How to Make a Squad Server: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

To make a Squad server, install the dedicated-server files with SteamCMD (app ID 403240), launch the server with matching game, query, beacon and optional RCON ports, then open those ports in the host firewall and router. Configure identity, rotations, administrators, bans and messages in SquadGame/ServerConfig. You can run the server on your own Windows or Linux machine for maximum control, or rent an instance from a provider to reduce operating-system and network work. A license application is required if you want the server considered for Squad’s main in-game browser; an unlicensed server can still be available through the custom-server list.

What do you need before creating a Squad server?

A reliable server starts with four decisions: operating system, hardware, network reachability and hosting model. Squad’s installation documentation covers both Windows and Linux, and the host should be 64-bit with a fast CPU, sufficient memory and SSD storage. The documentation recommends an SSD for the server’s files; it does not establish a universal capacity or a specific performance gain, so size the drive for the base installation, updates, logs, backups and any content you intend to run.

• Operating system: choose a supported 64-bit Windows or Linux installation that you can update and administer.
• CPU and memory: use a fast processor and enough RAM for your planned player count and workload. Actual requirements vary with configuration and concurrent activity.
• Storage: use an SSD rather than a mechanical disk for the server directory and its update process.
• Network: the machine needs a stable, reachable address and enough upstream capacity for players. A private address behind a router requires port forwarding.
• Administration: plan who will update files, review logs, manage administrators and bans, and respond when the process stops.

Carrier-grade NAT is an important limitation. If your internet provider places you behind CGNAT, inbound IPv4 traffic may never reach your router, even when local firewall rules and port forwarding are correct. In that case, use a host with a reachable public address or rent an instance with internet connectivity.

Should you self-host or rent a Squad server?

Self-hosting gives you direct control over hardware, files and network policy. Renting shifts much of the infrastructure work to a provider and usually supplies a control panel, assigned ports and a regional data-center choice. Neither model removes the need to understand Squad’s configuration and licensing rules.

Consideration	Self-hosting	Rented instance
Hardware and operating system	You select, install and maintain the machine and operating system.	The provider supplies the managed environment and its operating system.
Updates and validation	You run SteamCMD, schedule updates and verify files yourself.	The panel may expose update controls, but you remain responsible for choosing when to update and checking the result.
Firewall and router	You configure the host firewall and, when applicable, your router or gateway.	The provider supplies reachable ports; panel and provider firewall settings still need to match your launch parameters.
File access	Direct access to the complete server directory.	Access is commonly provided through a panel or SFTP, subject to the provider’s controls.
Geographic placement	Limited to the location of your own connection or data center.	You can select among the provider’s available regions to reduce player latency.
Licensing assistance	You submit and maintain your own application and compliance.	Ask the provider how it handles license applications and listed-server requirements; do not assume rental automatically grants a license.
Maintenance burden	You handle backups, monitoring, operating-system security and incident response.	The provider handles the underlying service, while you still administer Squad, permissions and content.

Offworld Industries maintains a trusted-provider directory for rented instances. Use that directory as a starting point, then verify current region availability, slot limits, mod support, pricing and license handling directly with the provider. A rental contract does not replace checking the provider-assigned game, query, beacon and RCON values.

How do you install the Squad dedicated server with SteamCMD?

SteamCMD is the supported distribution and update path for standalone Steam game servers. The Squad dedicated-server application ID is 403240. Install SteamCMD for your host operating system, choose a directory with enough free SSD space, and use an update script so future updates are repeatable.

1. Install SteamCMD

Download and install the SteamCMD package for Windows or Linux, then create a dedicated directory for Squad. Keep the SteamCMD program separate from the server’s install directory so you can update or replace the tool without moving the game files.

2. Create an update script

The essential sequence sets the install directory, logs in anonymously, validates the dedicated-server files and exits:

steamcmd +force_install_dir <server-directory> +login anonymous +app_update 403240 validate +quit

Replace <server-directory> with the absolute path you selected. On Windows, place the command in a batch file and run it from the SteamCMD directory. On Linux, place it in a shell script, make it executable and run it from the account that owns the server files. Running the same script after an update keeps the installation on the supported SteamCMD path and catches incomplete or damaged files through validation.

3. Confirm the files before launching

Wait for SteamCMD to finish downloading and validating before starting the server. If the process exits immediately later, return to this step and confirm that the update completed, the directory is writable, required runtime libraries are present on Linux, and no conflicting Steam client process is using the installation.

How do you launch a Squad server on Windows or Linux?

Windows uses SquadGameServer.exe; Linux uses the Linux server launch script supplied with the installation. Start with one instance and a known port set, then add process supervision after the configuration works.

