creation prevents you from editing a file while the process is writing to it.
4. Only now edit the generated configuration. Do not create an unrelated INI file beside it.

Where are the configuration and save files stored?

On a default Windows installation, the data directory is:

C:Users<user>AppDataLocalLowEndnightSonsOfTheForestDS

That directory contains dedicatedserver.cfg, ownerswhitelist.txt, saves and game-settings data. The installation directory and the data directory are separate; updating the server binaries does not replace the need to protect the data directory.

If you start the server with -userdatapath, the replacement location becomes the authoritative data directory. Keep its entire contents together and back up that location rather than assuming the default AppData path still contains the world.

How do I edit dedicatedserver.cfg?

Open the generated dedicatedserver.cfg in a text editor that preserves plain UTF-8 text. Keep keys created by your installed build, including keys not shown in the example, and preserve valid JSON punctuation and value types. A practical private-server starting configuration is:

{
  "IpAddress": "0.0.0.0",
  "GamePort": 8766,
  "QueryPort": 27016,
  "BlobSyncPort": 9700,
  "ServerName": "My Sons of the Forest Server",
  "MaxPlayers": 8,
  "Password": "change-this",
  "LanOnly": false,
  "SaveSlot": 1,
  "SaveMode": "Continue",
  "GameMode": "Normal",
  "SaveInterval": 600,
  "LogFilesEnabled": true
}

Replace the example name and password before inviting anyone. After saving, restart the server; configuration changes are not reliably applied to an already running process.

Key	Purpose and safe interpretation
IpAddress	0.0.0.0 listens on the host’s available interfaces. Do not replace it with a random public address.
GamePort	Primary game traffic port.
QueryPort	Server-query and listing traffic port.
BlobSyncPort	Blob synchronization traffic port.
ServerName	The name players should see when locating the server.
MaxPlayers	An integer from 1 through 8. Do not quote it as a string.
Password	Controls ordinary private access. Treat it as a secret and change the example value.
LanOnly	false allows connections beyond the local network when routing and firewall rules permit them.
SaveSlot	Selects the save slot used by the server.
SaveMode	Continue resumes an existing world rather than intentionally starting a new one.
GameMode	The example uses Normal; retain the value supported by your installed build.
SaveInterval	The example requests a 600-second save interval.
LogFilesEnabled	true keeps log files available for diagnosing startup and connection problems.

Malformed commas, missing quotation marks, a misspelled key or a number placed inside quotation marks can cause the startup self-test to reject the file. Make one change at a time and keep a known-good copy before experimenting.

What ports does a Sons of the Forest server use?

The documented default network is three UDP ports. Every layer that filters traffic must permit the same values: the Windows firewall, any security software, the home router and, where applicable, an upstream modem or second router.

Configuration key	Protocol	Default port
GamePort	UDP	8766
QueryPort	UDP	27016
BlobSyncPort	UDP	9700

Home-router procedure

1. Give the Windows host a stable LAN address, preferably with a DHCP reservation in the router.
2. Create three UDP port-forwarding rules from the router’s internet-facing interface to that LAN address, one for each server port.
3. In Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, create inbound rules that allow the same UDP ports, or allow the dedicated-server executable when you understand the security implications.
4. Check for double NAT. If your router’s internet address is private or another modem is routing in front of it, forwarding only on the inner router will not expose the server.
5. Restart the server after changing network rules and test from outside the home network.

For managed hosting, use the provider’s port and firewall panel. Home-router forwarding is not part of the hosted setup, although the provider still needs to expose the server’s required UDP ports.

How do I make the server private and assign owners?

Use the password in the JSON for a private group, and use the owner file for administrative owner access. These controls serve different purposes.

1. Open ownerswhitelist.txt in the generated data directory.
2. Enter one Steam ID per line. Do not put several IDs on one line or add the password to this file.
3. Save the file and keep it private. It is an owner list, not a general player whitelist.
4. Set a non-obvious value for the JSON Password, distribute it only to the intended group and restart the server.

Remove an owner by deleting that Steam ID line and restarting. If a player can join with the password but cannot use owner functions, check the exact Steam ID spelling and confirm that you edited the data directory the running process actually uses.

How do I start the server and interpret its self-test?

Run StartSOTFDedicated.bat again after configuration. At startup the server performs a self-test that checks whether the installation and network settings are usable. Leave the console visible during the first successful run and keep logs enabled.

Invalid JSON or missing generated files

Restore the last known-good dedicatedserver.cfg, confirm that the file is in the active data directory and check every comma, brace, quotation mark and value type. If the first launch never completed, stop the process, run the batch file again, then edit the newly generated files.

