Setting up the RustAdmin RCON tool
What is an "RCON" tool?
Rust has no console by default, so there's no normal way to issue commands to the server from inside the game, or from the Nodecraft control panel. To issue commands to the server, you will need to use what is called an "RCON" tool, which stands for "remote console". Without the RCON tool, the server is a black box, and you have no idea what it's doing internally.
The RCON will create a two-way connection with the server, allowing you to send it commands, and then see output and confirmations from those commands running.
Enable RCON Access on Your Rust Server
Before you even install or use an RCON tool, you need to change some settings on the Nodecraft control panel for your Rust Server to allow RCON connections from an RCON tool.
Click on "Game Settings" on the leftmost side of the Nodecraft server control panel, and then click the "Advanced" tab on the blue bar across the middle of the screen.
On this page, do the following:
Enter an RCON password
Click the "Enable Web RCON" box
Make a mental note of what your "Server Port" and "RCON Port" are set to, you will need them for later. It's recommended to have it be different from your server's Query Port, we've setup ours to
28017.You will also want to make a note of your IP address from the "Overview" page in your panel for later as well.
Then click Save at the bottom of that screen to save all those settings.
You will need to Restart your server for these changes to apply.
Once your Rust server's status is "Server Online" it is now set up to receive RCON connections.
Create a RustAdmin account
In order to use the RustAdmin client, you will need to create an account on their website: https://www.rustadmin.com/
Add Your Server to Your RustAdmin Account
After you have created your account and are logged into it from their website, you need to add the server to your RustAdmin account and Verify it.
Download and setup RustAdmin
You can download RustAdmin from the same website. It will download as a zip file.
You do not need to "install" it. Simply unzip the package, open the folder inside and it's ready to be used wherever you unzipped it.
Start RustAdmin
To use RustAdmin, double-click on the RustAdmin.exe file.
Enter Connection Information on the Configuration Screen
Change the settings on this page and save it. Once you've entered all this information on the configuration screen, it will allow you to connect to your server by simply clicking on one button later on.
Make sure the RCON type is set to "WebRcon"
Enter the server port for Rust,
28015Enter the RCON port,
28017Enter the RCON password you set earlier.
Be sure to Save the configuration near the bottom of the RustAdmin client.
Connect to the Server with RCON
To make a connection to your Rust server, click on the "Server" button on the dark grey bar at the top of the RustAdmin window, then click "Connect". It should form a connection based on the information you entered on the configuration screen.
If everything is set up correctly, you will see "Connected" in green letters on the lower left edge of the window.
Unless something is currently happening on the Rust server, you probably won't see anything else happening on other parts of the screen. You will generally only see something appear in the console section of RustAdmin if you have run a command.
Entering Commands in the RCON Window
You can enter commands in the lowest box in the Console tab, and you will see output from those commands appear in the console window above.
How to Become an Admin
Please follow our article on how to make yourself an Admin on your Rust Server.
