You can host an Eco server three ways: install Eco Server from Steam’s Library > Tools, install it with SteamCMD, or download the server ZIP from your Strange Loop Games account page. A fourth option is rented dedicated hosting if your computer cannot stay online or lacks capacity. In every case, launch EcoServer.exe, allow the first world generation to finish, configure access and networking, and keep the server process running whenever people want to play. The setup page checked on 27 September 2025 describes a stable release, while Eco 14.x documentation is still being updated, so port and NAT behavior should be verified against your build.
This guide covers installation, the default 3000 UDP and 3001 TCP ports, world settings, backups, player access, and the common reasons friends cannot see a server.
What is an Eco server, and what must be ready before installation?
An Eco server is an Eco world generated and hosted by a local or remote computer. The computer runs the simulation and stores the world; players connect to that running process. The Eco English Wiki states that “the server must always be running to be playable,” so closing the server program disconnects everyone and makes the world unavailable until it is started again.
Before installing, decide whether a particular machine can remain powered on and connected whenever your group plays. Eco can be demanding enough that a rented dedicated server is preferable for a computer that is shared, power-limited, or regularly shut down. No authoritative hardware minimum, player-count benchmark, hosting price, or uptime percentage is established in the setup material, so avoid treating an unverified specification as a requirement.
- Game files: choose Steam, SteamCMD, or the direct ZIP route below.
- An account: the ZIP route requires a Strange Loop Games account with an Eco purchase through that account or a linked Steam account.
- Network access: local players can use a LAN listing; players outside your network need a reachable address and the configured game port.
- Administrative access: permission problems may require running installation or configuration tasks with elevated rights.
- A backup plan: preserve the
StorageandConfigsfolders before updates or direct file changes.
The setup page checked on 27 September 2025 is a useful baseline, but Eco 14.x pages are being revised. Treat port defaults, NAT behavior, and interface labels as version-sensitive rather than permanent guarantees.
Which Eco server installation method should you choose?
Steam is the easiest choice for most owners of the Steam game. SteamCMD is better for scripted administration or a Linux-style workflow, while the ZIP download is convenient when your purchase is associated with a Strange Loop Games account. All three produce the same server executable.
| Route | Best fit | Important actions | Account or platform detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Library > Tools | Owners who want the least manual setup | Install Eco Server, then launch EcoServer.exe from the installed files |
Uses the Steam client and its library location |
| SteamCMD | Automation, scripted updates, or a headless administration workflow | Use force_install_dir, login anonymous, and app_update 739590 validate; copy the finished server out of the SteamCMD folder |
Uses Steam app ID 739590 |
| Direct ZIP | Administrators who prefer a self-contained folder | Download the server archive and extract it into an empty folder | Requires a Strange Loop Games account and an Eco purchase through that account or a linked Steam account |
| Rented dedicated hosting | Groups that need a continuously available machine without maintaining one | Use the provider’s deployment panel, then configure the same world, access, and backup settings | Provider support, storage, network reachability, and recurring fee vary |
How do I install an Eco server from Steam?
The Steam route keeps the files and updates in the normal Steam library structure.
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Change the library filter to Tools.
- Find and install Eco Server. Steam places the server under the Eco installation.
- Open the installed server folder and locate
EcoServer.exe. - Run the executable. Leave the window open while the first world is generated and loaded.
The server interface appears only after generation and loading complete. A long first startup is normal; do not assume the process has failed merely because no interface is visible immediately.
How do I install an Eco server with SteamCMD?
SteamCMD is useful when you want repeatable commands, a machine without the normal Steam interface, or a scripted update process. The documented application ID is 739590.
- Install SteamCMD for the operating system you plan to use and open its command prompt.
- Set a destination outside the SteamCMD program directory with
force_install_dir. - Log in anonymously with
login anonymous. - Download and validate the server files with
app_update 739590 validate. - Exit SteamCMD after the command completes.
- Copy the resulting Eco server folder out of the SteamCMD folder before hosting it. Keeping the live installation separate makes later SteamCMD updates less likely to disturb the files you are actively running.
- Open the copied folder and run
EcoServer.exe.
force_install_dir <server-folder>
login anonymous
app_update 739590 validateReplace <server-folder> with the destination you chose. The command sequence downloads the files; it does not configure your world, password, public listing, or router. Complete those tasks after the first launch.
How do I install the server from a ZIP download?
The direct-download method gives you a server folder without requiring the Steam client. Sign in to your Strange Loop Games account, confirm that the Eco purchase is attached to that account or a linked Steam account, download the server ZIP, and extract it into an empty folder.
