How to join a modded tModLoader server and get your client running the exact same mods, which is what nearly every failed connection comes down to.
tModLoader is a modded version of Terraria. Joining a tModLoader server works almost the same way as vanilla, with one extra rule: your client has to be running the same mods, at the same versions, as the server. Get that right and the rest is easy.
Find the address in the panel
- Log in at guavahost.com/account and open the Game Panel, then open your server.
- At the top of the server view, note the IP and port, for example 123.45.67.89:7777. You can also see the port on the Network tab.
- Confirm the server is up by opening the Console tab and waiting for it to finish loading mods and the world.
Get the same mods on your client
This is the important part. tModLoader will refuse the connection if your enabled mod list does not match the server.
- Launch tModLoader (not plain Terraria) from Steam.
- On the main menu, open Workshop, then Download Mods to open the in-game Mod Browser.
- Download every mod the server runs. If you are not sure of the full list, ask the server owner or check the enabled.json file in the server's Mods folder on the Files tab.
- Go to Workshop, then Manage Mods, and enable exactly those mods. Turn off anything the server does not run.
- Click Reload Mods so your changes take effect.
Join the server
- From the tModLoader main menu, click Multiplayer, then Join via IP.
- Pick your character.
- Enter the IP, then the port from the panel.
- Enter the join password if the server has one, then connect.
Why the mod lists must match
Every mod changes items, enemies, or world data, so the server and every player have to agree on precisely which mods are loaded. If your list is missing a mod, has an extra one, or runs a different version, the two sides cannot stay in sync and tModLoader blocks the join to protect the world.
Troubleshooting
- "You cannot connect because the server requires the following mods": you are missing one or more of the server's mods, or have not enabled them. Download and enable that exact list, then Reload Mods.
- "Your version of a mod does not match the server": the mod is installed but the version differs. Update it in the Mod Browser so both sides are on the same version.
- tModLoader version mismatch: your tModLoader itself must match the server. Check the version on the Startup tab and make sure Steam has updated your copy to the same build.
- It connects then drops during load: a heavy modpack can take a while, and a low-memory server can stall. If it keeps happening, the server may need more RAM, which you can add from guavahost.com/account with prorated billing.
- Right mods, still refused: restart the server from the Console tab so it fully reloads its mod list, then retry.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.