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Game Server Troubleshooting

Reference this guide when customers report game server issues. Organized by symptom category for quick diagnosis.

SymptomPossible CauseResolution
Connection timed outServer not runningCheck portal status, start server
Connection refusedWrong IP/portVerify connection details in portal
Server not in browserStill booting, private modeWait 5 minutes, check server flags
Kicked immediatelyWhitelist, ban, version mismatchCheck server logs, verify client version
  1. Verify server is running — Check portal status indicator
  2. Check connection info — Confirm IP:port from portal
  3. Review firewall — Ports should be open automatically
  4. Test locally — Try connecting from same network
  5. Check game version — Client and server must match

If connection issues persist:

  1. Customer should try:

    • Flush DNS (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows)
    • Disable VPN temporarily
    • Try different network
  2. Check server side:

    • Verify allocations in Pterodactyl
    • Check for DDoS mitigation triggers
    • Review node network status

Symptoms:

  • Rubber-banding
  • Delayed actions
  • High ping reported

Solutions:

  1. Check server location vs player location
  2. Reduce tick rate if applicable
  3. Optimize heavy scripts/plugins
  4. Upgrade plan for more resources
  5. Check node network status

Common in: Minecraft, FiveM, Rust

Causes:

  • CPU overload
  • Heavy plugins/scripts
  • World size/complexity
  • Memory pressure

Solutions:

  1. Profile with game-specific tools:
    • Minecraft: /spark profiler, Timings
    • FiveM: resmon, txAdmin performance
    • Rust: Oxide diagnostics
  2. Identify heavy operations
  3. Optimize or remove problematic addons
  4. Upgrade plan resources

Symptoms:

  • Server crashes
  • “Out of memory” errors
  • Degrading performance over time

Solutions:

  1. Check current memory usage in portal
  2. Review memory allocation vs plan limit
  3. Schedule regular restarts to clear memory
  4. Identify memory leaks in plugins/mods
  5. Upgrade plan if consistently near limit

Causes:

  • Configuration error
  • Missing dependencies
  • Corrupted files

Diagnostic steps:

  1. Check console output for error message
  2. Review recent changes (configs, plugins, updates)
  3. Try starting with minimal configuration
  4. Restore from last known working backup

Server ran out of memory:

  1. Reduce startup memory allocation
  2. Remove heavy plugins/mods
  3. Upgrade plan for more RAM
  4. Check for memory leaks

Server exited normally but shouldn’t have:

  1. Check if startup command is correct
  2. Verify game files aren’t corrupted
  3. Review configuration for auto-stop settings
IssueCauseFix
Chunk errorsCorruptionDelete region files or restore backup
Plugin conflictsIncompatible versionsCheck plugin compatibility matrix
Forge/Fabric crashMod conflictsReview crash log, remove conflicting mods
World not loadingWrong level-nameCheck server.properties
IssueCauseFix
Infinite loadingResource errorCheck txAdmin console for errors
txAdmin won’t startPort conflict, config errorVerify ports, reset txAdmin
Database errorsConnection string wrongCheck mysql_connection_string
Resources not loadingManifest error, dependency missingCheck fxmanifest.lua, load order
IssueCauseFix
EAC kicksEAC configurationVerify EAC settings
Wipe issuesIncomplete wipeDelete all map/save files
Plugin errorsOxide version mismatchUpdate Oxide, check plugin compatibility
IssueCauseFix
Mods not downloadingSteam Workshop issuesForce mod update, verify IDs
Save corruptionImproper shutdownRestore backup, enable autosave
Admin commands failNot configuredAdd Steam IDs to admin config
ErrorCauseFix
413 Request Too LargeFile too big for web uploadUse SFTP instead
Permission deniedWrong file ownershipRe-upload via SFTP
Connection timeoutSlow connectionUse reliable network, compress files

Prevention:

  • Use proper text editors (not Word)
  • Version control important configs
  • Backup before editing

Recovery:

  1. Restore from backup
  2. Download fresh default config
  3. Manually fix syntax errors
IssueFix
Connection refusedVerify port (usually 2022), check credentials
Authentication failedReset password in portal
TimeoutCheck firewall, try different client

Causes:

  • Storage limit reached
  • Server running during backup
  • File locks

Solutions:

  1. Check storage usage
  2. Stop server before manual backup
  3. Verify backup schedule configuration
  1. Verify backup integrity before restore
  2. Stop server completely
  3. Choose correct restore options
  4. Restart and verify
  1. Verify schedule is enabled
  2. Check cron expression syntax
  3. Confirm timezone settings
  4. Review task execution logs
  1. Verify timezone configuration
  2. Check cron expression (minute/hour order)
  3. Account for DST if applicable

Contact support when:

  • Multiple customers affected
  • Node-level problems suspected
  • Network issues beyond customer control
  • Hardware failures
Server Information:
- Server name and ID
- Game type and version
- Plan tier
Issue Details:
- When it started
- What changed recently
- Error messages/logs
Troubleshooting Done:
- Steps already taken
- Results of each step
  1. Portal → Server → Status indicator
  1. Portal → Server → Console
  1. Portal → Server → Restart button
  1. Portal → Server → File Manager
  2. Or via SFTP (port 2022)
  1. Portal → Server → Backups
  2. Select backup → Restore