Helios Rust Console Bot Documentation

Why Is WebRCON Not Connecting on a Rust Console Server?

Diagnose a Rust Console WebRCON connection that will not connect, in order, from wrong port and password through host restarts and firewall rules, with the exact command to test each step.

Last updated: August 2, 2026
Related: /server add
Maintained by: Helios RCE

Short Answer

A Rust Console WebRCON connection that will not connect almost always fails for one of five reasons, in this order of likelihood:

Wrong RCON port. The WebRCON port is not your game port. On most hosts it is the game port plus one, but you must read it from your host's control panel rather than assume.
Wrong or rotated RCON password. Many hosts regenerate the RCON password when the server is reinstalled, migrated, or wiped.
The server is offline or still booting. WebRCON does not answer until the server has fully started, which can take several minutes after a wipe.
RCON is not enabled on the server, or the host does not expose it on your plan.
The IP changed after a host migration or restart, so the stored value is stale.

Test which one it is with a single command: /cmd send command:"fps". If that returns a value, the connection is fine and your problem is elsewhere.

Prerequisites

A server already added to Helios. If you have not added one, start with Server Connection Guide.
Manage Server permission in Discord.
Access to your host's control panel, where the authoritative IP, port, and password live.

Diagnose in Order

Work top to bottom. Each step rules out a whole category, so do not skip ahead.

1. Confirm the server entry is enabled

/server list

A server that is present but disabled will fail every command without a connection error. Re-enable it with /server enable enabled:yes.

2. Test whether commands reach the server at all

/cmd send command:"fps"

Returns a number: WebRCON is connected. Your issue is a module, channel, or permission problem, not a connection problem. Go to Troubleshooting.
Times out or errors: continue below.

3. Re-read the connection values from your host

Open your host control panel and compare all three values against what Helios has stored. Do not compare from memory, and do not trust a value you typed more than a wipe ago.

Value	Where it comes from	Most common mistake
IP	Host panel, server details	Using a hostname that has since resolved elsewhere
RCON port	Host panel, not the game port	Using the game port itself
RCON password	Host panel, RCON settings	Using an old password after a reinstall or wipe

Update whatever has drifted:

/server edit

Then retest with /cmd send command:"fps".

4. Confirm the server is actually up

If the Rust server is offline, restarting, or mid-wipe, WebRCON will not answer regardless of whether your values are correct. Confirm the server shows as online in your host panel and that players can join, then retest.

5. Verify polling separately from commands

/whoson

Commands and player polling can fail independently. If /cmd send works but /whoson returns nothing, the connection is fine and the problem is player data, not WebRCON.

Common Failure Patterns

It worked before the wipe, and now it does not

The most common cause by far. Many hosts rotate the RCON password on wipe or reinstall. Re-read the password from the host panel and run /server edit.

It works intermittently, especially at peak times

Usually host-side restarts or network instability rather than a configuration error. Confirm your host's scheduled restart window, and retest on a consistent schedule before changing any stored values.

Some staff can run commands and others cannot

This is not a WebRCON failure at all. Connection state is per server, not per user, so if anyone can run commands the connection is working. Review Permissions and Roles.

The connection drops after a host migration

Migrations frequently change both IP and port. Treat a migration as a full re-entry of connection values, not a spot fix.

WARNBefore you regenerate your RCON password

Regenerating the RCON password in your host panel invalidates it everywhere it is stored, including any other tools you run. Update Helios with /server edit immediately afterwards, or commands will start failing for a reason unrelated to the original problem.

What to Capture Before Asking for Support

Having these ready turns a multi-day back-and-forth into a single reply:

Server name as it appears in /server list
The exact command you ran and its full output
Timestamp, including timezone
When it last worked, and what changed in between
Your host (G-Portal, Nitrado, or other) and whether the server was recently wiped or migrated