BeamMP Port Forwarding: Make Your Server Public
If your BeamMP server is running but other players can’t join, port forwarding is almost always the issue. This is a common problem for anyone hosting from home or setting up a VPS for the first time. Until the correct ports are open, your server will stay private, even if it looks like it’s online.
This guide explains what port forwarding does, why BeamMP needs it, and how to make your server joinable and visible to other players.
What Port Forwarding Does for BeamMP
A BeamMP server listens for incoming connections on a specific port. Most routers and firewalls block incoming traffic by default, which prevents players outside your network from reaching the server.
Port forwarding tells your router or firewall:
- Which port to open
- Which device or server should receive the traffic
- That BeamMP connections should be allowed
Without this, players will time out or fail to connect, even if the server starts normally.
Required Port for BeamMP Servers
BeamMP uses a single port for player connections. This port must be:
- Open on your router or firewall
- Allowed through any system firewall
- Correctly set in your BeamMP server configuration
If the port number doesn’t match across all three, the server will not be reachable.
How to Make Your BeamMP Server Joinable
To make your server public, you need to forward the BeamMP port to the machine running the server. This applies whether you’re hosting from home or using a VPS.
The general process looks like this:
- Assign a local IP address to the server
- Open the BeamMP port on your router or firewall
- Allow the same port through the operating system firewall
- Restart the server and test connectivity
Once completed, your server should show as joinable for external players.
Common BeamMP Port Forwarding Mistakes
Many servers fail to become public due to small setup errors. The most common ones include:
- Forwarding the wrong port number
- Forwarding to the wrong local IP address
- Forgetting to allow the port through the OS firewall
- Using TCP only instead of the required protocol
- Testing from the same network instead of externally
Fixing these usually resolves connection issues immediately.
How to Check If Your Server Is Public
After setting everything up, you should always confirm the port is open. This can be done by:
- Checking if the server appears in the BeamMP server list
- Having a player connect from a different network
- Using a port checking tool while the server is running
If the port shows as open and players can join, your setup is complete.
Final Notes
Port forwarding is a required step for any BeamMP server that needs to be accessible from outside your network. Once configured correctly, your server will be visible, joinable, and ready for multiplayer sessions without connection issues.
This setup only needs to be done once, and after that, your server should remain public as long as the port stays open and unchanged.
