This guide covers how to set up your Astroneer dedicated server on Legion Hosting, configure startup variables, edit server settings, connect to your server, and handle saves and backups. For whitelist and admin configuration, see Astroneer Admin and Whitelist Setup.
Before you begin: Astroneer dedicated servers require the server owner's Steam username and Steam ID (GUID) to grant admin privileges. You will need these values before starting your server for the first time. See the Prerequisites section below for how to find them.
1. Prerequisites
Before starting your Astroneer server, gather the following information:
- Owner Steam Username -- Your exact Steam profile name. This is used by the server to identify the owner account.
- Owner Steam ID (GUID) -- Your 64-bit Steam ID (e.g.
76561198012345678). The server uses this to grant you admin/owner privileges in-game.
How to Find Your Steam ID
- Open Steam and click your profile name in the top-right corner.
- Select Account details. Your Steam ID is not shown directly here, but your profile URL contains it if you have not set a custom URL.
- Alternatively, visit steamid.io, paste your Steam profile URL, and copy the steamID64 value.
Important: Without a valid Owner Name and Owner GUID, you will not have admin access to your server. These must be set before or during your first start.
2. First Start
- Log in to GPanel and select your Astroneer server.
- Go to the Startup tab. You will see several configurable variables (see the table below).
- Set OWNER_NAME to your exact Steam username.
- Set OWNER_GUID to your 64-bit Steam ID.
- Verify that PUBLIC_IP is set correctly. This should match your server's public IP address shown in the Network tab.
- Return to the Console tab and click Start.
- Wait for the console to show that the server has finished loading. The first start may take a minute or two as Astroneer initialises its world files through Proton.
Astroneer's dedicated server runs as a Windows application using Proton for compatibility. This is handled automatically -- you do not need to configure Proton yourself.
3. GPanel Startup Variables
The following variables are available in the GPanel Startup tab. These are passed to the server on each start.
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
PUBLIC_IP |
Yes | Your server's public IP address. Must match the IP shown in GPanel's Network tab. The server will not be reachable if this is incorrect. |
OWNER_NAME |
Yes | The Steam username of the server owner. This account is granted full admin privileges in-game. |
OWNER_GUID |
Yes | The 64-bit Steam ID of the server owner (e.g. 76561198012345678). Works together with OWNER_NAME to identify the admin account. |
SERVER_NAME |
No | The name displayed in the server browser. Defaults to "Astroneer Dedicated Server" if not set. |
SERVER_PWD |
No | Optional password players must enter to join the server. Leave blank for a public server. |
PUBLIC_IP must be accurate. If this value does not match your server's actual public IP, the server will start but players (including you) will be unable to connect. Check the Network tab in GPanel for your correct IP.
4. AstroServerSettings.ini
For more advanced configuration, you can edit the server's INI configuration file directly. Stop your server before making changes.
File Location
Astro/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/AstroServerSettings.iniOpen this file using the Files tab in GPanel or connect via SFTP. If the file does not exist, start and stop the server once to generate it with default values.
Always stop your server before editing configuration files. Astroneer may overwrite changes on shutdown if the server is running while you edit.
Key Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
PublicIP |
(your server IP) | The public IP address of the server. Must match your actual server IP from GPanel's Network tab. |
ServerName |
Astroneer Dedicated Server |
The name shown in the in-game server browser. |
ServerPassword |
(empty) | Optional join password. Leave empty for a public server. |
OwnerName |
(none) | The Steam username of the server owner. Must match exactly (case-sensitive). |
OwnerGuid |
(none) | The 64-bit Steam ID of the server owner. |
MaxFPS |
30 |
Maximum server tick rate (frames per second). Higher values increase server responsiveness but use more CPU. Values between 30 and 60 are recommended. |
WhitelistEnabled |
False |
When set to True, only players on the whitelist can join. See Astroneer Admin and Whitelist Setup for details. |
AutoSaveGameInterval |
900 |
Time between auto-saves in seconds. Default is 900 (15 minutes). Lower values save more frequently but increase disk I/O. |
BackupSaveGamesInterval |
7200 |
Time between backup saves in seconds. Default is 7200 (2 hours). Backups are separate from auto-saves and provide additional rollback points. |
Example Configuration
[/Script/Astro.AstroServerSettings]
PublicIP=YOUR_SERVER_IP
ServerName=My Astroneer Server
ServerPassword=
MaxFPS=30
OwnerName=YourSteamUsername
OwnerGuid=76561198012345678
WhitelistEnabled=False
AutoSaveGameInterval=900
BackupSaveGamesInterval=7200
Engine.ini: Astroneer also has an
Engine.ini file at Astro/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Engine.ini. This file controls low-level engine settings such as network port binding. In most cases you do not need to edit this file -- the defaults work correctly with GPanel's port assignments.
