Rust Server Admin Guide
Rust is one of the most demanding games to host — both technically and socially. Players expect smooth performance, fair rules, and regular wipes. This guide covers everything a Rust server admin needs to know.
Wipe Schedule
Wipes are fundamental to Rust. They reset the playing field and keep the game fresh. Understanding the wipe cycle is critical for running a successful server.
Types of Wipes
| Type | What Resets | What Survives | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map Wipe | All buildings, deployables, inventories, map | Blueprints, player levels | Set by server admin |
| Blueprint Wipe | All learned blueprints | Nothing — full reset | Periodically by Facepunch or admin |
| Full Wipe | Everything — map + blueprints | Nothing | Typically on force wipe day |
Force Wipe
Facepunch forces a wipe on the first Thursday of every month when they push a mandatory update. All servers must update and wipe.
- Time: 11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern / 7:00 PM CET (typically)
- What resets: Map data (buildings, items, resources)
- Blueprints: Usually preserved unless Facepunch announces a BP wipe
- BP wipes happen less frequently — typically with major game changes, not every month
Community Wipe Schedules
Most community servers add their own wipes between force wipes:
| Schedule | Best For | Typical Player Base |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Competitive PvP, high action | Experienced players |
| Bi-weekly | Balance of progression and freshness | Most popular |
| Monthly | Long-term building, casual play | Builders, small groups |
Wipe day tip: Schedule your wipe for Thursday evening (your timezone) to align with the weekly Rust update cycle. Many players specifically look for "just wiped" servers.
Running a Wipe
To wipe your server:
# Map wipe only (keep blueprints)
# Delete these files from your server data directory:
# - *.sav (map save)
# - *.sav.* (map backups)
# - *.map (procedural map cache)
# Blueprint wipe (add to above)
# Also delete:
# - player.blueprints.*.db
# Or via RCON:
server.save # Save first
server.writecfg # Save config
# Then restart the server with the files deleted
On Reactor, you can trigger wipes from the dashboard or by deleting the relevant files via SFTP.
Oxide / uMod Plugin System
Oxide (also called uMod) is the standard plugin framework for Rust servers. Nearly every modded server runs it.
Installing Oxide
On most hosts (including Reactor), Oxide comes pre-installed. If you need to install manually:
- Download the latest Oxide build from umod.org
- Extract into your server's root directory (overwrites some files)
- Restart the server
- Oxide creates
oxide/directory withplugins/,config/,data/,logs/
Installing Plugins
- Download the
.csfile from umod.org or Codefling - Upload to
oxide/plugins/ - The plugin loads automatically (hot-reload) — no restart needed
- Configuration file appears in
oxide/config/ - Edit the config, then reload:
oxide.reload PluginName
Essential Oxide Commands
oxide.plugins # List all loaded plugins
oxide.load PluginName # Load a plugin
oxide.unload PluginName # Unload a plugin
oxide.reload PluginName # Reload after config change
oxide.version # Check Oxide version
oxide.update # Update Oxide (requires restart)
Carbon — The Alternative
Carbon is a newer framework gaining popularity. It's designed for better performance and supports most Oxide plugins. If you're starting fresh and want lower overhead, Carbon is worth considering.
Popular Plugins
Based on what successful community servers run in 2025:
Must-Have (Quality of Life)
| Plugin | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gather Manager | Control resource gather rates | The most common mod — 2x, 3x, 5x servers |
| Kits | Give players starter/VIP kits | Configurable cooldowns and permissions |
| Teleportation | /tpa, /home, /town commands | Set cooldowns to balance gameplay |
| Better Chat | Chat formatting, colors, prefixes | Show ranks, VIP tags, admin badges |
| AutoDoors | Doors close automatically after delay | Small QoL, players love it |
| Backpacks | Extra inventory space | Configurable size per permission group |
Economy & Trading
| Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Economics | Currency system (earn from farming, PvP, events) |
| Server Rewards | Reward points for play time, kills, gathering |
| Shop / GUI Shop | In-game store where players spend currency |
| Trade | Safe player-to-player item trading |
Administration
| Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Admin Radar | See players, sleepers, entities through walls (admin only) |
| Vanish | Go invisible to monitor players |
| Player Administration | GUI for banning, kicking, muting |
| Clans | Clan system with tags, alliances, friendly fire protection |
| Rust:IO / RustIO | Live web map of your server |
Performance & Anti-Cheat
| Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Anti Hack | Detect speedhacks, flyhacks, noclip |
| Stack Size Controller | Increase stack sizes to reduce inventory clutter |
| Entity Cleanup | Remove abandoned structures after inactivity |
Keep your plugin count reasonable. 30-40 well-maintained plugins is a good target. Going above 60 often causes performance issues. Monitor with oxide.plugins and remove anything unused.
