Valheim Common Connection Issues

Quick Checklist

Before diving into specific errors, try these first — they fix the majority of connection issues:

• ✅ Is the server actually running? (Check the panel — green status)
• ✅ Are you using the exact IP and port shown in the panel's Network tab?
• ✅ Has the server fully started? (Valheim servers take 30–90 seconds to be ready after starting)
• ✅ Restart the server. Most transient connection issues resolve on their own with a fresh start.

Error: "Failed to Connect"

Cause: The client tried to reach the server and got no response.

Fixes (in order):

1. Confirm the server is running — Log into the panel and check the status. If it's stopped or crashed, start it and wait 60 seconds before trying again.

2. Verify the IP and port — Copy the exact IP and port from the panel's Network / Allocations tab. A single digit wrong and you'll never connect.

3. Disable mods and test vanilla — If you recently installed mods, one may be causing the server to crash on startup without an obvious error. Temporarily rename /BepInEx/plugins/ to /BepInEx/plugins_disabled/ and restart the server to test without mods.

4. Custom domain not resolving? — If you're using a custom DNS subdomain and it was working before, check if DNS is still correct. Use the raw IP directly to confirm the server itself is reachable.

5. Check the panel console — If the server starts but players can't connect, look at the server log for errors. Common culprits are mod conflicts and port binding failures.

Error: "Incompatible Version"

Cause: The Valheim game client and the server are running different game versions.

Fixes:

• Client is outdated → Restart Steam. Steam should auto-update Valheim. If it doesn't, right-click Valheim in your library → Properties → Updates → check the update settings.

• Server is outdated → The server needs to be updated. Stop the server, run the Update function from the panel, restart. See How to Update Your Valheim Server.

• Modded server with version-locking mod → Some mods (like certain versions of Valheim Plus) enforce version checking. If the server was recently updated but the mod hasn't been updated for the new version yet, players running that mod version may be blocked. Temporarily remove the version-locking mod from the server until a compatible version releases.

Error: Server Stuck Booting / Never Ready

Cause: The server starts but never becomes joinable. Common after installing mods or on corrupted world files.

Fixes:

1. Check console output in the panel — Look for errors during the boot sequence. BepInEx mod errors typically show up here.

2. Corrupted world file — Valheim automatically keeps a .db.old backup. To restore it:

   • Stop the server
   • In the panel's File Manager, go to the worlds directory
   • Delete the current WorldName.db file
   • Rename WorldName.db.old → WorldName.db
   • Restart the server

3. Disable all mods — Rename the BepInEx/plugins/ folder (to plugins_disabled/ for example) and restart. If the server boots cleanly, a mod is the culprit. Re-enable them one by one to narrow it down.

4. Reinstall the server — If nothing else works, use the panel's reinstall/verify function to re-download the server binaries. Your world files won't be deleted (they're in a separate data folder), but make a backup first.

Error: Password Prompt Won't Accept Password

Cause: The password entered doesn't match what's set on the server.

Fix:

1. Log into the panel
2. Go to Startup settings
3. Find the Server Password field — this is the exact password players need to enter
4. Copy it and share it directly — avoid retyping it (capitalization and spaces matter)

Note: Valheim passwords must be at least 5 characters. Single-word or very short passwords may be rejected by the game itself.

Custom Domain Not Working

Cause: DNS propagation hasn't completed, or the SRV record is misconfigured.

Fixes:

1. Use the raw IP temporarily — If the raw IP works but the domain doesn't, DNS is the issue. Give it another 15–60 minutes.
2. Verify your DNS records — Valheim doesn't use SRV records (unlike Minecraft). You need a simple A record pointing your subdomain at the server IP, and players manually enter the port.
3. Flush your local DNS — Run ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or sudo dscacheutil -flushcache (Mac) to force your machine to re-resolve the domain.
4. Cloudflare proxy — If you're using Cloudflare, make sure the DNS record is set to DNS only (grey cloud) — the proxy doesn't work with game server UDP traffic.

Players Can Connect But Desync / Lag Badly

This is a different issue — see Valheim Server Lag and Desync Troubleshooting.

Still Stuck?

Join our Discord and drop your server name plus the exact error message. Include a screenshot of the panel console log if the server isn't starting — that cuts the debugging time in half.