Windows launch

Open a command prompt in the server’s executable directory and launch SquadGameServer.exe with the parameters you have chosen. A representative command from the installation references is:

SquadGameServer.exe Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 beaconport=15000 FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 RANDOM=NONE -log

Linux launch

Run the Linux server script with the same parameter names and values. Keep the process in a persistent terminal session such as screen, or use a process manager, so closing an SSH window does not terminate the server. A persistent session also makes it easier to inspect startup output and restart the process after maintenance.

Understand the example parameters

• Port=7787 selects the game port in this example.
• QueryPort=27165 selects the Steam query port used for browser information.
• beaconport=15000 selects the beacon port used by the server’s discovery and connectivity functions.
• FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 requests an 80-player ceiling for this instance; adjust it to your intended configuration and any applicable licensing policy.
• RANDOM=NONE disables randomization in this example.
• -log keeps server logging enabled in the launch output.

These are representative values, not immutable requirements. If you change a launch parameter, make the same change in the host firewall, router, provider panel and any external monitoring or RCON client.

Which ports does a Squad server use?

The installation reference lists the following defaults. Protocols and ranges matter: a rule for the game port alone may leave query, beacon or RCON traffic blocked.

Function	Default port or range	Protocol
Game	7787 and 7788	UDP
Beacon	15000	TCP and UDP
Steam query	27165 and 27166	TCP and UDP
RCON	21114	TCP and UDP
Possible ephemeral traffic	UDP ports above 30000	UDP

Treat these as guide defaults. Your active launch command is the authority for the instance, and adjacent ports may be used when the server configuration or provider assigns them. For multiple instances, every game, query, beacon and RCON port must be unique.

How do you open the firewall and router for Squad?

First allow the exact ports used by the launch command through the operating-system firewall. If the machine has a private address, create matching port-forwarding rules on the router from the public interface to the server’s private address. The router’s protocol selection must match the port table and the server’s requirements.

1. Record the game, query, beacon and RCON values in the launch command.
2. Create host-firewall rules for those values and protocols.
3. Reserve or otherwise keep the server machine’s private address stable so forwarding does not point to another device after a reboot.
4. Forward the same ports from the router’s public interface to that private address.
5. Test from a different network, such as a mobile connection, rather than relying only on a local test.

A server that works for players on the same local network but cannot be found from the internet usually has a forwarding, firewall, public-address or NAT problem. CGNAT can prevent the final inbound connection even when every local rule appears correct.

Where are Squad server settings stored?

The principal configuration directory is SquadGame/ServerConfig. Keep this directory in your backup plan: it contains the identity, administration, rotations, messages and remote-management settings that define how the instance behaves.

File	What it controls
Server.cfg	Core server identity and behavior, including the settings exposed as primary server options.
Admins.cfg	Administrator permissions and entries.
Bans.cfg	Ban management data.
LayerRotation.cfg	The sequence of playable layers.
LevelRotation.cfg	The sequence of levels or maps.
CustomOptions.cfg	Custom server options supported by the installation.
ExcludedLayers.cfg	Layers excluded from rotation.
Motd.cfg	The message of the day shown to players.
Rcon.cfg	RCON bind address, port, password, connection limit and timeout settings.
Server-message and vote files	Scheduled messages and voting behavior, where present in the installation.

Set identity and rotation carefully

Use Server.cfg for the server name and core behavior, then edit the rotation files to control what players can select next. Layer names are case-sensitive in hosted-panel guidance, so copy names exactly as supplied by the installation rather than changing capitalization. Save a backup before editing a rotation; a typo can produce an empty or invalid sequence.

Add administrators and bans

Place administrator entries in Admins.cfg and ban records in Bans.cfg according to the syntax used by the installed version. Restrict write access to these files and keep a dated backup so an accidental edit or host failure does not erase your moderation records.

Enable RCON only when you need it

Rcon.cfg controls the bind address, port, password, connection limit and timeout. Leave the password empty to keep RCON disabled. If you enable it, set a strong unique secret before exposing the port, bind it only as broadly as your administration setup requires, and allow the selected port through the firewall. An RCON client will fail when any one of the port, password, bind-address or firewall values disagrees.

How do you get a Squad server listed in the main browser?

Browser visibility depends on licensing as well as network configuration. Offworld Industries says owners who want their server to appear in the main browser can apply through its License Server Application Form. The publisher is the current authority for application requirements and policy, so check the live application and policy pages before relying on any community summary.