- Create a dedicated folder for the server rather than extracting over an older installation.
- Extract every archive file into that folder.
- Run
EcoServer.exefrom the extracted files. - Wait for world generation and loading before changing settings or inviting players.
Keep the original archive and a copy of the extracted folder until you have confirmed that the server starts and the world saves correctly.
How do I start the first world and open the server interface?
Start EcoServer.exe and wait for generation, database creation, and loading to finish. The initial generation can take time because the server is creating the map rather than merely opening a finished save.
- Launch the executable from the installation folder.
- Watch the server window for generation and loading progress.
- When the interface is available, open the configuration controls and set the server identity, access rules, and world options.
- Use File > Save after making changes in the interface.
- Restart the server after direct configuration-file edits; file changes generally do not apply to an already running process.
If the web interface does not load, check that the process is still running, that your account has permission to access its files, and that the machine has an appropriate .NET runtime. The advanced setup notes identify an outdated .NET installation as a possible web-interface problem.
Which ports does an Eco server use?
The setup documentation lists 3000 UDP for game traffic and 3001 TCP for the web service. Players connect to the game port; the web port is for administration and should not be handed out as the address for joining the world.
| Function | Default port | Protocol | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 3000 | UDP | Client connections and direct joining |
| Web service | 3001 | TCP | Server web interface |
| Alternate game traffic when the client and server share one computer | 4000 | UDP | Example alternate game port |
| Alternate web service when the client and server share one computer | 4001 | TCP | Example alternate web port |
If the same computer runs both the game client and the dedicated server, use alternate ports such as 4000 and 4001 as described in the setup guide. Update the server configuration and any firewall or router rules together; opening 3000 while the server listens on 4000 will not work.
Do I need router port forwarding?
Eco versions differ in how they handle NAT. Newer versions may use NAT punchthrough, while older builds may require explicit router and firewall forwarding. The documentation calls out version 0.7.4 as a threshold in its forwarding guidance, so check the instructions that match your installed build instead of assuming one behavior applies to every release.
When forwarding is required, create a router rule that sends the configured game UDP port to the server computer’s local address. Permit the same port through the operating system firewall. Forward the web TCP port only if you intentionally need remote web administration; it is not required for players to join the game.
How do I configure the world, visibility, and player access?
Use the server interface for routine changes or edit the configuration files when you need repeatable, scripted settings. The available controls cover the following areas:
World generation
- Choose the world size and seed before creating the map.
- Keep map values divisible by four, as required by the setup guidance.
- Changing
WorldGeneratorsettings does not reshape an existing save. A wipe and regeneration are required before those changes take effect.
Visibility and identity
- Set the server name that players will see in the browser.
- Enable or disable
PublicServerto control whether the server is listed publicly. - Choose a password when you want a private group rather than an open listing.
- Set the maximum number of connections supported by your plan for the machine; no authoritative player-capacity benchmark is supplied, so treat capacity as a practical test rather than a published guarantee.
Administration and admission
- Add administrators using an SLG ID or Steam64 ID.
- Use the whitelist when only named players should enter.
- Check the exact ID format before saving an entry; a display name alone is not the identifier specified by the setup documentation.
Saving changes
Interface edits require File > Save. Direct edits to Configs files generally require a restart, so stop the server cleanly, edit one setting at a time, and start it again. Keep a copy of the previous file so you can restore a known-good configuration if the server fails to load.
How do I protect an Eco world during updates?
The Storage folder contains world data and backups. The Configs folder contains the settings that determine how the server starts. Protect both before changing versions or replacing server files.
- Stop
EcoServer.execleanly and confirm that it is no longer writing to disk. - Copy the entire installation, including
StorageandConfigs, to a separate backup location. - Apply the server update to the program files.
- Do not overwrite the backed-up
StorageorConfigswith empty folders from a fresh download. - Start the updated server and verify that the expected world, password, administrators, and whitelist are present.
- Keep the pre-update copy until players have connected successfully and you have confirmed that saves and scheduled backups still work.
Configure the server’s backup frequency before inviting a community. Backups protect against configuration mistakes and failed updates, but they are not a substitute for copying the folders to a different disk or machine.
How do players join an Eco server?
For a LAN game, start the server and let players use the in-game server browser on the same network. For a public listing, enable PublicServer, keep the server process running, and wait for the listing to appear.
- Start the server and wait until the world is fully loaded.
- Give players the server name for a browser search, or provide the reachable address and configured game port for a direct connection.
- If you changed the default port, provide that replacement port rather than 3000.
- Keep the server running for the entire play session.
