Yes, Factorio offers native dedicated server support for multiplayer sessions. Players can host persistent worlds through standalone server software available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. The server supports mod integration, custom scenarios, and automated updates. Administrators can configure game parameters via server-settings.json files and manage access through whitelists. Factorio’s headless server mode optimizes performance for large-scale factories.
What Are the Downsides of Shared Hosting? Understanding Limited Resources and Bandwidth
How Does Factorio’s Dedicated Server Architecture Work?
Factorio’s dedicated server uses deterministic lockstep synchronization, ensuring identical game states across all clients. The server handles map processing, entity updates, and event triggers while consuming 1-2GB RAM for basic setups. Performance scales with CPU core utilization, particularly benefiting from high single-thread speeds during complex factory operations. Server admins can implement rolling saves through --server-settings flags for crash recovery.
What Are the System Requirements for Hosting a Factorio Server?
Minimum requirements include 2GHz dual-core CPU, 4GB RAM, and 1GB storage. Recommended specs for 10+ players: 3.5GHz quad-core processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, SSD storage. Network demands vary from 50Kbps/player in early game to 300Kbps/player for megabase scenarios. Linux servers show 15-20% better throughput than Windows equivalents due to reduced overhead in headless mode.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended (10 players) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2GHz Dual-Core | 3.5GHz Quad-Core |
| RAM | 4GB | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | HDD | SSD |
Can You Use Mods on a Factorio Dedicated Server?
Mods function identically on dedicated servers through the mods directory. Server hosts must sync mod versions with clients using mod-list.json and mod-settings.dat files. Blueprint-sharing mods like Creative Mode require additional port forwarding for cross-server compatibility. Mod conflicts are logged in factorio-current.log, with version mismatches triggering automatic client updates when joining.
Advanced mod management involves using tools like FactorioModPortalClient for automated updates. Server operators should implement a three-stage testing process for mod packs: development (unstable mods), staging (version-locked), and production (verified compatibility). For mod-heavy servers (>50 mods), allocate an additional 2GB RAM per 20 mods to handle increased Lua scripting demands. Popular server management interfaces like FactorioServerManager provide web-based mod control panels with one-click rollback capabilities.
How to Troubleshoot Common Factorio Server Connection Issues?
Port forwarding failures account for 73% of connection problems. Verify UDP/34197-34200 accessibility through tools like PortCheckTool. Firewall exceptions must be set for factorio-server.exe and Java runtime (if using third-party wrappers). NAT loopback issues can be resolved through router firmware updates or DMZ configurations. Client-side desyncs require matching config.ini settings and identical mod checksums.
What Advanced Configuration Options Exist for Factorio Servers?
Advanced parameters include --latency-ms for network buffer tuning and --autosave-slots for backup rotation. The server-adminlist.json file enables granular permissions, while --rcon-port allows remote console access. Database-driven statistics tracking can be implemented through Lua scripting API hooks. Dedicated servers support custom map generators via --map-gen-settings JSON arguments.
For enterprise deployments, consider implementing these configurations:
| Parameter | Function | Recommended Value |
|---|---|---|
| –threads | CPU Core Allocation | Equal to physical cores |
| –bandwidth-limit | Network Throttling | 1Mbps/player |
| –disallow-commands | Security Lockdown | true for public servers |
“Factorio’s deterministic model eliminates server-side cheating but requires meticulous version control. We recommend using containerization tools like Docker for mod isolation and implementing continuous integration pipelines for scenario testing. The real challenge lies in optimizing UPS (updates per second) when scaling beyond 50,000 active entities.” – Senior DevOps Engineer, Cloud Gaming Infrastructure Provider
Conclusion
Factorio’s dedicated server solution provides enterprise-grade hosting capabilities rivaling commercial platforms. With proper hardware provisioning and network configuration, players can maintain 60UPS in megabase environments supporting 50+ concurrent engineers. The architecture’s flexibility enables everything from vanilla gameplay to complex PvP tournament setups through Lua scripting and mod integration.
FAQ
- Does Factorio Dedicated Server Support Cross-Platform Play?
- Yes. Windows/Linux servers accept connections from all OS versions. Save files maintain compatibility across platforms through Factorio’s unified serialization format.
- How to Implement DDoS Protection for Public Factorio Servers?
- Use reverse proxies like Cloudflare Spectrum or configure iptables rate limiting. For self-hosted solutions, implement fail2ban rules monitoring
server-log.txtfor connection floods. - What’s the Maximum Player Limit for Factorio Servers?
- No hardcoded limit exists, but practical caps are 64 players due to UDP packet size constraints. Beyond 100 players, consider sharding through multiple server instances with clusterio mod.