One executable · one UDP port · no account
The server is a program on a PC. It belongs to whoever starts it, and nothing of yours passes through anyone else.
The server
Keep the Server folder somewhere
Anywhere on the machine that will host. The server does not need the game installed, so an always-on box or a spare laptop works.
Run host-server.bat
It refuses to start a second server, starts this one, and prints the address to hand out. A console window opens and says the port.
Leave the window open
Closing it ends the session. On Windows 11 it may open as a tab in an existing Terminal. If you ever see two server tabs, close both and start again.
Watch people arrive
The console prints New player … connected. That line is the fastest way to know a connection reached the server at all.
Networking
Two ways. The second one is easier and most people should take it.
Forward UDP 10578 in your router to the PC running the server, give the machine a static lease so the rule does not drift, and allow it through Windows Firewall. Then hand out your public address. You can find it at api.ipify.org, and your ISP may change it after a router reboot.
One line in Terminal (Administrator), once:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Skyrim Together Server (UDP 10578)" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 10578 -Action Allow -Profile Any
Put everyone on a virtual LAN (Tailscale, ZeroTier or Radmin VPN) and hand out the address it gives you. No port forwarding, no public IP, nothing exposed to the internet, and it survives your ISP changing your address. For two or three friends this is almost always the right answer.
Hosting on the PC you play on is normal and supported. You connect to yourself at 127.0.0.1:10578, the same address as everyone else, minus the travel.
Configuration
Edit Server\config\STServer.ini while the server is closed. These are the ones worth knowing.
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| uPort | 10578 | The UDP port players connect to. Change it and change the forwarding rule with it. |
| sPassword | empty | Set one to keep strangers out. Players put it on line two of their connect.txt. |
| bAutoPartyCreate | true | The first player on the server gets a party, so nobody has to find a party menu in VR. |
| bAutoPartyJoin | true | Everyone else joins it automatically. Needed for shared weather and quests. |
| bEnablePvp | false | Whether players can damage each other. Consider your friendships before changing this. |
| bEnableDeathSystem | true | Death respawns you at a temple instead of loading a save, which would desync the world. |
| bAllowMO2 | true | Allows clients launched through Mod Organizer 2. Leave it on. |
| bAllowSKSE | true | Allows SKSE. Leave it on; nothing here works without it. |
| bEnableModCheck | false | Forces byte-identical modlists. Off by design. Close enough is close enough. |
Gotchas
Server included. A mismatched client is refused at connect and told both version numbers. When a release says the server changed, restart the server too.
The server refuses any other value. It is the default of every list, so this only ever catches people who went tweaking.
A Linux build of the dedicated server exists, for anyone who would rather keep it on a box that is already running. It is not on the releases page yet. Ask.
Send them the address, the build, and the install guide.