Arma 3 Dedicated Server Windows Setup
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Introduction
Do you have a Windows VPS/Dedicated Server and you want to install the Arma 3 Dedicated server service on it? You are in the right place. In this guide, we will explain the step by step process of installing this service on your server.
Preparation
To begin with, connect to your VPS/Dedicated Server through Remote Desktop (RDP). Use our Initial Access (RDP) guide if you need help doing this.
Once you have accessed your server, you will need to setup SteamCMD in order to be able to download the necessary dedicated server files. SteamCMD is the command-line (CLI) version of the Steam client and is the tool which allows you to easily download a range of Steam workshop and dedicated server files. Download SteamCMD from the official Valve website or directly here.
Create a new folder somewhere on your server, in this scenario we will name it steamcmd. Head over to your Downloads folder, find the steamcmd.zip file which you just downloaded and place it into your steamcmd folder. Now you will have unzip the file by right-clicking and using Window's unzip functionality directly, or any range of applications such as .7zip or Winrar. This should result with a steamcmd.exe file being unzipped.
Simply run steamcmd.exe and await until the installation process is fully completed.
As soon as the message Loading Steam API.... OK is displayed, the process has been completed successfully and you can being with the installation of the Arma 3 dedicated server in the following section.
Installation
After the installation, you should be able to execute commands within the steamcmd.exe command prompt that you ran before. You need to login prior to being able to do anything, through the anonymous user, by using the command: login anonymous
Once logged in, you can now begin downloading the files.
Optional: You can set your preferred install directory by using the command force_install_dir [path], replacing [path] with the path that you wish to use for your server. For example:
force_install_dir C:\arma3-server
Now run the command app_update 233780 which will begin the download. The App ID 233780 is the Arma 3 application.
Please do not interrupt the process before it is completed to avoid mistakes. It may take a moment, but it's worth being patient! :)
Once successful, head over to the download directory where all of the server files have been downloaded. Here, you can use the Arma 3_server.exe to start the server. However, we recommend port forwarding and configuring your server first.
Port Forwarding your server
In order to ensure that your server is accessible to the public, you must alter port forwarding rules for the ports that the VPS/Dedicated Server process is using. You can do this either through Powershell commands directly which is easier, or regularly through the Windows Defender Firewall page.
- Via Powershell
- Via Windows Defender
Open your Windows search box, and search for Powershell. Make sure to right-click and Run as Administrator so that permissions are accessible and everything works correctly.
Ensure you run your Powershell in Administrator mode, otherwise the settings may not apply correctly.
Next, copy and paste the following commands into your Powershell Prompt:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Arma3 Server" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 2302-2306 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Arma3 Server" -Direction Outbound -LocalPort 2302-2306 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
These commands will automatically create firewall rules which are necessary for your Arma 3 server to be accessible to the public.
Use the search function on Windows to open up Windows Firewall Settings with Advanced Security. You may have to press Advanced Settings to open up the necessary window if you open up the base Windows Firewall page.
You must create new rules for your Arma 3 server. To do this, click on the incoming and outgoing rules as described below and add them for the following protocols and ports:
- UDP incoming and outgoing: 2302–2306
Please use our Port Forwarding (Firewall) guide if you need further assistance doing this.
Once you have added these rules, your server will now be accessible which means you will be able to connect to it through your server's IP address. You can do this by selecting your character in the main menu, heading over to the Find Games tab and pressing Add Server. Here, input your Server IP alongside the Port (2302by default) and your server password (if set, otherwise leave empty).
We recommend that you configure your server settings first through the following section before accessing your server.
Configuration
By this stage, you have finished the setup for your Arma 3 server. You can perform further server configuration through a configuration file found within the directory of your server.
Firstly, navigate to the following directory:
C:\arma3-Server
You will be able to find the server.cfg configuration file. Through this file, you can configure a few parameters for your server.
Starting & Connecting to your server
Now it is time to start your server. Head over to the main game directory and run the arma3server_x64.exe executable file.
This will open the server console and begin the startup process.
Players can connect to your server through the Arma 3 server browser using your server IP address and the default port 2302.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have successfully installed and configured the Arma 3 server on your VPS/Dedicated Server! If you have any further questions or problems, please contact our support team, who are available to help you every day!