Do not give players the web port (3001 by default). A browser listing can fail while a direct connection works, or the reverse, because listing, NAT, and firewall rules are separate parts of the network path.
Why can’t my friends see my Eco server?
Work through the checks below in order. Most visibility failures come from a stopped process, a blocked port, a private-list setting, or a network that cannot accept inbound connections.
1. Confirm that the server is actually running
Look for the active EcoServer.exe process and a fully loaded world. If generation is still in progress, the server may not yet be available in the browser.
2. Verify the address and port
Use the machine’s reachable address and the configured UDP game port. A server moved from 3000 to 4000 will not accept connections sent to 3000, and the TCP web port is not a substitute for the game port.
3. Check firewall and antivirus rules
Allow the server executable and the configured game UDP port through the operating system firewall. Security software can block a newly extracted executable even when the router rule is correct. Permission problems may require elevated rights before the firewall rule or server files can be changed.
4. Check public-list settings
Enable PublicServer when you expect the server to appear publicly. A private server can still be reachable by direct address while remaining absent from the public browser.
5. Check the router and NAT type
If your version requires forwarding, send the game UDP port to the server computer’s current local address. A DS-Lite or shared-IPv4 arrangement may prevent inbound forwarding entirely; in that case, ask the internet provider for a usable public IPv4 address or use a hosting arrangement that supplies reachable networking.
6. Test locally before testing from outside
Have a player on the same LAN search for the server first. A successful LAN connection points toward an external NAT, router, or public-listing problem rather than a broken world file.
7. Check the web interface separately
If the game works but the web interface does not, inspect the TCP web port, local firewall, permissions, and .NET version independently. The web service and game service use different protocols and can fail separately.
Should I self-host or rent a dedicated Eco server?
Self-hosting gives you direct control and avoids a provider’s recurring service charge, but your machine, power, internet connection, backups, and troubleshooting become your responsibility. Rented hosting moves the always-on requirement to a provider and usually simplifies public reachability, at the cost of a recurring fee and dependence on the provider’s tools and support.
| Consideration | Self-hosting | Rented dedicated hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront hardware | You supply and maintain the computer | Provider supplies the server hardware |
| Recurring cost | Your electricity and internet costs | Provider-specific monthly charge |
| Uptime | Limited by your computer, power, and connection | Depends on the provider’s infrastructure and policy |
| Backups | You configure and copy Storage and Configs | Provider tools may automate backups; verify retention before relying on them |
| Mods and files | Direct access to the installation | Depends on the host’s file and mod permissions |
| Administrative control | Full operating-system and server-folder control | Control is limited to the provider’s panel and access method |
| Port and NAT work | You handle firewall, router, and NAT constraints | Provider normally supplies a reachable service endpoint |
| Support | Your own troubleshooting | Provider support is available, with scope determined by its service terms |
Choose self-hosting when you want file-level control, can keep the machine online, and can manage networking. Choose rented hosting when consistent availability matters more than owning the underlying machine.
What is the safest complete setup sequence?
For a small community, the following order minimizes rework:
- Select Steam, SteamCMD, ZIP, or rented hosting based on who will maintain the machine.
- Install the server files and locate
EcoServer.exe. - Launch once and wait for the initial world generation to finish.
- Set the world seed and size, remembering that map values must be divisible by four.
- Set the server name, password, public visibility, maximum connections, administrators, whitelist, and backup frequency.
- Save through File > Save, or restart after direct file edits.
- Confirm the game port and web port; use 4000 and 4001, for example, when the client and server share one computer.
- Allow the game port through the firewall and configure router forwarding if your Eco version and NAT require it.
- Back up
StorageandConfigsbefore updates or a world-generator change. - Test a LAN connection, then test an external connection before sharing the address with the whole group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can players join an Eco server that is not publicly listed?
Yes. A server can remain private and still accept players who use its reachable address and configured game port. Public listing is a discovery feature, not a requirement for a direct connection; the host should share the game port and any password separately.
What should I back up before changing the world generator?
Copy the complete installation, especially the Storage and Configs folders, to a separate location before making the change. World-generator edits affect a newly generated map, so retaining the old Storage copy is the practical way to return to the previous world.
Why does my LAN test work but an outside player still cannot connect?
A successful LAN test proves that the server process and local firewall path work, but it does not test your public route. Investigate the router’s forwarding target, shared-IPv4 or DS-Lite restrictions, and whether the external player is using the current game port.
Can I expose the web interface without exposing the game port?
No; the web interface and game traffic are separate services. Remote administration uses the TCP web port, while joining the world requires the UDP game port, so opening only the web service cannot let players connect.