Port forwarding for a 7 Days to Die server
No game here has an odder port layout than 7 Days to Die: the game port on TCP and UDP both, followed by three more UDP ports directly above it for server data and the Steam query.
Your setup
Choose the firmware family rather than your exact model — every router in a family shares the same menus.
Out of the box it is 26900. If you changed that, use whatever you set in ServerPort in serverconfig.xml.
The local address of the computer that runs the server. Find it with ipconfig on Windows or ip addr on Linux; it will begin with 192.168, 10. or 172.
Open these
Your firmware takes ranges, so each line here is one rule.
- 26900 TCP
- 26900-26903 UDP
26900TCPGame trafficServerPort. 7 Days needs TCP here and UDP on the ports above it — an unusual split that trips most people up.26900UDPGame trafficThe same number over UDP.26901UDPServer dataClaimed automatically alongside the main port.26902UDPServer dataClaimed automatically alongside the main port.26903UDPSteam queryNeeded to show up in the server browser.
Do not open these
These are admin sockets. Many guides put them in the same list as the game ports, but forwarding them exposes a remote console for your server to the whole internet.
8080TCPWeb dashboardThe control panel. It has a login, but it is still an admin surface on a game box.8081TCPTelnetUnencrypted remote console. Forwarding this is the worst mistake available on this page.
For remote administration, connect to the machine through SSH or a VPN and use the port locally from there. Nobody else can reach it that way.
Step by step: your router
- 1
Give the server a fixed local IP
A forwarding rule targets a single local address. If the server comes back from a reboot with a new one, the rule quietly points at an empty address — which is how forwards seem to "break by themselves".
On this router:look for DHCP Reservation, Address Reservation, Static Lease or Manually Assigned IP
- 2
Open the router admin page
From a device on the same network, open one of these in a browser:
- 192.168.0.1
- 192.168.1.1
- 192.168.2.1
- 10.0.0.1
Almost always printed on a sticker on the router itself.
- 3
Find the port forwarding page
Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, NAT, Applications & Gaming, or Port Mapping
Vendors use at least six names for the same feature. Whatever it is called, the page you want is the one asking for a port, a protocol and a device on your network. If the external and internal port fields both exist, set them to the same number.
- 4
Create one rule per line
a description field, if there is one External / WAN / Public / Service port Internal / LAN / Private port Protocol Internal IP / Device / Server IP 7 Days to Die 26900 26900 TCP your server’s local IP 7 Days to Die 26900-26903 26900-26903 UDP your server’s local IP Use the same number for the external and internal port. You can make the external one different, but then every player has to connect on that new number, so keep them identical unless you have a specific reason not to.
- 5
Let the server through its own firewall
The router is now sending traffic to the right computer, but that computer can still turn it away. Windows Defender Firewall is the usual offender: it blocks a newly installed dedicated server by default, and from outside that is indistinguishable from a broken forward.
Take it with you
7 Days to Die — port forwarding rules ------------------------------------- 26900 TCP -> <server local IP> 26900-26903 UDP -> <server local IP>
Check whether it worked
Always test from outside your network. A connection from another device in the house proves nothing: that traffic stays on your LAN and never passes through the rule you just created.
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The usual mistake
The mix of protocols is what trips people up. Forward the range over UDP alone and the game port is only half set up; forward it over TCP alone and the rest stays closed. Separately, the server comes with a telnet console and a web dashboard, and neither should face the internet — telnet sends its password in plain text, so forwarding it gives complete control to anybody who can watch the traffic.
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Skipping port forwarding
Horde night is when a 7 Days server reveals what it is running on, since the zombie count peaks exactly when everyone is online. A server that already struggles on a quiet evening will not enjoy day seven.