How to Host a DDNet Server (DDraceNetwork Setup Guide 2026)

To host a DDNet server, take the DDNet-Server program that ships with every DDNet download, put your settings in autoexec_server.cfg (name, password, map, sv_register and sv_rcon_password), and start it. It listens on UDP port 8303 by default, so forward that port if you host at home. Friends connect by typing the address into the server browser, or find it in the public list if sv_register is on.

Why run your own DDNet server?

DDNet already has a big network of official servers, so it is fair to ask why you would bother. Three reasons come up again and again:

• Team runs without strangers. On a public server, someone always joins your team at the wrong moment or blocks the one spot you need. A passworded server is just your group.
• Custom and work in progress maps. Mappers need a place to test a map with friends before submitting it. Official servers only run released maps.
• Your own rules and votes. Which maps can be voted, who gets rcon, whether the server is listed at all.

DDNet is free and open source, so nobody in your group pays for the game, and the server is tiny.

What do you need?

Almost nothing. DDNet is a 2D game with simple physics.

Bandwidth and a stable connection matter more than CPU. Hooking and freezing are timing sensitive, so a server with high ping or packet loss feels worse than a slow one.

Step 1: Get the server program

Download DDNet from ddnet.org or Steam. The download contains the client and a separate server program:

• Windows: DDNet-Server.exe
• Linux: DDNet-Server

On a Linux machine with no desktop you only need the server: grab the Linux archive from ddnet.org, extract it and use DDNet-Server.

Keep the server on the same release as your players. DDNet updates often, and an old server can confuse newer clients with missing features.

Step 2: Write autoexec_server.cfg

The server reads autoexec_server.cfg at start. Put it next to the server program or in the data folder, and fill in the basics:

sv_name "Hook Practice"
sv_port 8303
password "letmein"
sv_map "Tutorial"
sv_register 0
sv_max_clients 16
sv_rcon_password "a-long-secret"
sv_rcon_mod_password "a-different-secret"

Map names are case sensitive. Tutorial works, tutorial does not.

Step 3: Open the port

DDNet uses one UDP port. Forward UDP 8303 on your router to the PC running the server and allow it through the firewall. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. If you run more than one server on the same machine, give each its own sv_port, for example 8303, 8304 and 8305.

With sv_register 1 the server announces itself to the DDNet master servers, which then check that it is reachable from the internet. A server whose port is closed will not appear in the list even with registration on.

Step 4: Start it and connect

Start DDNet-Server. The console prints the map it loaded and the port it bound. Then, on each player's PC:

1. Launch DDNet and click Play.
2. Type the server address into the box at the bottom of the browser, for example 203.0.113.40:8303.
3. Press Connect and enter the password.

Add it to favorites once and it is a single click next time.

Step 5: Log in to the remote console

Press F2 in game to open the remote console, type your rcon password and press Enter. You can now change maps, kick players and run any server command without touching the server machine:

change_map "Kobra 4"

Our DDNet rcon and admin commands guide lists the useful ones, and adding custom maps to a DDNet server covers map uploads and vote menus.

Public or private?

A private, passworded server is what most groups want. Public servers attract players quickly in DDNet, which is great for a community and a headache for a team that wants to practise one hard map in peace.

Hosting it without a home PC

If nobody in the group wants to leave a PC on, our DDraceNetwork server hosting runs DDNet-Server for you with its own address, so there is no port to forward. The control panel has the game version (latest, nightly or a specific release), server name, password, starting map and a Register server switch that puts you on the public list or keeps you off it. Custom maps go up through the file manager or SFTP, and the live console shows who joins. It runs comfortably on the smallest plan, and new customers get half off the first month.

FAQ

What port does a DDNet server use?

UDP 8303 by default, set with sv_port. Each server on the same machine needs its own port.

Why is my DDNet server not in the server list?

sv_register is off, or the port is not reachable from the internet. Turn registration on, forward the UDP port and restart the server.

Do players need to download custom maps?

No. The server sends the map file to each player automatically when they join.

Can I run a DDNet server on Windows?

Yes. DDNet-Server.exe comes with the normal Windows download. Put autoexec_server.cfg next to it and run it.

How many players can join?

64 by default, set with sv_max_clients. Recent versions allow up to 128.