If your game server is not starting, unreachable, or failing to appear in the server list, one common cause is a misconfigured primary port.
What Is the Primary Port?
The primary port is the one used by the game engine for core player communication. This is the port your game server must bind to and advertise. Other (secondary) ports are used for optional services such as txAdmin, RCON, or web consoles.
What Happens If the Port Is Not Correct?
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Your server might fail to start or bind.
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Players may not be able to join.
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The server may not appear in public server lists.
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Inbound connections may be silently blocked or misrouted.
How to Fix It
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In your Pterodactyl panel, go to the Network tab.
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Identify the port labeled as "Primary".
If the wrong port is currently set as primary, you may click “Make Primary” on the correct one — only if you're sure of what you're doing. -
Then, open your game’s configuration file (e.g.
server.cfg,server.properties, etc.). -
Replace any default port (e.g.
30120,25565,28015) with the correct primary port shown in the panel. -
Save and restart your server.
Do I Need to Open a Ticket?
No — you do not need to open a ticket to change your primary port. The panel allows you to do this directly from the Network tab.
However, changing it improperly may break your server, so do this only if you fully understand the implications.
