Hosting a Project Zomboid Server Using Hamachi [Build 23/Multiplayer Beta]

This guide explains how to create a Project Zomboid server using Hamachi, a simple tool that allows you to link up computers to your virtual network. Hamachi is often used when your friends/players are connected to the same WiFi network as you are. It is most commonly used when playing LAN games.

Introduction/Installing Hamachi

You'll find that no matter where you look, most explanations will require 'port fowarding' and all that nonsense. An alternative you can use is Hamachi. Note that Hamachi is used commonly for LAN (Local Area Network) or more basically, connecting computers to a virtual private network (VPN) that you have created.

Let's start off by downloading Hamachi: https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx
Select 'Unmanaged' and agree to their terms and conditions.

Once downloaded, install it. When Hamachi has opened, select the power button on the top left hand corner and choose the name you want to be recognised by others i.e. Bluto-PC. After all that's done, you'll be given two options. 'Create a Network' or 'Join an Existing Network'. Seeing as you'll be the one hosting, we want to create a new network. Give it a name, a password (optional) and hit 'create'. You've now successfully created your own virtual private network that will link your computer to any other computers that join your Hamachi network.

Here is what it should look like, respectively:

Setting up the Server

Leaving Hamachi behind for now, we want to get Project Zomboid running with multiplayer. Go into your Steam library, right click on PZ and select 'properties'. A number of tabs will be located up top - you want to hit the 'Beta's' tab and then select the drop down menu where you'll choose 'onlinetest -'. Let it download the required files (3mb).

After that, head on over to your Project Zomboid directory (most commonly located in):
C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\ProjectZomboid

In order to get the server going, we want to open up a .bat file called 'ProjectZomboidServer' located in your \ProjectZomboid directory. This will create the map and all the things neccessary to run the server. Let it do it's job until you see 'SERVER STARTED'. If you want to edit the server properties (PVP, Chat Options etc.), go ahead and close the server starter for now (no data will be lost, don't worry), if you don't want to then leave it on and skip the next step.

'ProjectZomboidServer.bat' should open up to look like the following:

Editing the Server Properties (Optional)

*Only read this step if you want to edit the server properties, if not then skip to the next step.*

We'll need to locate the second Project Zomboid directory which is most commonly found in: C:\Users\YourUsername\Project Zomboid
This directory is where all your save files are stored (just for the record). Once in, select the 'Server' folder which contains the 'serverOptions.ini' file. Open the .ini file with NotePad and change the settings as you please. For instance, if you wanted to disable PVP on the server you would PVP setting to 'false'. You can now restart the 'ProjectZomboidServer'.

Connecting to your Server

Now that your very own server is up and going, we want to allow yourself & other players to join. It would be useful to make your Hamachi network password protected to avoid any intruders you don't want in your server. Have your friend/player download Hamachi and install it exactly like you did, except they won't be creating the server this time, they'll be joining an existing network. Give them your server credentials i.e. Username: ProjectZomboidServer Password: *****
Once they hit 'connect', their computer and your computer will automatically be connected to each other. Here comes the easy part.

Start up Project Zomboid and select 'Join Server'. Give the server a name if you want and the rest of the optionals. What really matters now is the IP. Open up Hamachi and right above the name you give yourself will be a bunch of numbers with full stops seperating them i.e.
'xx.xx.xx.xx'. This will be the IP you use to connect to your server. It will also be the IP that all your friends/players use to connect to the server with. After that, hit 'connect' and everything from there should be pretty self explanatory.

*Your friends have to use your IP, not theirs in order to join your server.*

Conclusion

This guide is written as if I were to be explaining it to someone who didn't have the faintest idea of how multiplayer worked in PZ. Hope this cleared things up for anyone wanting to play PZ solely for LAN.

Build 25 will have multiplayer and singleplayer in unity within the game. I have read through the patch notes and there aren't too many differences to the point where you could not use this guide to configure multiplayer in Build 25. However, if there are requests, I would be glad to release an updated guide.

Good luck out there survivors!

*EDIT* I have tried this method with the Build25a version of PZ. It all works fine - it actually is far more stable than Build 23. I played with 5 people including myself, and it all worked fine. Playing MP using the same WiFi network or not does not matter. I have tried playing with my friends while we were all connected to different WiFi networks and it still worked great. Applaud to the dev's for making multiplayer much better.

[Noonga]

Hamachii is how you get hacked haha ah those were the days

[5731F]

Borderline? Nope, it is literally spyware.

[HEROnymous]

Hamachi is borderline spyware just take 30 mins and learn how to forward a port it's permanent once it's set up and doesn't require to to install sketchy software on your computer.

[BT-5]

yall MF over here being little pirate bishes

[Cymon]

Go on my profile in Guides, you will se this guide updated for today's need !

[Reefuhmane]

Any help with this?

[Reefuhmane]

Every thing is working for me except when I make the server, this is what it keeps saying after it says the server is up, *** SERVER STARTED ****
*** Steam is not enabled

[WieldyRelic]

does it still work?

[Nerdygamer1]

Do you think you could release an updated guide, please? I really like how thorough your guide is, but I followed all the instructions and can't even connect to my own server. I'm wondering if that has something to do with the fact that this guide is almost two years old now.

[Floor Bored]

unknown host when trying to connect what do I do to fix?