Revision history

v1.0: October 2026 — First edition.

About this guide

This guide covers the steps from completing your order, through starting to play together with your friends, to being able to use the administrator commands. Everything is done from the game panel.

Please obtain the game itself (ARK: Survival Evolved) separately. What we provide is the server where everyone gathers.

You normally do not need to configure ports. 2 ports are assigned automatically, one for the game and one for queries, and they are also written into the server settings automatically.

STEP 1 Wait for the installation to finish

Once your payment is complete, preparation of the server begins automatically. The first fetch of the game takes about 20 minutes. When the installation finishes, the server goes on to start automatically.

You cannot connect from the game during this time. You can follow the progress on the Console tab of the game panel.

STEP 2 Check your connection details

You can check the address to give your friends in 2 places. Both show the same information.

Checking on the Console tab

Open the Console tab of the game panel. Every time the server starts, a line beginning with [bestnet] is shown as follows.

[bestnet] 接続先 <IP>:<ポート> / 問い合わせ <番号> / マップ TheIsland / 版 public / 最大 20 人(詳しくは 接続情報.txt)

Checking on the Files tab

When you open the Files tab of the game panel, 接続情報.txt is at the very top level. It is rewritten every time the server starts.

The file manager in the game panel, with 接続情報.txt at the very top level — `接続情報.txt` at the very top of the Files tab

Line heading	Meaning
サーバー名 (Server name)	The name that appears in the server list.
接続先(ゲームのコンソールで open) (Address — use with the open command in the game console)	The address to give your friends. It is written in the form `IP:port`.
問い合わせ用ポート(Steam のお気に入りに追加) (Query port — add to your Steam favorites)	Used when adding the server to your favorites in the Steam server list. It is in the form `IP:number`.
マップ / 版 / 最大人数 (Map / version / maximum players)	The current settings.
管理者パスワード (Admin password)	The location of the file that holds the password (`bestnet/admin_password.txt`). The password itself is not written here.

If the query port line shows 「★割り当てられていません」 (not assigned), please see If something does not work.

STEP 3 Wait for the server to finish starting

When the following message appears on the Console tab, the server has finished starting and is waiting for connections. Starting takes a few minutes.

[bestnet] 起動しました。コンソールのコマンドを受け付けます(Waiting commands for 127.0.0.1:27020)

You cannot connect until this message appears.

STEP 4 Join from the game

There are 2 ways to join.

Entering the address directly

In the in-game console, enter open followed by the address (IP:port). Use the value of 接続先(ゲームのコンソールで open) in 接続情報.txt just as it is.

Joining from your favorites in the server list

Add the server to your favorites in the Steam server list using the query port (IP:number), then join. Please note that this is a different number from the port number in the address.

If a join password is set, you enter it when joining. For how to set one, please see the article on join passwords.

STEP 5 Become the administrator

The admin password is created automatically for each server. No default value shared across all servers is used.

On the Files tab of the game panel, open the bestnet folder, then open admin_password.txt and check the value.
In the in-game console, enter enablecheats followed by the admin password, and the administrator commands become available.

The file manager in the game panel, with the bestnet folder in the list — `admin_password.txt` is inside the `bestnet` folder

If you would like to use a value of your own, enter it in [ADMIN] Admin Password on the Startup tab and restart the server (only letters, digits, - and _). The value you enter takes priority.

Please do not show the admin password to anyone else. Please also take care over whom you share the game panel with.

How to change it is also explained in the article on the admin password.

Items on the Startup tab

You can change the server settings on the Startup tab of the game panel. After changing a value, please restart the server from the Console tab.

The Startup screen in the game panel, with the Join Password, Admin Password, Map and Server Name fields — Variables on the Startup tab (first half)

The Startup screen in the game panel, with the Query Port, Update on Start, BattlEye, Game Version, Workshop Mod IDs and Max Players fields — Variables on the Startup tab (second half)

Item	Description	Default
`[SERVER] Server Name`	The name that appears in the server list. Up to 120 characters. `?` and `"` cannot be used.	`ARK Server -gss.bestnetllc.co.jp`
`[SERVER] Join Password`	The password used when joining. Only letters, digits, `-` and `_` can be used.	Blank = none
`[SERVER] Max Players`	The maximum number of players. You can change it anywhere between 1 and 255.	Blank = matches your plan (20 / 70 / 125 players)
`[ADMIN] Admin Password`	The admin password. Only letters, digits, `-` and `_` can be used.	Blank = created automatically for each server
`[WORLD] Map`	Selects the map. You can choose from the 13 official maps.	`TheIsland`
`[UPDATE] Update on Start`	A switch. It brings the game up to the latest version every time the server starts. We recommend leaving it on.	On
`[UPDATE] Game Version`	`public` = latest / `preaquatica` = the version before Aquatica was added. If you change it, the game is fetched again on the next start (about 15 minutes, and about 18GB of free space is needed temporarily).	`public`
`[NETWORK] Query Port (override)`	Specifies the query port. Please normally leave it blank.	Blank
`[MOD] Workshop Mod IDs`	Enter the Steam Workshop mod IDs, separated by commas. They are fetched automatically at startup.	Blank
`[ADV] BattlEye`	A switch. It turns on BattlEye, the anti-cheat protection.	On
`[ADV] Additional Launch Arguments`	Additional launch arguments. Please normally leave it blank.	Blank

A switch is saved the moment you press it. Please take care not to touch one when you are only looking.

The 13 maps you can choose from are as follows.

TheIsland / TheCenter / ScorchedEarth_P / Ragnarok / Aberration_P / Extinction / Valguero_P / Genesis / CrystalIsles / Gen2 / LostIsland / Fjordur / Aquatica

Aquatica can be selected only when the version is public. Also, memory use differs from map to map. If you select Aquatica on Small, or Gen2 on Small or Medium, the server may stop for lack of memory (a warning is shown at startup). We recommend Large for Gen2, and Medium or above for Aquatica.

For how to change the map, please see the article on changing the map; for how to add mods, please see the article on adding mods.

For a server whose version is set to preaquatica, everyone joining should also switch their game to the same version in Steam before entering.

Changing settings in the configuration file (GameUserSettings.ini)

Settings that are not on the Startup tab can be changed in the configuration file. It is located on the Files tab at ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini. Please stop the server before editing it.

Items determined on the Startup tab revert even if you change them in the configuration file. The server name, maximum players, admin password, join password and ports are written from the Startup tab values into the configuration file every time the server starts. Please change these on the Startup tab.

For all other lines, the values in the configuration file are used. The meaning and effect of each individual setting belong to the game itself, so we are unable to advise on them.

For details, please see the article on GameUserSettings.ini being reset.

Stopping, reinstalling, backing up and restoring

Stopping the server

Press Stop on the Console tab and please wait until it has stopped (the status becomes Offline). The world is saved before the server stops. The Console tab shows the following.

[bestnet] ワールドの保存を確認しました。停止しました

With the game's default settings, the world is saved automatically about every 15 minutes.

Reinstalling

Your world and settings remain even after a reinstall. Only the game itself is put back in place. You will find it on the Settings tab.

The Settings screen in the game panel, with the Reinstall Server box — Reinstall Server on the Settings tab

Backup and restore

You can create and restore backups from the Backups tab of the game panel. The number of generations you can keep is 3 / 5 / 10 depending on your plan.

The Backups screen in the game panel — The Backups screen

When restoring, please do not select the option to delete all files before restoring. A backup does not contain the game itself, so selecting it will leave the server unable to start. In that case, please reinstall to put the game back in place.

For the procedures, please see the shared articles Restoring from a backup and Reinstallation procedure when the server fails to start.

If something does not work

You still cannot join

Please check whether the Console tab shows 「起動しました。コンソールのコマンドを受け付けます」 (the server has started and is accepting console commands). You cannot join while the server is still starting.

Check that the address is correct

Please check that the IP and port number you entered in the game match 接続先 (the address) in 接続情報.txt. When adding the server to your favorites in the server list, use the query port instead.

「★割り当てられていません」 is shown (no query port assigned)

If this message appears on the query port line, please add 1 port on the Network tab of the game panel and restart the server. You do not need to enter a number. The port that has been added is used automatically.

The Network screen in the game panel, with 2 ports present — The Network tab. Normally there are 2 ports, as shown here

「メモリが足りず止まることがあります」 is shown (the server may stop for lack of memory)

This appears when the map you have selected is large for the memory of your plan. Please consider changing the map, or moving up to a higher plan.

Check that the game versions match

Please check that the server and the game of each person joining are on the same version. When a game update is released, please restart the server and have everyone joining update their game to the latest version as well.

Join password

If a join password is set, please check that the value you entered matches [SERVER] Join Password on the Startup tab.