Enshrouded Troubleshooting 8 min read

Enshrouded Multiplayer Not Working? Server Connection Troubleshooting

Darius N. •
4.9

491+ Satisfied Customers

Enshrouded multiplayer works well once it’s set up correctly, but getting there can be frustrating. Between port forwarding quirks, Steam’s relay system, and the game’s Early Access networking, there are a lot of places where things can quietly go wrong.

This guide covers the most common connection problems and their fixes. Each issue gets its own section, so scroll to whatever matches your situation.

Can’t connect to the server

This is the broadest problem, and the cause is usually one of three things: ports, firewall, or the IP address itself.

Port forwarding

Enshrouded uses two UDP ports:

  • 15636 - game traffic
  • 15637 - Steam query port

Both need to be forwarded in your router to the machine running the server. A common mistake is forwarding them as a single range (15636-15637) in one rule. Some routers don’t handle that correctly. Create two separate forwarding rules - one for each port - mapping the same external and internal port.

Firewall

Windows Firewall blocks Enshrouded by default. You need inbound rules for both ports (UDP). The easiest method is to run these PowerShell commands as administrator:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Enshrouded Game" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 15636 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Enshrouded Query" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 15637 -Action Allow

If you’re running third-party antivirus or firewall software, check those too. They often have their own rules independent of Windows Firewall.

IP address

In your enshrouded_server.json, the IP should be set to 0.0.0.0 - not your local or public IP. This tells the server to listen on all available network interfaces. Players connect using your public IP, which you can find at a site like whatismyip.com.

Tip

If you’re on a managed host like WinterNode, port forwarding and firewall configuration are handled for you. You just need your server’s IP address, which is shown in your control panel. Get your Enshrouded server →

Server not appearing in the server list

The Enshrouded server browser is slow to populate. Give it 1-2 minutes before assuming something is broken.

If it still doesn’t show up:

Connect directly by IP. From the main menu, click Play, then Join. Press T to switch to the IPv4/Domain search. Enter your server’s IP address and click Search. This bypasses the server browser entirely and is the most reliable connection method.

Add to Steam Favorites. Open Steam, go to View > Game Servers > Favorites, and add your server IP with the query port (e.g., 192.168.1.100:15637). Launch Enshrouded and hit Refresh in the server browser. Your server should appear immediately.

Check for port 27015 conflicts. Enshrouded uses Steam port 27015 in the background. If you’re running another game server (ARK, Palworld, CS2) on the same machine, that port may already be in use. Stop the other server or change its query port.

Use a unique server name. Generic names like “Enshrouded Server” can get buried. Set something distinctive in your server config to make it easier to find.

Connection timed out

Timeout errors usually point to network-level problems rather than game configuration.

  • Verify the server is actually running. Check the console output or task manager. A crashed server won’t reject connections - it just won’t respond.
  • Check if the server has finished loading. Enshrouded servers can take a minute or two to fully start, especially with larger worlds. Wait for the “ready” message in the console before connecting.
  • Try from outside your network. If you’re testing from the same LAN as the server, some routers don’t support NAT loopback (connecting to your own public IP from inside the network). Have a friend try, or test using your phone’s mobile data.
  • Restart your router. If port forwarding was recently changed, some routers need a full reboot to apply the new rules.

Steam relay latency and lag

Since a late 2024 update, Enshrouded routes all multiplayer traffic through Steam’s relay network. This includes LAN connections, which means even players on the same network go through Steam’s servers first.

This adds latency. How much depends on how far Steam routes the traffic, and that depends on each player’s Steam download region setting.

The fix: Have every player set their Steam download region to the same region as the server’s physical location. In Steam, go to Settings > Downloads > Download Region. If the server is in Chicago, everyone should pick “US - Chicago.” Mismatched regions can add 100-200ms of unnecessary latency.

This is a game-level design decision by the developers at Keen Games, not something you can work around with better hardware or a faster connection. It affects all servers equally - self-hosted, managed, and local.

Version mismatch

When Enshrouded updates, the client and server must be on the same version. The server browser now shows a version mismatch indicator, but the error message when trying to join isn’t always clear.

For self-hosted servers: Update the server through SteamCMD. Run app_update 2278520 to pull the latest version. If you’re using a script to auto-start the server, make sure it runs the update step first.

