Server won't connect
Saving a server runs two checks, in order:
- RCON — heliana connects to your RCON port and authenticates.
- Whitelist file access — only once RCON succeeds, heliana connects over SFTP and confirms it can write your server’s admin whitelist file.
Each check reports its own failure, on its own — never a single combined message. Fix the first error, save again, and the second check runs.
RCON failures
Section titled “RCON failures”Invalid RCON password
Section titled “Invalid RCON password”Cause: The password in heliana doesn’t match Password= in Rcon.cfg.
Fix: Copy the value from Rcon.cfg exactly — it’s case-sensitive. On an edit, leaving the
RCON password field blank keeps the previously saved password; only fill it in when you’re
actually changing it.
RCON connection timed out
Section titled “RCON connection timed out”Cause: heliana couldn’t reach the host on the RCON port within 5 seconds. Typical reasons:
- Wrong host — the Host field needs your server’s public IP, not the SFTP host or the game’s public query address.
- Wrong port — Squad’s default RCON port is
21114. CheckPort=inRcon.cfg. - A firewall blocking inbound TCP on that port.
- The server process isn’t running.
Fix: Confirm the port matches Rcon.cfg and that your hosting panel allows inbound TCP on
it. See Configure RCON.
RCON host points to a private/internal address / RCON host resolves to a private/internal address
Section titled “RCON host points to a private/internal address / RCON host resolves to a private/internal address”Cause: The host resolves to a private IP range (LAN, loopback, link-local). heliana refuses to connect to private addresses, no exceptions.
Fix: Use the server’s public IP address. A LAN hostname or alias won’t work even if heliana and your game server happen to share a network.
RCON host could not be resolved
Section titled “RCON host could not be resolved”Cause: DNS lookup of the RCON host failed.
Fix: Check for typos. If the hostname isn’t publicly resolvable, enter the raw IP address instead.
Whitelist file (SFTP) failures
Section titled “Whitelist file (SFTP) failures”Once RCON succeeds, heliana connects over SFTP and writes (then removes) a small test file next to your admin whitelist — the same file it later writes your whitelist to.
SFTP host points to a private/internal address / SFTP host resolves to a private/internal address / SFTP host could not be resolved
Section titled “SFTP host points to a private/internal address / SFTP host resolves to a private/internal address / SFTP host could not be resolved”Cause: Same private-address block or DNS failure as the RCON checks above, applied to the SFTP host.
Fix: Use the server’s public IP or a hostname that resolves publicly.
Message starting with Server file check failed —
Section titled “Message starting with Server file check failed —”Cause: heliana reached the SFTP host but couldn’t confirm write access. The text after the dash names the reason. Common ones:
SFTP log read timed out— the SFTP server didn’t respond within 10 seconds. Check for network latency or a firewall throttling the SFTP port (default22).- An authentication failure — the SFTP username or password is wrong. heliana only supports password authentication for SFTP; an SSH key isn’t accepted.
- A path or permission error — Game server path doesn’t point at the folder that contains
ServerConfig/, or the SFTP account doesn’t have write access to it.
Fix: Re-enter the SFTP username/password, confirm Game server path is the root install
folder (the one containing Saved/ and ServerConfig/), and confirm the SFTP account can write
to it. See Get SFTP access and
Server connection fields.
Server limit errors
Section titled “Server limit errors”Server capacity reached (max N servers during the public beta).
Section titled “Server capacity reached (max N servers during the public beta).”Cause: The overall server cap for the public beta has been reached, across all organizations.
Fix: Wait for capacity to free up or contact heliana support.
Server limit reached (max 2 per organization).
Section titled “Server limit reached (max 2 per organization).”Cause: Your organization already has 2 servers — a limit heliana enforces regardless of what any button in the UI lets you click.
Fix: Delete an existing server before adding a new one.