Server Configuration
Launch Parameters
Key parameters in your server startup command:
RustDedicated \
-batchmode \
+server.port 28015 \
+server.queryport 28016 \
+rcon.port 28016 \
+rcon.password "YourSecurePassword" \
+rcon.web 1 \
+server.hostname "My Rust Server | 2x | Kits" \
+server.description "Bi-weekly wipe. Active admins. Events every weekend." \
+server.url "https://discord.gg/yourserver" \
+server.headerimage "https://your-image-url/banner.png" \
+server.identity "myserver" \
+server.maxplayers 100 \
+server.worldsize 3500 \
+server.seed 12345 \
+server.saveinterval 600 \
+server.globalchat true \
+server.stability true \
+decay.scale 1.0
Important Settings
| Setting | Default | Recommended | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
server.worldsize | 4500 | 3000-4000 | Map size in meters. Smaller = more PvP encounters |
server.maxplayers | 50 | 50-150 | Match to your hardware capacity |
server.saveinterval | 600 | 300-600 | Auto-save frequency in seconds |
server.pve | false | false | True disables PvP entirely |
decay.scale | 1.0 | 0.5-1.0 | Building decay speed. Lower = slower decay |
server.seed | random | fixed | Map seed — same seed = same map layout |
Map Size Guide
| Size | Players | Style |
|---|---|---|
| 2500 | 25-50 | Dense, constant PvP |
| 3000 | 50-100 | Balanced |
| 3500 | 75-150 | Room to breathe |
| 4000 | 100-200 | Large groups, less encounters |
| 4500+ | 150+ | Spread out, exploration focus |
RCON (Remote Console)
Rust uses WebRCON — a WebSocket-based variant, not the standard Source RCON. See our RCON Protocol guide for details.
Quick RCON Setup
+rcon.port 28016
+rcon.password "YourPassword"
+rcon.web 1 # Required for WebRCON
Useful Admin Commands
# Server management
server.save # Force save
server.writecfg # Save configuration
server.fps # Check server FPS
server.hostname "New Name" # Change server name
# Player management
kick "PlayerName" "Reason"
ban "SteamID64" "Reason"
unban "SteamID64"
banlistex # View ban list
mutevoice "PlayerName"
unmutevoice "PlayerName"
# World
say "Server message to all" # Broadcast to chat
teleport "Player1" "Player2" # Teleport player
env.time 12 # Set time (0-24)
weather.fog 0 # Disable fog
weather.rain 0 # Disable rain
# Information
players # List online players
playerlist # Detailed player info
serverinfo # Server stats
RCON Tools
| Tool | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| RustAdmin | Desktop app | Full admin panel with player tracking |
| rcon.io | Web-based | Quick browser access |
| Rust+ (official) | Mobile app | Basic monitoring and chat |
| Reactor Dashboard | Web-based | Integrated with server management |
Performance Optimization
Hardware Requirements
Rust is CPU-intensive and single-threaded for game logic:
| Players | CPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-50 | 4 GHz+ | 8 GB | 25 GB SSD |
| 50-100 | 4.5 GHz+ | 12-16 GB | 50 GB SSD |
| 100-200 | 4.5 GHz+ | 16-24 GB | 75 GB SSD |
| 200+ | Highest single-thread | 24-32 GB | 100 GB SSD |
Monitoring Server Health
# In RCON
server.fps # Target: 30 FPS. Below 20 = lag
status # Player count and map info
perf 1 # Enable performance stats
Target FPS: 30 is ideal. Below 20 FPS, players experience rubber-banding and hit registration issues.
Common Performance Killers
- Too many entities — Large bases with hundreds of doors, boxes, lights
- Entity count >300k — Server starts to struggle above this
- Too many plugins — Each plugin adds overhead on every server tick
- Large map + few players — The server still processes all chunks
- Unoptimized plugins — Some free plugins have poor performance
Related Guides
- RCON Protocol — Detailed RCON protocol documentation
- Steam Query Protocol — How Steam finds your Rust server
- Rust Server Plans — View pricing and tiers
Ready to host? Get your Rust server →