Setup an ARK: Survival Evolved Server using playit.gg

guides
1

Before you start, get a server running locally and make sure you can join it with 127.0.0.1:27015

This guide is made for the Steam Version of Ark, i can’t confirm wether this works for Epic games (you would have to join from singleplayer)

Create two tunnels on your playit website

  1. Tunnel Type: Custom
    .
    Local ipv4: 127.0.0.1
    Local Port: <Leave blank>
    .
    Port Type: TCP+UDP
    Port Count: 1
    Create Tunnel

  2. Tunnel Type: Custom
    .
    Local ipv4: 127.0.0.1
    Local Port: 27015
    .
    Port Type: TCP+UDP
    Port Count: 1
    Create Tunnel

The external IP of a Playit tunnel is the 5 digit number behind the domain
for example random-word.playit.gg:12345
the Port would be 12345

The external IP of the first Tunnel is the Game Port
The external IP of the second Tunnel is the Query Port

Now go in your server files and change your startup-command (start.bat / start.sh)

If you use Ark Server Manager, change these numbers in the Ark Server Manager Program

it will look something like this (thats just an example, for you it will look different) :

start ShooterGameServer.exe "TheIsland?SessionName=TestServer123?MaxPlayers=35?OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0?DifficultyOffset=1.0?AltSaveDirectoryName=TheIsland?QueryPort=27015?Port=<Game Port>?listen"

now replace the GamePort above, with the Game Port from your first Tunnel (the external Port)

now you just need to add the server to your steam favourites
open steam
→ press view in the top left corner
→ server
→ Add server

Now get the IPv4:Port of your second Tunnel
you can find IPv4 and Port if you click on your tunnel

image

Now Add this IP in your steam server list in the following format
IPv4:Port (in this example 123.456.789.123:12345)

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Then start your server, press Join Ark and filter by favourites
then your server should appear and you can join

5 Likes
2

Hello, thank you for these steps!

I’ve followed them and successfully put up two ark servers. However, I’m unable to transfer between them in the cluster. I’m able to join both servers individually from the main menu, just not transfer between them at the obelisk. When I click into an obelisk and click transfer between servers, it says “no sessions found”.

I have confirmed they have the same cluster id in their run.bat file. They were working fine before when I was port forwarding through a router, the only thing that has changed is using playit.gg now. Do you know what the issue could be, and any potential fix by chance?

1 Like
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hey i have the same problem just wandering if you have amnaged to find a fix for it yet

1 Like
4

Hello, I have done everything and it still not working. Server is not responding

2 Likes
5

Same. I don’t think this works anymore.

6

I think the problem is we’re hosting the game from our home IP address. the game phones home to say “here’s my public ip” plz list it. The game server tries to reach the game behind that IP address but it can’t. I’m not sure how playitgg is meant to get around this for other games.

Anyway the way I got around it was to setup an external VM which does have a public IP address. (The cheapest one with only 0.5GB ram is plenty). Then set the VM to forward packets like a NAT. use ZeroTier to link your local PC to the VM. Then set the default gateway of your local PC to the VM ZT IP. Then DNAT the port forwards from the VM to your local PC. Anyway once it’s all up and running both your outbound and inbound traffic will pass through the VM with the same public IP address. problem solved.

7

So it still works for me fine, i use ASM and me and my sister can join it :slight_smile:

8

Sorry to necro an old thread here, but this is the only post I’ve seen for ARK using playit. I’ve tried this and played around with it and I cannot get it to work. I was hosting several servers on a spare PC, then had to switch ISP providers and got put behind a shitty CGNAT and now can’t host anything.

Has anyone found a workaround for this that works? I’d appreciate any help or advice. I miss my dinos. :frowning: