Host using a VPN
Last updated
Last updated
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables you to join the same network via a public centralized server. You can either set up your own VPN or use a VPN service such as , , etc. This method is recommended only as a last resort if you are unable to use any other hosting options.
Free VPNs services are known to cause performance or connectivity problems, so use at your own risk. The officially supported way of playing Fika is with port forwarding. We will not provide support for issues caused by VPN services. Custom firewalls such as BitDefender may also block your connection while playing. Make sure that you allow the connection or temporarily disable it while playing!
Navigate to the VPN website of your choice and install their client.
Reboot your computer.
You might need to create a VPN channel/room that your friends needs to join.
Take note of your VPN IP (referred to as your_vpn_ip below), which is generally shown in the VPN client interface. You will need it in the following steps.
Start the SPT.Server at least once to generate the configuration files
Navigate to your user\mods\fika-server\assets\configs and open fika.jsonc
Navigate to the server section
Change ip to your_vpn_ip.
Change backendIp to your_vpn_ip.
Save the file and close it.
Alternatively, the VPN client may offer a way to open ports in the Windows Firewall. Make sure to double check your VPN client settings.
Launch SPT.Server.exe.
If everything is working properly, you should see something similar in the console output:
If you see errors (red text) then that means your configuration is invalid or you are unable to host using the configured IP address/port. You may need to create a channel/room first. We recommend visiting the "Troubleshooting" section of the Wiki or join our Discord for assistance.
Launch SPT.Launcher.exe.
Start the game.
Once you are in the main menu, press F12 to bring up the configuration manager.
Find the Force IP and Force Bind IP in the "Fika.Core" section of the configuration manager.
Set both Force IP and Force Bind IP to your VPN IP. <- THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP, DO NOT SKIP IT.
At this point, your server should be accessible to your friends, and you can start playing.
You will need to configure the Windows Firewall to allow inbound traffic to the port 6969 TCP and 25565 UDP. If you don't know how, you can use .
Your friends will need to as well and follow the steps to .
to learn how to host a raid.
to learn more about additional Fika configurations.
