Satisfactory: Can't connect to server — every fix
Fix a Satisfactory dedicated-server connection in the right order. Match the branch, add the server in Server Manager, open TCP/UDP 7777 plus TCP 8888, wait out the 1.1 handshake, then share or clear the password.
If Satisfactory cannot connect, work through these checks in order. Do not delete the factory save first. The two usual failures are a branch mismatch and a missing 1.1 reliable port.
Stop as soon as one fix works. If you are helping somebody else, test with one player before asking the whole group to retry.
1. Match the client and server branch
The client and dedicated server must run the same Satisfactory branch (Stable or Experimental) and the same patch.
Update the player's game
Close Satisfactory, let Steam or the Epic launcher finish the update, and stay on the same branch as the server.
Update the dedicated server
Stop the server. On berrybyte, Auto Update pulls the current dedicated build on the next start. Restart once after the patch is live.
Do not mix Experimental and Stable
A Stable client will not join an Experimental dedicated server.
If you do not want to babysit Coffee Stain patches, rent a Satisfactory server that updates on start.
2. Add the server in Server Manager
Dedicated servers are joined from Server Manager, not a Steam-friend invite.
Copy Server address
On berrybyte, copy Server address from Overview.
Split host and port in Add Server
Open Server Manager, click Add Server, put the part before the colon in Address and the part after it in Port, confirm, then Join Game.
Claim the server only once
The first admin claim is not a join failure. Finish that prompt, then join.
3. Wait out a connect-then-load hang
If the client connects and then sits on loading, 7777 answered and 8888 did not. That pairing shipped in patch 1.1.
Confirm both current ports are open
Need 7777 TCP and UDP plus 8888 TCP. Guides that still mention 15000 and 15777 are from Early Access. Those ports are unused.
Match -ReliablePort on a self-hosted box
Set -ReliablePort / -ExternalReliablePort to the
forwarded 8888. Do not remap 7777 to a different external
port. Coffee Stain does not support redirecting the game
port.
berrybyte already opens the current pair. See Satisfactory common issues.
4. Use the ports the server bound
A hosted allocation can differ from 7777. Always copy Overview.
Do not assume 7777
On berrybyte, the address on Overview is the game port the process bound.
Forward the 1.1 set (self-host)
Every firewall and router between the machine and the internet must allow 7777 TCP/UDP and 8888 TCP, or the custom pair you configured.
Self-hosters who are fighting NAT can rent a Satisfactory server that already has those ports reachable.
5. Share or clear the password
A passworded factory rejects a blank or mistyped string at the Server Manager prompt.
Read the configured password
On berrybyte, open Settings → Game Settings.
Send the exact string, or clear it
Check capitalisation and characters that chat apps rewrite. Clear it for a public test, then restart.
6. Remove mods for one test join
A required SML mod that the client does not have fails the handshake.
Test vanilla
Disable server mods, restart, and join from a client with Satisfactory Mod Manager mods off.
Reinstall matching mods
If vanilla works, put the same ficsit.app set on every client. See Popular Satisfactory mods.
If none of the six fixes worked
Confirm Console reached a ready state. Then check the leftover causes:
- Wait several minutes after a cold start before using the browser.
- Check steamstat.us.
- Check berrybytestatus.com.
- A save that failed to serialize. Restore a backup instead of retrying the same broken file.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I connect to a Satisfactory server?
Match the game branch first. Do not mix Experimental and Stable. Then add the server in Server Manager with the Overview address, open 7777 TCP/UDP plus 8888 TCP, and wait for the 1.1 handshake. Ports 15000 and 15777 are retired.
Why does Satisfactory connect then sit on loading?
Port 7777 answered and the reliable messaging port (8888 TCP by default) did not. That is the usual leftover from pre-1.1 guides. berrybyte already opens both. On a home host, forward 8888 TCP and match -ReliablePort.
How do I join a Satisfactory dedicated server?
Open Satisfactory, choose Server Manager, click Add Server, put the host before the colon in Address and the number after it in Port, confirm, then Join Game. A Steam-friend invite is not the dedicated path.
What ports does a Satisfactory dedicated server use?
Since patch 1.1, 7777 TCP and UDP for game traffic and the API, plus 8888 TCP for reliable messaging. Early Access ports 15000 and 15777 are unused.
Why is my Satisfactory server missing from the browser?
New servers can take several minutes to register. Add the IP in Server Manager instead. Steam being down also hides browsers.