How to Enable and Configure a Password on Your Rust Server

If you want to keep your Rust server private, adding a password is one of the quickest ways to do it. Only players who know the password will be able to connect, which is useful for running a server with friends, a whitelisted community, or a private group.

This guide walks you through enabling and updating a password on your Rust server using the RiverHosting panel. No file editing or command-line knowledge is needed.

Before you start

• Make sure your server is set up and has been started at least once.
• Log in to the RiverHosting panel at panel.riverhosting.com.
• Select your Rust server from the server list.

1. Open the Server Config page

The easiest way to set a server password in Rust is through the Server Config page in the RiverHosting panel.

1. Log in to panel.riverhosting.com and open your Rust server.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Server Config.
3. Look for the password or server password field. This is where you set the password players will need to enter when connecting.
4. Type the password you want to use. Choose something your intended players can remember, but that others cannot easily guess.
5. Save your changes by clicking the save or apply button at the bottom of the page.

2. Restart your server to apply the change

After saving the password, you need to restart your Rust server so the change takes effect.

1. Go back to the main server page by clicking Console in the left-hand menu, or use the power controls at the top of the page.
2. Click Restart to restart your server.
3. Wait for the server to finish starting up. You can watch the Console output to see when it is ready.

3. Verify the password is working

Once the server is back online, it is a good idea to confirm the password prompt appears when connecting.

1. Open Rust on your own computer and try connecting to your server using the address shown on the Network page in the panel.
2. When prompted, enter the password you set. You should be able to join normally.
3. If you try connecting without a password, or with the wrong password, you should be refused entry. This confirms the password is active.

4. Remove or change the password later

If you want to open your server to the public, or just change the password, you can do this at any time.

1. Go back to Server Config in the left-hand menu.
2. To remove the password, clear the password field completely and save.
3. To change the password, replace the current value with your new password and save.
4. Restart the server again to apply the update.

Troubleshooting

• The password prompt does not appear when connecting. Make sure you saved your changes in Server Config and restarted the server fully. Check the Console to confirm the server finished starting up before trying to connect.
• The correct password is being rejected. Double-check that you did not accidentally include extra spaces at the start or end of the password when you saved it. Clear the field and retype it cleanly, then save and restart.
• Players can still join without a password. Confirm the password field is not empty and that you saved before restarting. If the issue continues, restart the server once more and test again.
• You cannot find the Server Config page. Make sure you are on the correct server in the panel and that you are looking in the left-hand menu. The Server Config option is listed there for Rust servers.

Need help?

If you run into any issues that you cannot resolve, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.