SA-MP Server Not Showing in Internet List or Not Responding

A SA-MP server usually misses the Internet tab for one of two reasons: the old SA-MP masterlist the 0.3.7 client reads is no longer reliable, or the server is not answering queries because announce or query is off or UDP port 7777 is blocked. Make sure announce 1 and query 1 are in server.cfg, confirm the server answers from outside your network, then add it to Favourites or use the open.mp launcher, which reads a list that is actually maintained. If players see "The server didn't respond. Retrying..", the problem is the port, not the list.

Work through the checks below in order. Each one rules out a layer, so you stop guessing.

First, separate the two problems

These look the same to a player but have different causes:

Test with Favourites first: in the SA-MP client go to Favourites, click the add server button and enter ip:port. If the row fills in with a name and player count, skip to the listing section.

Check server.cfg

Open server.cfg and look for these lines:

announce 1
query 1
port 7777
lanmode 0

• query 0 hides the server from every browser, Favourites included, so it looks offline even though people who know the address can still connect.
• announce 0 keeps the server off the public list on purpose.
• lanmode 1 is meant for LAN parties and changes how the server treats network rates. Leave it at 0 for an internet server.
• bind should be absent unless the machine has several IPs and you know which one to use. A wrong bind value makes the server listen on an address nobody reaches.

Restart after any change. These lines are read once at startup.

On Linux, the announce helper must sit in the same folder as samp03svr and be executable (chmod +x announce). Without it, announce 1 does nothing.

Check the port from outside

SA-MP uses one UDP port, 7777 by default, for both joining and queries. If someone outside your network cannot see the server in Favourites, the traffic is being dropped somewhere.

1. Is the server running and on the right port? The console prints the port on start. If you changed port, players need the new number.
2. Firewall on the server machine. Allow UDP inbound on the port. On Windows run netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="SA-MP" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7777. On Linux sudo ufw allow 7777/udp. TCP rules do not help, it has to be UDP.
3. Router forward. Forward UDP 7777 to the server's local IP, and make sure that IP is reserved so it does not change after a reboot. The port forwarding guide covers the general steps.
4. CGNAT. If your router's WAN IP differs from the IP a "what is my IP" site shows, your ISP is sharing one address between customers and no forward will ever work. See how to tell if you are behind CGNAT.
5. Testing from inside your own network. Many routers do not loop back the public IP. You may see "The server didn't respond. Retrying.." from your own PC while outside players connect fine. Use the local IP for yourself and ask a friend to test the public one.

Why the Internet tab stays empty

The 0.3.7 client fetches its Internet list from the original SA-MP masterlist, which has been unreliable or down for long stretches for years. When it fails, the tab shows nothing or a stale list, and no setting on your server changes that. A few things do help:

• Use the open.mp launcher. It plays both SA-MP and open.mp servers with the same game client and pulls its Internet tab from a maintained masterlist. Download it from open.mp. A newly started server can take a few minutes to appear there.
• Make sure your server is announced and answering queries. Community listing services query servers directly, so the announce 1, query 1 and open port checks above are what gets you picked up.
• Give players the address. Post ip:port on your Discord or website so new players add it to Favourites. Most established SA-MP communities rely on this anyway, because players come from word of mouth and not the list.

If the server shows in the open.mp launcher but not in the old client, everything on your side is working.

When it shows but nobody can join

A server can appear in the list and still bounce players.

• Server full. maxplayers is reached, or a script kicks players over its own limit.
• Password set. A password line in server.cfg makes the client ask for one. Remove it or share it.
• Ban. Check samp.ban in the server folder for the player's IP and remove the line, or use unbanip from RCON. The SA-MP RCON commands guide lists the syntax.
• Wrong game version. Players on an un-downgraded Steam copy often crash on connect or never load in. They need version 1.0.
• Gamemode crashed on load. The console shows the server running, but server_log.txt shows the gamemode failed or a plugin did not load. Players connect to an empty world or get dropped straight away.

Skip the network part entirely

Most of this guide is about home networks: ports, firewalls, routers and ISPs. A GamezServers SA-MP server has its own public address with the port already open, so players can add it to Favourites or the open.mp launcher the minute it is live. The panel sets the port and RCON password in server.cfg for you, the live console shows plugin and gamemode errors as they happen, and DDoS protection is always on, which matters for a server people can see in a public list. If you are still choosing between the two server types, moving a SA-MP server to open.mp explains what changes.

FAQ

How long does it take a new SA-MP server to show up?

In the open.mp launcher, usually a few minutes once the server is announced and answering queries. In the old SA-MP client it depends on the original masterlist, which may not update at all.

My server shows ping 9999 in Favourites. What does that mean?

The client sent a query and got no answer. Check that the server is running, query 1 is set and UDP 7777 is open in both the firewall and the router.

Do I need to forward TCP as well as UDP for SA-MP?

No. SA-MP only uses UDP on the port in server.cfg. Forwarding TCP does nothing for it.

Can I hide my server from the list but keep it joinable?

Yes. Set announce 0 and keep query 1. Players who have the address can still add it to Favourites and connect.

Why can friends join but I cannot from my own PC?

Your router probably does not support loopback. Connect with the server's local IP, like 192.168.1.20:7777, from inside your network.