Community licensing guidance describes licensed servers as appearing in the primary in-game list and unlicensed servers as remaining in a custom-server tab. That distinction is separate from whether the server is reachable: a perfectly reachable unlicensed server may still be absent from the main list.

Historical community guidance	Context
Fewer than 60 slots were not licensed	Recorded on a Squad Wiki page updated in 2017; treat it as historical, not a current rule.
10 admins per instance	Recorded on a Squad Wiki licensing page updated in 2021; verify current criteria with Offworld Industries.

Do not design a current server around those historical numbers. Submit the application, follow the current policy, and keep the server’s name, ports and configuration consistent while the application is evaluated.

How do you run multiple Squad server instances?

Each instance needs its own process, unique network ports and a separate configuration location. Reusing a game, query, beacon or RCON port causes binding conflicts; two processes cannot reliably listen on the same endpoint.

1. Create a distinct server directory or configuration directory for each instance.
2. Assign unique game, query, beacon and RCON ports in each launch command.
3. Duplicate and edit the relevant ServerConfig files so each instance has its own name, rotations, administrators, bans and messages.
4. Open and forward every assigned port, including the provider-panel values when renting.
5. Run each process under its own persistent session or process-manager service and label the logs clearly.

When one instance works and a second does not, check for a duplicate port before changing gameplay settings. A separate configuration directory also prevents an edit intended for one server from changing another.

How do you keep a Squad server maintained?

Maintenance is a routine rather than a single setup step. Run the SteamCMD update-and-validate script before planned restarts, keep the operating system and runtime libraries current, and preserve a tested backup of SquadGame/ServerConfig. Monitor the process so an unexpected exit is visible instead of leaving players with a dead entry.

• Schedule updates during a quiet period and announce restarts through the server’s message settings.
• Back up rotations, administrator and ban files before editing them.
• Review logs after updates and after changing ports or launch arguments.
• Limit RCON access and rotate its password if an administrator leaves.
• Document every instance’s ports, directory and launch command, especially when several servers share one host.

What should you check when the server fails?

The server process exits immediately

Run SteamCMD again and confirm that app_update 403240 validate completed. Check that required runtime libraries are installed, the server directory is writable, and a Steam client or second server process is not conflicting with the installation.

The server is missing from the browser

Compare the configured query and beacon ports with the launch command, then check host-firewall rules, router forwarding and the server’s public reachability. Confirm the server name and core settings, and look in the custom-server tab if the instance is not licensed for the main browser.

Players cannot join

Verify the game port and adjacent game port are open in the firewall and router. For a rented instance, compare your command with the ports assigned by the provider panel; using local defaults instead of assigned values can leave the process running but unreachable.

RCON will not connect

Check the RCON port, password, bind address and firewall rule in Rcon.cfg. An empty password intentionally disables RCON, while a mismatched or weak password should be corrected before exposing the service.

Two instances conflict

List every game, query, beacon and RCON port in both launch commands and remove duplicates. Then verify that each process points to its own configuration directory and that forwarding rules target the correct private address.

What is the practical setup order?

For the least rework, complete the tasks in this order:

1. Choose Windows or Linux, confirm 64-bit hardware, and decide whether self-hosting or renting fits your maintenance capacity.
2. Install SteamCMD and download app 403240 into an SSD-backed server directory.
3. Run one instance with the representative launch parameters, then confirm the process stays running.
4. Set the host firewall and router or provider-panel ports to exactly match the command.
5. Edit SquadGame/ServerConfig for identity, rotations, administrators, bans, messages and any required RCON settings.
6. Test discovery and joining from outside the local network.
7. Apply for licensing if main-browser visibility is important, using Offworld Industries’ current requirements.
8. Only after the first instance is stable, add additional instances with unique ports and separate configuration directories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I host a Squad server without a license?

Yes. Licensing affects placement in the in-game browser, not whether you can operate a reachable server. Community guidance distinguishes the primary list from the custom-server tab, while current eligibility is determined by Offworld Industries’ policies.

How can I tell whether my internet connection uses CGNAT?

Compare the router’s reported WAN address with the public address shown by an independent internet connection. If the router receives a private or shared-provider address, inbound forwarding may be impossible; ask the provider for a public address or use a host that already has one.

Which Squad files should I back up first?

Start with the entire SquadGame/ServerConfig directory, giving priority to Server.cfg, rotation files, Admins.cfg, Bans.cfg and Rcon.cfg. These files preserve identity, gameplay sequence, moderation records and remote-management settings.

Can I change the player limit after installation?

The launch command can include a value such as FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80, but the permitted limit may depend on the server’s configuration and licensing status. Change the value deliberately, restart the process, and verify the current policy rather than treating the example as a universal allowance.