5. How to Connect
Option A -- In-Game Server Browser
- Launch Astroneer via Steam.
- From the main menu, select Multiplayer.
- Click the Dedicated Servers tab.
- Search for your server by name, or browse the list.
- Select your server and click Join. Enter the server password if prompted.
The server browser may take a few minutes to list a newly started server. If your server does not appear immediately, wait 2-3 minutes and refresh the list.
Option B -- Direct Connect via IP
- Launch Astroneer via Steam.
- From the main menu, select Multiplayer.
- Click the Dedicated Servers tab.
- Use the IP address and port from your GPanel Network tab to connect directly:
<your-server-ip>:<port> - Enter the server password if one is set.
Connection issues? Verify that the
PUBLIC_IP startup variable (and PublicIP in AstroServerSettings.ini) match your server's actual IP address shown in GPanel's Network tab. A mismatch is the most common cause of connection failures.
6. Save Management
Auto-Save
Astroneer automatically saves your world at regular intervals. The frequency is controlled by two settings in AstroServerSettings.ini:
- AutoSaveGameInterval -- How often the primary save occurs (default: 900 seconds / 15 minutes).
- BackupSaveGamesInterval -- How often a separate backup save is created (default: 7200 seconds / 2 hours). Backup saves provide additional rollback points beyond the regular auto-save.
Lowering the auto-save interval reduces potential progress loss on a crash, but very low values (under 300 seconds) may cause brief lag spikes during saves on larger worlds.
Save File Location
Save files are stored on the server at:
Astro/Saved/SaveGames/Files have the extension .savegame. You will find both the primary save and any backup saves in this directory.
Manual Backups via SFTP
To create a manual backup of your world:
- Stop the server from GPanel to ensure all data is flushed to disk.
- Connect to your server via SFTP. See How to Upload Files via SFTP for connection instructions.
- Navigate to
Astro/Saved/SaveGames/. - Download the
.savegamefiles you want to keep.
Restoring a Save
- Stop the server from GPanel.
- Connect via SFTP and navigate to
Astro/Saved/SaveGames/. - Upload your
.savegamefile into this directory, replacing the existing save if needed. - Start the server from GPanel. The server will load the save file on startup.
Tip: Always keep a local backup before replacing save files. If the uploaded save is corrupted or incompatible, you may not be able to recover without a backup.
Troubleshooting
Server Not Appearing in the Browser
- Confirm the server is fully started in GPanel. Check the console for any error messages.
- Verify that
PUBLIC_IPin the Startup tab matches your server IP from the Network tab exactly. - The server browser can take several minutes to index a newly started server. Try connecting directly via IP while waiting.
Server Crashes on Startup
- Check the GPanel console log for error messages. Common causes include invalid configuration values in
AstroServerSettings.ini. - Try deleting
AstroServerSettings.iniand restarting the server. A fresh configuration file will be generated with default values. - If the crash persists, open a support ticket with your server IP and any error messages from the console.
Related Articles
- Astroneer Admin and Whitelist Setup
- How to Find Your Server IP and Port
- How to Upload Files via SFTP
- Server Startup Guide
Need Help?
If you run into issues with your Astroneer server that are not covered here, open a support ticket and include your server IP, a description of the problem, and any relevant error messages from the GPanel console.
