ARK: Survival Evolved - Connection times out and no RCON/Console

CMDMC · 20 February 2025 02:15

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┃ Key                  ┃ Value                             ┃
┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╋━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┫
┃ Operating System     ┃ Linux - Ubuntu 22.04.5 on x86_64  ┃
┃ Product              ┃ AMP 'Phobos' v2.6.0.12 (Mainline) ┃
┃ Virtualization       ┃ VMware                            ┃
┃ Application          ┃ ARK: Survival Evolved             ┃
┃ Module               ┃ GenericModule                     ┃
┃ Running in Container ┃ No                                ┃
┃ Current State        ┃ Stopped                           ┃
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Problem Description:

I have created an ARK instance for my friends to use. For their instance I have only configured the name, MOTD, max players, admin SteamIDs, whitelist w/ SteamIDs, diasabled both BattlEye and VAC, and changed ports to not conflict with existing servers (keeping in mind that Game and Peer ports must be sequential). All ports are open on my router.

The server will appear to start, as after a minute or so it will be viewable in both the Steam game server browser and ARK’s in-game server browser, but attempting to connect to it will result in a timeout. There is also no output in AMP’s console.

I have attempted to manually connect using open IP:port in my local game’s console, but this also times out.

As a test I created another ARK instance and without changing any settings (other than ports), attempted to connect with the same results. No console, viewable in browsers, but times out.

Oddly, when shutting down either instance it does finally output something, but it is just

19:56:44: Console
Exiting...

Below is an excerpt from my most recent logfile:

[01:53:41] [Core:ampadmin Activity/20] : Starting the application.
[01:53:41] [Generic:ampadmin Info/20] : Merging config file ./ark-se/376030/./ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini (INI format) using Unicode (UTF-8) encoding.
[01:53:41] [Generic:ampadmin Info/20] : Merging config file ./ark-se/376030/./ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini (INI format) using Unicode (UTF-8) encoding.
[01:53:41] [Generic:ampadmin Warning/20] : Tried to merge config file ./ark-se/376030/./ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini but the file does not exist.
[01:53:41] [Generic:ampadmin Warning/20] : Tried to merge config file ./ark-se/376030/./ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Game.ini but the file does not exist.
[01:53:51] [System:ampadmin Error/15] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:53:51] [RCON:ampadmin Info/20] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:53:52] [RCON:ampadmin Info/20] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:53:57] [System:ampadmin Error/20] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:53:57] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:53:58] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:54:03] [System:ampadmin Error/10] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:54:03] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:54:04] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:54:09] [System:ampadmin Error/15] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:54:09] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:54:10] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:54:15] [System:ampadmin Error/15] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:54:15] [RCON:ampadmin Info/18] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:54:16] [RCON:ampadmin Info/18] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:54:21] [System:ampadmin Error/15] : Source RCON failed to connect:
Connection refused.
[01:54:21] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnecting...
[01:54:22] [RCON:ampadmin Info/15] : Source RCON disconnected
[01:56:44] [Core:ampadmin Activity/23] : Stopping the application.
[01:56:44] [Generic:ampadmin Info/23] : Source RCON disconnecting...
Exiting...

[01:56:45] [Generic:ampadmin Info/23] : Source RCON disconnected

I will note that on the configuration page, there is no text box in the RCON/Server Admin Password section:

Steps to reproduce:

Create ARK: Survival Evolved instance
Start server
No console output and despite server showing both in Steam’s and ARK’s ingame server browser, connection will always time out.

Greelan · 20 February 2025 04:40

RCON is working, seems you have a port forward/firewall issue

CMDMC · 20 February 2025 04:52

How is RCON working when the logs are saying connection refused? And there is nothing in the console output?

Also I am unable to connect to the server from within my own network. There is no port forwarding involved at this point, and the firewall is off on the host machine.

Greelan · 20 February 2025 05:10

Because you get a response when stopping the server

Type listplayers or saveworld in the console to verify

BTW, have you referred the ASE guide in the knowledge base on this discord?

What’s the server IP binding btw?

CMDMC · 20 February 2025 05:27

Well I’ll be. The console is terrifyingly sparse. You’d think it’d be outputting something during startup, but you’re correct it does work.

I did follow the guide (good thing too because I wouldn’t have known about the sequential port requirement).

I left the binding at 0.0.0.0.

EDIT: sigh

So I found the issue. For context a few months ago I ran out of space on my virtual machine (I’ve since expanded the drive), and ever since then I’ve had to apply port number changes at least 3 times for them to take in AMP. Don’t know why but it’s usually not much of a hassle.

When the instance was created it set 7778 and 7780 as the Game and Peer ports, which I changed to 7788 and 7789. Apparently I didn’t change it enough times because I just found it had reverted to the originals. Explains why I couldn’t even connect locally, because I was trying to go to the “wrong” port.

The instance is now holding the port changes and I can connect. Sorry for the hubbub.

Greelan · 20 February 2025 05:43

Indeed. It is as good as it can be atm given the way ark works and amp’s console. I had to do some hacks in the template to even get that output

If amp’s log tailing can be properly implemented then it will also be possible to get the ShooterGame.log, so there will be much more displayed. Time will tell