Setting up the Rust Nexus System for Multi-Server Travel

Setting up the Rust Nexus System for Multi-Server Travel

The Rust Nexus system is Facepunch's official framework for linking multiple dedicated server instances into a single persistent world cluster. Players can purchase a ferry ticket at a Ferry Terminal monument and physically travel — with their full inventory — to an adjacent server zone. This transforms a standard single-map 200-player server into a scalable multi-island continent with distinct zones for each biome, economy, or game mode.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 Rust dedicated server instances (each on its own process, can be same machine or different machines)
• Each server must run the same Rust build version — protocol mismatches prevent cluster handshakes
• Servers must be network-reachable from each other (firewall must allow TCP on the Nexus port between instances)
• Each server map must include the Ferry Terminal monument (it appears on procedural maps 3000+ in size, or can be forced via server.levelurl with a custom map)

Step 1: Generate the Nexus Token

All servers in a cluster share one token. Generate a random secure string (minimum 32 characters) and store it somewhere safe — all server configs will use it:

# Linux — generate a secure token:
openssl rand -hex 32
# Example output: a3f8c2e1d9b7a4f6e2c8d0b5a1f3e9c7d4b8a2e6c0d5b9a3f7e1c4d8b2a6e0c9

Step 2: Configure Each Server

Add the following Nexus variables to each server's startup command line or server.cfg:

Origin Server (Zone A — e.g., "Forest Island"):

# server.cfg for Zone A
server.identity "zone_a"
server.port 28015
server.queryport 28016

# Nexus configuration:
server.nexus.enabled true
server.nexus.token "a3f8c2e1d9b7a4f6e2c8d0b5a1f3e9c7d4b8a2e6c0d5b9a3f7e1c4d8b2a6e0c9"
server.nexus.id "zone_a"
server.nexus.endpoint "https://zone-a.yourserver.com:28080"

# Register the linked zones (comma-separated nexus IDs):
server.nexus.zones "zone_b,zone_c"

Destination Server (Zone B — e.g., "Arctic Island"):

# server.cfg for Zone B
server.identity "zone_b"
server.port 28115
server.queryport 28116

# Same token, different ID and endpoint:
server.nexus.enabled true
server.nexus.token "a3f8c2e1d9b7a4f6e2c8d0b5a1f3e9c7d4b8a2e6c0d5b9a3f7e1c4d8b2a6e0c9"
server.nexus.id "zone_b"
server.nexus.endpoint "https://zone-b.yourserver.com:28180"
server.nexus.zones "zone_a,zone_c"

Step 3: Open Nexus Network Ports

Each server exposes a Nexus API port (default 28080, adjustable per instance). This port must be open between your servers:

# On each server — allow Nexus API traffic:
sudo ufw allow 28080/tcp    # Zone A Nexus port
sudo ufw allow 28180/tcp    # Zone B Nexus port

# If on different machines, also allow outbound:
sudo ufw allow out 28080/tcp
sudo ufw allow out 28180/tcp

Step 4: Verify the Cluster Handshake

On startup both servers will attempt to handshake. Check each server's console for:

[Nexus] Connected to zone: zone_b (endpoint: https://zone-b.yourserver.com:28180)
[Nexus] Cluster ready. 2 zone(s) online.

If you see [Nexus] Handshake failed — token mismatch, the tokens between servers are not identical. Copy-paste the token carefully — trailing spaces or newlines break the match.

Step 5: Test Player Transfer

1. Connect to Zone A and locate the Ferry Terminal monument
2. Interact with the Ferry NPC — available destinations should list Zone B
3. Purchase a ticket (costs Scrap — amount configurable via server.nexus.ferryCost)
4. Board the ferry and wait for the travel sequence (~30 seconds)
5. Verify you appear on Zone B with your inventory intact

Player Inventory Serialization Troubleshooting

• Player arrives with empty inventory: The destination server rejected the transfer payload — check that both servers are on identical Rust versions. Run +app_update 258550 validate on both
• Player duplicated on both servers: A timeout during transfer left the player's session open on Zone A. Kick the ghost via RCON: kick [SteamID] "duplicate session"
• Ferry destination grayed out: Zone B is offline or the Nexus handshake failed — check Zone B's console for error messages
• Scrap cost not applying: Verify server.nexus.ferryCost is set on the origin server — this is not synced cluster-wide

Advanced: Dedicated Nexus Hub Server

For large clusters (5+ zones), consider a lightweight Nexus hub server — a Rust instance with no playable map that acts purely as a routing layer for cluster authentication and zone-to-zone messaging. This reduces direct peer-to-peer connections between zones and centralises cluster management.

Professional Hosting

Running a Nexus cluster is significantly easier with infrastructure designed for it. Host your Rust server cluster with Supercraft — our multi-instance dashboard manages Nexus tokens, inter-zone firewall rules, and coordinated wipe cycles across all your zones from one control panel.