For managed servers: Most hosting panels handle updates automatically when you restart. On WinterNode, you can trigger an update from the control panel’s version manager.

For players: Verify your game files in Steam (right-click Enshrouded > Properties > Installed Files > Verify Integrity). Auto-updates sometimes fail silently.

Warning

After a game update, always restart your server before trying to connect. Running an outdated server binary with an updated client is the number one cause of version mismatch errors.

Lag and rubber-banding

Not all lag is the same. The fix depends on whether the issue is network-related or server performance.

Network lag (high ping, teleporting)

If players are teleporting or actions feel delayed but the server console shows normal performance:

  • Steam region mismatch. See the Steam Relay section above. This is the most common cause.
  • WiFi instability. Players on WiFi, especially with routers that auto-switch between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, experience intermittent packet loss. Switching to a wired connection often resolves it.
  • Geographic distance. Players 5,000+ miles from the server will always have higher latency. Choose a server location that’s central to your group.

Server performance lag (everyone lags at once)

If all players experience lag simultaneously, the server is the bottleneck:

  • Memory leaks. Enshrouded has known memory leak issues. Schedule automatic restarts every 8-12 hours to keep things stable.
  • Player spread. When 16 players are in 16 different biomes, the server loads 16 times the terrain data. Grouping up in the same area significantly reduces server load.
  • RAM allocation. For groups of 4-8 players, 8GB is the recommended starting point. Larger groups or heavily built worlds may need more. See our Enshrouded RAM guide for detailed recommendations.

Players getting disconnected randomly

Random disconnects without any error message are the hardest to diagnose. Work through these in order:

  1. Switch from WiFi to wired. This solves the majority of random disconnect issues. If your router has a “smart switching” feature that bounces devices between bands, disable it.
  2. Clear Steam’s download cache. In Steam, go to Settings > Downloads > Clear Download Cache. This resets Steam’s network state and can fix connection drops related to the relay system.
  3. Check server resources. If the server is running out of memory, it may silently drop connections rather than crashing outright. Monitor RAM usage and increase allocation if it’s consistently above 80%.
  4. Look for the “server overloaded” warning. If players see this message in-game before disconnecting, the server needs more resources or a restart.

Self-hosted vs. managed hosting

If you’ve spent an evening debugging port forwarding, firewall rules, and Steam relay settings, you’ve experienced the main drawback of self-hosting: you’re the IT department.

Self-hosting is viable if you already have a spare machine and enjoy the tinkering. But every problem in this guide - ports, firewalls, updates, restarts, performance monitoring - is something you have to manage yourself.

Managed hosting handles the infrastructure. Ports are pre-configured, DDoS protection is included, updates can be applied from a panel, and when something breaks, you have a support team to help diagnose it.

On WinterNode, Enshrouded servers start at $1.99/GB with instant setup. We recommend 8GB for most groups, which runs $15.92/month. No CPU limits, unmetered storage, and support from people who actually run these servers themselves.

Get your Enshrouded server →

For setup instructions, see our connection guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common causes are incorrect port forwarding (UDP 15636 and 15637), firewall rules blocking traffic, or a version mismatch between client and server. If you're self-hosting, double-check that both ports are forwarded as separate rules and that Windows Firewall has inbound exceptions for each.

The server browser can take 1-2 minutes to fully populate. If your server still doesn't appear, try connecting directly via IP. In the Join menu, press T to search by IPv4 and enter your server's IP address. Also check that query port 15637 is open and not conflicting with another service.

First, make sure all players have their Steam download region set to the same region as the server. Enshrouded routes traffic through Steam's relay network, so mismatched regions add latency. If lag persists, schedule server restarts every 8-12 hours to address known memory leak issues, and keep players grouped in the same area when possible.

Random disconnections are often caused by WiFi instability. If your router switches between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands automatically, disable smart switching. Players on WiFi should switch to a wired connection. On the server side, make sure the server isn't running out of memory or hitting its CPU ceiling.

Enshrouded is Steam-only and does not support crossplay. All multiplayer traffic routes through Steam's relay network, so even LAN connections go through Steam servers. This means both the host and all players need an active internet connection.

Back to all posts