04Game guides

Rent and set up a Rust server – guide

How to set up your Rust server at Nexthosting – plans, joining via the F1 console, Carbon and Oxide, wipes, map size, admin rights and typical problems.

In short

You order a plan (Vanilla, Carbon or Oxide), and the server starts by itself after payment – the first start takes a few minutes because the game and map are generated. Players connect with client.connect IP:Port in the F1 console. You decide the map size, seed and wipe rhythm yourself.

The process in four steps

From purchase to your first game

OrderChoose plan and wipe rhythm
Server startsfirst start takes a few minutes
after payment
Copy the addressIP and port in the panel
Connect in the gameF1 console: client.connect

Plans and prices

As of October 2026, final prices under § 19 German VAT Act (no VAT charged). Current prices: Rust in the shop.

Plan	Price per month	Players (guideline)	RAM	vCores	Storage	Backups	Databases	Ports
Basic	€17.99	entry level	8 GB	2	60 GB	1	1	4
Advanced	€25.99	approx. 100	12 GB	3	60 GB	3	1	4
Premium	€33.99	approx. 200	16 GB	4	70 GB	4	2	4
Community	€42.99	approx. 250	20 GB	5	80 GB	5	3	4

Slots are not limited; the player numbers are guidelines and depend on map size and plugins. Rust needs a lot of memory: a large map with many plugins fills RAM quickly. If things get tight, a Boost on wipe day helps, when everyone arrives at once (Extend server and Boost).

First steps

Open the panel (Opening the panel) and wait until the server shows Läuft (running). On the first start, Rust downloads and generates the map – this can take a few minutes.
Copy the address (IP address and port) from the server header.
Check the Startvariablen (startup variables) under Konfiguration → Start: server name, description, header image, maximum players, map size (server.worldsize), seed (server.seed), game mode and RCON password.
Under Vorlagen (templates), choose which framework runs: “Rust mit Carbon” (Rust with Carbon), “Rust mit Oxide (uMod)” (Rust with Oxide) or “Rust ohne Framework” (Rust without framework).
Restart the server after making changes and connect as a test.

Start Rust and wait in the main menu until it has loaded.
Press F1 to open the console.
Enter client.connect 195.201.57.54:28015 (use your address and your port from the panel).

Your server is listed with the name, description, header image and tags from the startup variables. Right after startup it takes a while to show up in the list.

Vanilla, Carbon or Oxide

In every plan you can use Vanilla, Carbon or Oxide. The framework downloads at the next start and stays up to date. Nothing is deleted when you switch – without a framework, plugins are simply not loaded.

Folder	Contents
`carbon/plugins` or `oxide/plugins`	Plugins as `.cs` files – they load without a restart
`carbon/configs` or `oxide/config`	Settings of your plugins
`carbon/data` or `oxide/data`	Data of your plugins
`server/rust`	Map, saves, blueprints
`server/rust/cfg`	Admins and bans

You find plugins on the frameworks’ sites (e.g. umod.org). Upload the .cs file to the plugin folder with the file manager or SFTP (Files, editor and SFTP). Look in the console: it says whether the plugin loaded or reports errors. Background: Templates, mods and modpacks.

Wipe: new map and blueprints

Force wipe is on the first Thursday of every month at around 20:00 (German time): the Rust update brings a new map.
Your own wipe: enter a new seed or a different map size in the startup variables, save and restart. Rust creates the new map. Blueprints are kept.
Blueprint wipe: additionally delete the file player.blueprints.*.db in the server/rust folder.
Backup first: back up beforehand with one click or on a schedule (Backups and databases).
Scheduling a restart: with the arrow on the restart button you set the restart to the minute. Your players get a notice in chat five minutes and one minute beforehand (Schedules and restarts).

As a guideline for map size (server.worldsize): 3000 is the usual range for up to about 100 players. The bigger the map, the more RAM.

Admin and RCON

Register yourself as owner. Enter in the panel console: ownerid 76561198000000000 "YourName" "Owner" (your Steam ID64) and then server.writecfg so that it is saved.
Moderators: moderatorid 7656… "Name" "Moderator".
In the game you open the console with F1, where admin commands such as kick, ban or teleport work.
The RCON password is in the startup variables. External tools (WebRCON) connect with it via the RCON port from the panel.

The panel’s console also accepts commands from Carbon and Oxide (Console and controls).

Typical problems

Problem	Solution
Server takes a long time to start	Normal on the first start or after updates. Look in the console.
Players cannot get in (“Version mismatch”)	Server and game need the same version. The server updates at every start; players update via Steam. After the force wipe, restart the server first.
Plugin does not load	The file must be named `.cs`, be in the right folder and match the framework. Read the error message in the console.
Lag or crashes at wipe	Check RAM in the history, shrink the map, book a Boost or change plan.
Server not in the list	Wait a little, check the description and tags, join with `client.connect` if necessary.

If you have problems, Problem melden (report a problem) in the panel helps (Reporting a problem).

Frequently asked questions

Does it run Carbon or Oxide?

Both, plus Vanilla. You switch under Vorlagen. You put plugins as .cs files in carbon/plugins or oxide/plugins.

How do I wipe my server?

Enter a new seed or a new map size in the startup variables and restart. For a full wipe, also delete player.blueprints.*.db.

Can I pause when no wipe is coming up?

Yes, Server pausieren (pause server) is possible as a monthly contract: Pausing a server.

Is the server protected against DDoS?

Yes, the data centre’s basic protection comes with every server. With your own IP address, a dedicated filter is added: DDoS protection and attacks.