Out-of-range values

The documented player limit is an integer from 1 through 8. Correct that value first; do not try to bypass the range with a decimal, quoted number or an undocumented key.

Public IPv4 or closed-port failure

Confirm that the host can see a genuine public IPv4 address, that the router forwards to the correct stable LAN address and that Windows Firewall allows all three UDP ports. A carrier-grade NAT connection may not accept inbound forwarding; in that case request a public address from the ISP or use managed hosting.

Server starts but friends cannot see it

Test from a phone hotspot or another connection, not from the same LAN. A successful local connection does not prove that the router’s external forwarding works. Check for a second router, VPN software, security-suite firewall rules and a changed LAN address.

How do I test the server before inviting everyone?

Use one test account outside your home network. This catches the most expensive mistakes before the whole group builds progress on an unreachable world.

1. Start the server and wait for the self-test to finish without an error.
2. From a separate internet connection, locate the server by its configured name or use the game’s normal join flow.
3. Enter the password and verify that the intended player limit is enforced.
4. Join the world, create or modify a small amount of progress, save, then leave.
5. Stop and restart the server. Rejoin and confirm that the world and player progress persist.
6. Only after this test succeeds should you send the password to the rest of the group.

If the external test fails, record the exact console or log message before changing several settings at once. That message usually distinguishes malformed configuration from routing, firewall or address problems.

How do I update the server without losing the world?

Apply updates deliberately rather than allowing binaries and saves to change at the same time without a recovery copy.

1. Tell players the server will be offline and stop the process cleanly.
2. Copy the complete active SonsOfTheForestDS data directory, including saves, dedicatedserver.cfg, ownerswhitelist.txt and game-settings data, to a separate drive or backup location.
3. If you used -userdatapath, back up that replacement directory instead of the default AppData path.
4. Run the SteamCMD command again:

   steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "c:/sons-dedicated/" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit

5. Start the server and watch the self-test. If the new build changes generated keys, merge your settings into the new file rather than blindly replacing it with an obsolete copy.
6. Perform an external join and a save/restart check before announcing that the server is ready.

Back up the directory before every planned update, not only when a version appears risky. A JSON-only backup cannot restore saves or owner data.

What common setup mistakes should you avoid?

• Editing the wrong file: dedicatedserver.cfg is active; an old ServerSettings.ini recipe is not a substitute.
• Forwarding TCP instead of UDP: the documented defaults are UDP, so a TCP-only rule does not satisfy the server.
• Testing only inside the house: same-LAN success can hide double NAT, carrier-grade NAT or an ISP firewall.
• Changing several variables at once: keep a working copy and isolate one configuration or network change at a time.
• Backing up only configuration: saves and game data live beside the JSON and must be copied together.
• Publishing the owner file or password: owner Steam IDs and private credentials should be shared only with trusted administrators or players.
• Adding undocumented RCON settings: the available documentation does not establish an official RCON interface, so do not invent RconPort, RconPassword or EnableRcon keys.
• Assuming a provider’s defaults match yours: managed hosts may use a different panel, path or backup schedule. Verify those details before migrating a world.

What should you check on every restart?

A short operational routine prevents most avoidable outages:

• Confirm the intended data directory and that the latest backup exists.
• Check that the server name, password and player limit still match the group plan.
• Watch the startup self-test and keep the first error message if it fails.
• Verify that the Windows host still has the expected LAN address and that firewall rules remain enabled.
• After updates, perform one external join and a save/restart persistence test.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install the dedicated server without owning the game on that Windows account?

The documented SteamCMD command signs in as anonymous, so the server download itself does not require a Steam account login. Players still need legitimate game accounts and compatible game installations to connect through the normal client.

Why does port forwarding fail even though all three rules look correct?

Your ISP may place the connection behind carrier-grade NAT, or a modem may be routing ahead of your own router. Compare the router’s WAN address with the public address shown by a trusted network diagnostic; if they differ or the WAN address is private, request a public IPv4 address or move the world to managed hosting.

Can I move the server data to another drive?

Yes, use the server’s -userdatapath option and move the complete data directory, not just the save files. After moving it, verify that the process writes logs and saves in the new location, then update your backup job to target that directory.

Is there an official RCON console for this server?

The setup references do not document an official RCON interface or supported RCON configuration keys. Treat third-party claims cautiously and do not add RCON entries to the JSON unless a future game build documents them.

What happens to the world if the host computer loses power?

Players may be disconnected and the most recent unsaved progress can be lost. A clean stop before maintenance, regular directory backups and a host with dependable power reduce recovery risk; the documented setup does not promise a separate automatic rollback system.