Rust RCON Setup Guide
Enable and use Remote Console (RCON) for server administration without being in-game.
Enabling RCON
Edit your server.cfg file:
rcon.password "YourStrongPassword123"
rcon.port 28016
rcon.ip 0.0.0.0
rcon.web true
rcon.web true
Firewall Configuration
Allow TCP traffic on RCON port (default 28016):
# Linux (iptables)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 28016 -j ACCEPT
# Linux (ufw)
ufw allow 28016/tcp
# Windows Firewall
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Rust RCON" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=28016
Using RCON Tools
RustAdmin
Popular web-based RCON interface:
- Download from GitHub
- Enter server IP and port
- Enter RCON password
- Access web admin panel
RustDesk
Desktop application for RCON:
- Real-time chat monitoring
- Player management
- Console command execution
RustIO
Web-based admin panel:
- Hosted solution (no installation)
- Mobile-friendly
- Multiple server support
Common RCON Commands
# Player Management
kick [playername] [reason] # Kick player
ban [playername] [reason] # Ban player
banid [steamid] [reason] # Ban by SteamID
unban [playername] # Unban player
unbanid [steamid] # Unban by SteamID
# Server Management
say [message] # Broadcast message
notice.toall [message] # Send notice
restart # Restart server
quit # Shutdown server
# Information
status # Show server status
players # List connected players
fps # Show server FPS
Rust++ RCON API
Use Rust++ API for custom tools:
# Python example
import requests
rcon_data = {
"Player": "PlayerName",
"Command": "status"
}
response = requests.post(
"http://your_server:28016/admin",
json=rcon_data
)
print(response.text)
RustManager Integration
Automated server management tool with RCON:
- Automatic updates
- Scheduled restarts
- Backup management
- Discord/Slack integration
Web RCON Setup
Enable web RCON in server.cfg:
rcon.web true
rcon.password "YourPassword"
Access at: http://your_server_ip:28016/
Security Best Practices
- Use a STRONG RCON password (minimum 16 characters)
- Never share RCON credentials publicly
- Change RCON password regularly
- Limit RCON access to trusted IPs
- Use SSL/TLS for web RCON when possible
Troubleshooting
Cannot Connect
- Verify RCON is enabled in server.cfg
- Check firewall allows RCON port
- Confirm correct RCON password
- Ensure server is running
Connection Timed Out
- Check network connectivity
- Verify RCON port is not blocked
- Try connecting from different network
- Check server logs for errors
Note: RCON allows full server control. Protect it carefully to prevent unauthorized access to your Rust server.
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