Terraria multiplayer problems and how to fix them

The errors that stop people joining a Terraria or tModLoader server, from version mismatches and mod list rejections to the password prompt and a client that hangs on Receiving tile data, and what each one actually means.

7 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

Terraria multiplayer problems come in two flavours. Either the client and server disagree about something, which covers versions and mods, or the connection is not reaching a running server, which covers addresses, ports and timeouts. Working out which you have saves a lot of time.

First, check the server is actually up

Half of all "nobody can join" reports are a server that is not running.

1. Sign in at customer.guavahost.com, open My servers and click Manage on your server.
2. Check the status reads online, and note the IP and port at the top of the page. The Ports & network card on the Overview tab lists them too.
3. Open the Console tab. A healthy server finishes with a line saying it is listening on its port. If the log stops partway through loading the world, or keeps restarting, you are troubleshooting a crash, not multiplayer. Read it from the first error, not the last line.

Version mismatch

Terraria will not let a client of one version talk to a server of another. There is no partial compatibility and no override, so the client either names a version or drops you back to the menu.

On vanilla Terraria this is nearly always a client Steam updated while the server is still on the old build, in the first day or two after a game update. Press Restart at the top of the server page so it picks up the current build, and if you pin a version under Startup settings on the Settings tab, change that value.

On tModLoader it is more common, because tModLoader has its own version separate from Terraria's and yours has to match the server's exactly. Either Steam updated your copy and the server has not restarted, or you are on different Steam branches: tModLoader offers stable and preview, and preview updates often. Check yours by right clicking tModLoader in Steam, opening Properties, then Betas, and get your group onto one branch.

You cannot connect because the server requires the following mods

This is working as intended. Mods change items, enemies and world data, so the server and every player must agree on exactly which mods are loaded at which versions, and Terraria blocks the join rather than let the world desync.

1. Launch tModLoader, not plain Terraria.
2. From the main menu open Workshop, then Download Mods, and install everything on the list the error gave you.
3. Open Workshop, then Manage Mods, and enable exactly those mods. Turn off anything the server is not running, because an extra mod on your side causes the same rejection.
4. Click Reload Mods.

If you do not know the full list, the server's copy is the truth: on the Files tab, enabled.json in the server's Mods folder lists what it loads. Our tModLoader mods guide covers that folder, and connecting to a tModLoader server walks through matching a list.

A mismatch on a single mod is the sneakiest case, because you have the mod and it still fails. Update it in the Mod Browser so both sides are on the same release, and if the server is behind, update it there and press Restart. Take a snapshot on the Backups page before changing the server's mod list, and keep the .wld and .twld pair together as our world file backup guide explains.

The password prompt

Terraria's Join via IP flow asks for things one at a time: the IP, then the port, then the password. People type the port into the password box constantly, because the prompts look identical and the game does not say which one you are on. Answer them in order, and if the server has no password, leave that prompt blank rather than typing anything.

If you did set one, check password= in serverconfig.txt on Server properties under Game tools for stray spaces, which count as part of the password, and press Restart after a change. Details in our serverconfig.txt guide.

Wrong address or wrong port

Terraria's default port is 7777 and almost every guide online assumes it. Your server's port is whatever the panel says at the top of the server page, which may not be 7777, and that is normal.

• Enter the IP and the port separately, as Join via IP asks, rather than pasting 123.45.67.89:7777 into the IP box.
• Check port= in serverconfig.txt matches the panel, because the panel's port is the one actually open to the internet.
• Give people the current address from the panel. Our guide to a server address, IP and port explains what each part is for.

If one player cannot reach a server everybody else is in, the problem is on their side: a security suite or restrictive network can block an outbound game port, which firewalls and blocked game ports covers.

Lost connection

This is a symptom rather than a cause, so match it to when it happens.

• Immediately on joining, for everybody. Usually a version or mod mismatch reported badly.
• During the world load, for everybody. The server is struggling to send the world, covered next.
• Mid play, for one player, repeatedly. Their connection. Wifi is the usual culprit.
• Mid play, for everybody at once. The server restarted or crashed, and the Console says which. On a modded server a crash is nearly always a mod.
• Mid play, getting worse over an evening. The server is short on memory. Check our Terraria RAM guide and watch the Console for out of memory errors.

Stuck on Receiving tile data

The server sends the entire world to each joining client. That is a lot of data for a large world and far more for a modded one, and the client gives up if it takes too long.

• Be patient the first time. A large modded world can take a couple of minutes, and people give up at thirty seconds.
• Do not have everybody join at once. Six clients each pulling a large world together is the worst case, so join one at a time after a restart.
• Give the server more memory if it is short. A server at its limit stalls during world transfer, which looks exactly like a network problem and is not one.
• Use a smaller world when generating a new one. A medium world is plenty for a small group and loads noticeably faster, and sizes are set at creation, covered in Journey, Expert and Master mode.

A short checklist

When several people report problems at once: server online with the Console showing it listening, everybody on the same game version and the same tModLoader build and branch, everybody with the identical enabled mod list, address and port from the panel entered separately, and one person joining at a time.

Get the first three right and the join almost always works. Vanilla connecting is covered in connecting to your Terraria server, and our team is online 24/7.

Common questions

Why does Terraria say my version does not match when Steam is up to date?

Because the server has not restarted onto the new build yet. Clients and servers must be on exactly the same version, so after a game update press Restart at the top of the server page, and check the pinned version in your startup settings if you use one.

What is the difference between a mod missing and a mod version mismatch?

A missing mod means you do not have it installed or enabled at all, and the error lists its name. A version mismatch means you have the right mod at the wrong release, which is fixed by updating it in the Mod Browser so your copy matches the server's.

Does my server use port 7777?

Only if the panel says so. 7777 is Terraria's default and the number every guide online uses, but your server's real port is the one shown at the top of the server page, and that is the one players need.

Why does the join hang on Receiving tile data?

The server is sending the whole world to your client, which takes real time on a large or heavily modded world. Wait longer than feels reasonable, have people join one at a time, and if the server is close to its memory limit give it more room, because a short server stalls at exactly this point.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

• terraria
• tmodloader
• multiplayer
• troubleshooting
• connecting

Host a Terraria server From $2.49/mo, with instant setup and DDoS protection.

Still need help? Our team is online 24/7 to answer questions.

Contact support