RCON Remote Console Guide

RCON (Remote Console) allows server administrators to execute commands on their 7 Days to Die server remotely without being in-game. This guide covers setup, configuration, and common administrative tasks.

What is RCON?

RCON is a protocol that enables remote administration of game servers. With RCON, you can:

• Execute server commands without joining the game
• Monitor server activity and logs
• Manage players (kick, ban, give items)
• Adjust server settings on the fly
• Automate administrative tasks via scripts

Enabling RCON on Your Server

Server Configuration

Edit your serverconfig.xml file to enable RCON:

<property name="TelnetEnabled" value="true"/>
<property name="TelnetPort" value="8081"/>
<property name="TelnetPassword" value="YourSecurePassword"/>
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginLimit" value="10"/>
<property name="TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime" value="10"/>

Configuration Options Explained

Setting	Default	Description
TelnetEnabled	true	Enable/disable RCON access
TelnetPort	8081	Port for RCON connections
TelnetPassword	CHANGEME	Password required to connect
TelnetFailedLoginLimit	10	Failed attempts before block
TelnetFailedLoginsBlocktime	10	Block duration in seconds

Port Forwarding

If accessing RCON from outside your network:

• Forward TCP port 8081 (or your custom port) on your router
• Allow the port in your firewall
• For security, consider VPN access instead of exposing RCON publicly

Connecting to RCON

Method 1: Telnet (Built-in)

Windows Command Prompt or Linux Terminal:

telnet serverip 8081

Enter your password when prompted.

Method 2: PuTTY (Windows)

1. Download PuTTY from putty.org
2. Connection type: Raw (not SSH)
3. Host: Your server IP
4. Port: 8081 (or your RCON port)
5. Click Open, enter password

Method 3: Dedicated RCON Clients

Client	Platform	Features
7DTD-ServerManager	Windows	Full GUI, player tracking, scheduled tasks
RCON Web Admin	Web	Browser-based, multi-server support
mcrcon	Cross-platform	Command-line, scriptable
ARRCON	Windows	Modern UI, command history

Essential RCON Commands

Server Management

Command	Description
shutdown	Gracefully stop the server
restart	Restart the server
say "message"	Broadcast message to all players
saveworld	Force world save
mem	Show memory usage
version	Display server version

Player Management

Command	Description
listplayers	Show all connected players with IDs
kick "playername" "reason"	Kick player from server
ban add "playername" duration reason	Ban player (duration: minutes, 0=permanent)
ban remove "playername"	Unban player
ban list	Show all banned players
admin add "playername" level	Grant admin privileges (0=highest)
admin remove "playername"	Remove admin privileges

Item & Entity Commands

Command	Description
give "playername" itemName count quality	Give item to player
spawnentity "playername" entityId	Spawn entity near player
killall	Kill all zombies on map
spawnsupplycrate	Spawn supply drop at random location

World Commands

Command	Description
settime day/night	Set time of day
settime "day 7 12:00"	Set specific time
weather "weathername"	Change weather
chunkcache	Display chunk cache status

Teleportation

Command	Description
teleportplayer "player" x y z	Teleport player to coordinates
teleportplayer "player1" "player2"	Teleport player1 to player2
listlandclaims	Show all land claim positions

Admin Permission Levels

7 Days to Die uses a permission level system (0-1000):

Level	Role	Capabilities
0	Super Admin	All commands, can't be kicked
1	Admin	Most commands, some restrictions
2	Moderator	Player management, limited server commands
1000	Player	Default, no admin commands

Setting Up Admins

Via RCON:

admin add "SteamID64" 0 "OwnerName"
admin add "PlayerName" 1

Via serveradmin.xml:

<admins>
  <admin steamID="76561198012345678" permission_level="0" />
  <admin steamID="76561198087654321" permission_level="1" />
</admins>

Common Administrative Tasks

Scheduled Restarts

Use a cron job or Task Scheduler with this script:

#!/bin/bash
# Linux scheduled restart script
echo "say Server restarting in 5 minutes!" | nc -q 1 localhost 8081
sleep 300
echo "saveworld" | nc -q 1 localhost 8081
sleep 10
echo "shutdown" | nc -q 1 localhost 8081

Automated Backups

#!/bin/bash
# Backup before restart
echo "saveworld" | nc -q 1 localhost 8081
sleep 30
cp -r /path/to/saves /path/to/backups/$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

Whitelist Management

Command	Description
whitelist add "playername"	Add to whitelist
whitelist remove "playername"	Remove from whitelist
whitelist list	Show whitelist

Enable whitelist in serverconfig.xml:

<property name="ServerWhitelist" value="true"/>

Monitoring & Logging

Log Commands

Command	Description
loglevel <level>	Set log verbosity (0-5)
getlog	Display recent log entries
getlogfilters	Show active log filters

Server Statistics

mem          # Memory usage
chunkcache   # Loaded chunks
listplayers  # Active players with entity IDs
gt           # Game time info

Security Best Practices

Password Security

• Strong password: Use 16+ characters with mixed case, numbers, symbols
• Unique password: Don't reuse passwords from other services
• Regular rotation: Change password monthly

Network Security

• VPN access: Require VPN to access RCON instead of exposing port
• IP whitelist: Configure firewall to only allow known admin IPs
• Non-standard port: Change from default 8081 to obscure port
• Fail2ban: Implement fail2ban rules for repeated failed logins

Firewall Configuration (Linux)

# Allow RCON only from specific IP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8081 -s 123.45.67.89 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8081 -j DROP

RCON Troubleshooting

"Connection Refused"

• Verify TelnetEnabled is true in serverconfig.xml
• Check port is correct (default 8081)
• Ensure firewall allows the port
• Confirm server is running

"Authentication Failed"

• Double-check password (case-sensitive)
• Check for special characters that may need escaping
• Verify you're not IP-blocked from too many failed attempts

"Command Not Found"

• Commands are case-sensitive
• Use help to list all available commands
• Some commands require specific permission levels

Connection Drops

• Some clients have timeout settings - increase them
• Check for network instability
• Try a different RCON client

Advanced: Web Panel Integration

Allocs Server Fixes

Provides web-based map and API:

<property name="WebDashboardEnabled" value="true"/>
<property name="WebDashboardPort" value="8080"/>
<property name="EnableMapRendering" value="true"/>

CSMM Integration

CSMM (Catalysm's Server Manager Mod) connects via RCON for:

• Web-based player management
• Discord integration
• Economy system
• Scheduled commands
• Player statistics

Command Reference Quick List

help                    - List all commands
help <command>          - Help for specific command
listplayers lp          - List connected players
kick "name" "reason"    - Kick player
ban add "name" 0 reason - Permanent ban
ban remove "name"       - Unban
admin add "name" 0      - Add super admin
give "name" item qty q  - Give item
teleportplayer tp       - Teleport
settime                 - Change time
weather                 - Change weather
say "message"           - Server broadcast
saveworld               - Force save
shutdown                - Stop server