> ## 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 a Squad Server

> Find and join your Squad server hosting using the in-game server browser - filters, favorites, queues, passwords, and modded server downloads explained.

Squad servers are joined through the **in-game server browser** — there's no direct-connect box in the standard flow, so knowing how to search and filter effectively matters. This guide covers finding your Wasabi Hosting server, handling queues and passwords, and what happens when you join a modded server.

## Before You Start: Know Your Server Details

If it's your own server, grab the details players will search for:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check the Game Panel">
    Log in to the [Wasabi Hosting Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) and select your Squad server — the overview shows your IP, ports, and live status.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Note your exact server name">
    Players find you by the `ServerName` from `Server.cfg` (see [Server Configuration](/games/squad/server-configuration)). Share the exact string, including any clan tags, with your community.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm it's advertising">
    `ShouldAdvertise=true` must be set for the server to appear in the public browser, and the server must be fully started (check the Console).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Joining via the Server Browser

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the server browser">
    From the Squad main menu, click **Servers**. Give the list a few seconds to populate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search by name">
    Type your server's name into the search field — this is the `ServerName` from your `Server.cfg` (see [Server Configuration](/games/squad/server-configuration)). Distinctive names are found instantly; generic ones get buried.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use filters">
    The browser can filter by **map, region, ping, password-protected, full/empty servers, and modded servers**. If your server doesn't show up, reset all filters first — a "hide password-protected" or "hide modded" filter is the usual culprit.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Favorite it">
    Once found, add the server to your **Favorites** tab so you and your community can rejoin without searching. Share the exact server name with your players.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Passwords and Queues

* **Password-protected servers** prompt for the password when you join — it's the `Password` value set in `Server.cfg`. Great for scrims, events, and testing sessions.
* **Full servers use a queue.** When a server is at max capacity, joining places you in line and you're let in as slots free up. Licensed servers may run reserved slots (`NumReservedSlots`), which let whitelisted players use a separate priority queue.
* Queue position is shown while you wait — don't cancel and rejoin, you'll lose your spot.

## Joining Modded Servers

When you join a server running Steam Workshop mods, Squad **automatically downloads the required mods** before connecting:

* Downloads happen through Steam and can be **large** — full conversion mods run into many gigabytes, so first joins can take a while.
* Mods stay installed, so subsequent joins are fast until the mod updates.
* After a mod update, your client re-downloads the new version; if the server hasn't updated yet (or vice versa), you may be unable to join until both sides match. See [Installing Mods](/games/squad/install-mods) for the server side of this.

## Default Ports (Reference)

| Purpose     | Default Port | Protocol |
| ----------- | ------------ | -------- |
| Game        | `7787`       | UDP      |
| Steam query | `27165`      | UDP      |
| RCON        | `21114`      | TCP      |

<Info>
  On Wasabi Hosting, your server's actual IP and assigned ports are shown in the [Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) — managed servers may use different port numbers than the defaults above. You don't need to configure any of this to join; the browser handles it.
</Info>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Server doesn't appear in the browser">
    Check that the server is **online** in the panel, that `ShouldAdvertise=true` is set in `Server.cfg`, and that your browser filters (region, modded, password) are cleared. Freshly restarted servers can take a minute to reappear in the master list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Version mismatch on patch day">
    Squad updates require server and client versions to match. Update your client through Steam, then restart the server from the panel so it updates too. Modded servers often need mod updates on top — expect some turbulence in the hours after a major patch.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mod download is stuck">
    Cancel the join, verify Steam isn't paused or throttling downloads (check Steam's Downloads page), then rejoin. If a specific workshop item repeatedly fails, unsubscribe/delete it locally and let the join re-download it fresh.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kicked back to menu when joining">
    Usually a version/mod mismatch or a full reserved-slot situation. Verify your game and mods are up to date; if the server just changed its mod list, restart your game so it picks up the new requirements.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Server Configuration" icon="gears" href="/games/squad/server-configuration">
    Set your server name, password, and rotation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Install Mods" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/games/squad/install-mods">
    Run Workshop maps and overhauls that clients auto-download.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Don't have a server for your community yet? [Get your own Squad server](https://wasabihosting.com/game-servers/squad) from €16.00/month — deployed in about 2 minutes with DDoS protection included.