Guide

Hosting

Host a game while you play

  1. Finish installation and confirm that the game reaches the menu.
  2. Enter the Custom Games lobby.
  3. Open Host Settings.
  4. Make sure Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is set to Enabled - this should automatically make the game accessible from outside of your LAN if your router supports it and if you have allowed the game through your firewall. If people cannot connect to you still, you may have to follow the 'Make the game reachable' steps below.
  5. Enable Display Server in Browser if you want the server to be announced publicly to the master servers. This is how the server browser finds and shows your server to other players. If you don't have this enabled, you will have to send players your IP address so they can direct connect to you by pressing F1 and using the console command connect 219.59.24.16, where the IP is substituted for your own.
  6. Set Network Mode to Online for a networked session. Choose a recognizable Server Name and a Max Players limit between 1 and 16.
  7. Set a Password for a friends-only game and share it privately. An unannounced server could still accept connections, so use the password to control who can join.
  8. Choose No Voting under Voting Mode, then use Close to save your settings and leave Host Settings.
  9. Select your map and matching gametype, then start the game.

Have a second player join to check that your setup works. An important note: ElDewrito does not have host migration like in Halo 3 lobbies; the party leader is the host, and the game session will end as soon as you stop playing.

Make the game reachable

Players need to reach both the game's gameplay port and its information port. UPnP should automatically open these ports if it is supported by your router and firewall (or those of your hosting provider).

Ports and protocols

Use these ports unless you have changed the corresponding settings.

  • UDP 11774 — gameplay. The corresponding game setting is Server.GamePort.
  • TCP 11775 — information server. The corresponding setting is Server.Port.
  • TCP 11777 — optional voice signaling. The corresponding setting is Server.SignalServerPort.
  • TCP 11776 — optional RCON. The corresponding setting is Game.RconPort.

If UPnP does not work, allow UDP 11774 and TCP 11775 through the host firewall and forward them to the host PC in your router configuration. Docker servers must also publish the ports. RCON is for remote administration and normally do not need to be exposed.

Test in this order

  1. Host PC: reach the lobby, load the map, and confirm the game is not reporting a startup or content error.
  2. Another device on the LAN: join using the host's LAN address and spawn. The console syntax is Server.Connect host:port, using the information port. For example, enter Server.Connect 192.168.1.50:11775, replacing the address and port with your host's values. For a password-protected server, use the browser's password prompt.
  3. A player outside the LAN: have a friend on another Internet connection join and spawn using your public endpoint or browser listing. Play through a map change and reconnect. A same-PC test or TCP port-check website does not check whether gameplay UDP traffic reaches your server.

If LAN play works but an outside player cannot join, check the forwarding destination, protocol, firewall profile, and the router's WAN address. With two routers, both NAT layers may need configuration. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), ask for a public address that supports inbound connections, or use a hosting service or VPN that provides port forwarding.

If outside players can join but you cannot connect to your own public address from inside the LAN, your router may lack NAT loopback. Use the LAN address internally rather than changing a working public setup.

For an unattended server, follow Dedicated servers. Use Playlists and voting to set up a rotation, or Server administration for RCON, maintenance and multiple instances.