Valheim: Common Connection Issues

Have issues connecting to your DatHost Valheim server? In this article, we’ll go through the most common issues.

Server stuck at booting

More often than not, this is due to some configuration issue with your server. These are the most common issues causing this issue.

1. Mods/plugins crashing the server

If you have installed any mods/plugins on your server, it could be that one or some of your plugins are preventing the game from booting. That could be due to dependencies missing, or a recent game update that caused the mod to stop working.

Disable all mods and try to boot the server “Vanilla”. If that works out, then add the mods back one by one until you find the faulty one.

2. Corrupted world

If you have uploaded your custom world, there’s a chance it could be corrupted. To verify this, check the Console of your server and look for the lines:

Exception while loading world (...) Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.

World load failed mid-file. Exiting without save. Check backups!

To resolve this issue, check the folder from where you uploaded the world and see if you have a .db.old file. If that’s the case, follow these steps:

Stop your Valheim server
Go to the File Manager of your server
Open the folder /SaveDir/worlds_local
Upload your .db.old file there and then remove the current .db file
Rename the .db.old to only .db
Start your server and see how it works out.

Other potential issues with the world files:

You made changes to the world files prior to uploading them (e.g. renaming the files)
You have played with Mods on these worlds before, which have altered them in a way that it now only works with those mods enabled.

3. Other

If you’re seeing the server stuck at booting, and it’s not due to any mods/plugins or a corrupted world, there might be temporary issues with the game or its network. Feel free to reach out to us for further troubleshooting of your server.

Error: Failed to connect

This error is usually caused by either entering the wrong connection details, configuration issues with the server - or a DNS delay for custom domains.

1. Entering the wrong connection details

The first troubleshooting step would be to double-check that you have entered the correct connection details. When copying the connection address, make sure that you select the correct one depending on your preferred connection method.

2. Configuration issues with the server

This can be due to many different reasons but is often caused by mods/plugins. If you have any mods/plugins installed on your server, it’s recommended to try and disable them and see if the server works “Vanilla”. If that works out, then add the mods back one by one until you find the faulty one.

3. DNS delay when using custom domains

If you have set a custom domain on your server there might be a delay if you just created the domain - or recently switched location.

The DNS update usually kicks in within a few minutes, but if that’s not the case, you could try and remove the custom domain and use the original connection address instead.

Error: Incompatible version

This error is either caused by a recent update not being received on your or the server’s end yet; or by a mod/plugin.

1. Recent update

When Valheim releases an update our host servers will be updated within 15 minutes, and then a reboot is required for the update to take effect. We’ll automatically reboot all servers ASAP whenever they’re empty.

If you want to speed up this process, you can simply reboot the server from your Control Panel by holding down the “Stop” button for a few seconds.

Additionally, make sure that you also have the updated version on your end by exiting Steam and logging back in.

2. Mods/Plugins

Some mods/plugins hook on a version check to their plugin, to ensure that both the server and all players connecting have the same mod installed.

The most known mod that does this is Valheim Plus. If you have this mod installed on the server, make sure that you have it installed on your computer as well.