> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wasabihosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Join Your DayZ Server

> Connect to your DayZ server hosting at Wasabi Hosting via the official DayZ Launcher, DZSA Launcher for modded servers, or direct IP connect.

DayZ connects through a launcher rather than an in-game menu, and if your server runs mods, every player needs the exact same mods loaded. This guide covers the official DayZ Launcher, the community DZSA Launcher (which automates mods), direct connection, and the errors you'll most likely hit on the way.

## Finding Your Server Address

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to the Game Panel">
    Go to the [Wasabi Hosting Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) and sign in with your panel credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your server">
    Click your DayZ server in the server list to open its dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the address">
    The dashboard shows your address as `IP:port` (for example `203.0.113.10:2302`). The **game port** defaults to `2302` — this is the port you connect with.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  DayZ uses several ports: the game port (default `2302`, UDP) for gameplay and a separate Steam query port for server browsers. When connecting directly, always use the **game port**.
</Info>

## Option 1: Official DayZ Launcher

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the launcher">
    Start DayZ from Steam — the **DayZ Launcher** opens before the game.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find your server">
    Go to the **Servers** tab and type your server's name or IP into the filter box. Star it as a favorite so it's one click away next time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Load the required mods">
    If the server runs mods, the launcher lists them when you select the server. Subscribe to any you're missing on the Steam Workshop, wait for the downloads, and the launcher enables them for that session.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Join">
    Click **Join**. The game boots with the right mods and connects automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Option 2: DZSA Launcher (best for modded servers)

The community-made **DZSALauncher** (DayZ Standalone Launcher) is the favorite for modded servers because it downloads and enables all required Workshop mods automatically — players just search and click.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install DZSA Launcher">
    Download it from the official DZSA website and point it at your DayZ installation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search or direct connect">
    Search your server by name, or use direct connect with `IP:port` (game port `2302`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Play">
    DZSA fetches every mod the server reports, verifies versions, and launches the game connected to your server.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Running a modded community server? Tell players to use DZSA — it eliminates virtually all "missing mod" support requests. More on the server side in [Installing Mods](/games/dayz/install-mods).
</Tip>

## Option 3: Direct Connect

Both launchers support connecting straight to an address — in the official launcher use the server filter with your IP; in DZSA use **Direct Connect** with `IP:GamePort` (e.g. `203.0.113.10:2302`). Direct connect still requires you to have the server's exact mod set enabled.

## Password-Protected Servers

If the server has a `password` set in `serverDZ.cfg` (see [Server Configuration](/games/dayz/server-configuration)), the launcher prompts for it when you join. Share it privately with your community — there's no way to join without it.

## First-Join Tips

* **Login queue** — busy servers queue new connections; the timer counts down automatically, don't cancel and retry (you'll go to the back).
* **Fresh spawn** — new characters spawn along the coast with minimal gear. Your character is tied to that server; each server (or hive) has its own character.
* **Persistence** — everything you build or bury lives in the server's storage. As the owner, protect it with regular [backups](/server/backups).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Server not showing in the browser">
    Give it a few minutes after startup — DayZ servers take noticeably longer to boot than most games, especially with mods. Check the console in the [Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) for the line indicating the mission has loaded. Filters (map, version, modded) in the launcher can also hide it — search by IP instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Version mismatch">
    Client and server game versions must match. If a game update just shipped, update your client in Steam — and note the server needs updating too before anyone can join. Also make sure you're not on the Experimental branch while the server runs Stable (or vice versa).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kicked: mod mismatch or missing mods">
    Your loaded mods must match the server's mod list **exactly** — same mods, same versions. Errors mentioning a PBO that is "not part of the server data" mean you have an extra or outdated mod loaded. DZSA Launcher resolves this automatically; in the official launcher, compare your enabled mod list against the server's.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kicked by BattlEye (missing key)">
    If the server logs show signature verification kicks, a mod's `.bikey` is missing from the server's `keys/` folder — that's a server-side fix, covered in [Installing Mods](/games/dayz/install-mods).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Connection timeouts">
    Verify the `IP:port` against the panel, and if you use the [Firewall Manager](/firewall-manager), confirm no rule is blocking your IP.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="Need a DayZ server?" icon="rocket" href="https://wasabihosting.com/game-servers/dayz">
  Get your own DayZ server from **€8.00/month** — deployed in about 2 minutes with DDoS protection included.
</Card>