server.maxconnectionsperip (Rust server ConVar)

server.maxconnectionsperip caps how many game connections the server accepts from a single IP address at the same time. The server's help text (marked "Generated" by Facepunch):

Maximum number of simultaneous connections allowed from the same IP address; helps mitigate connection-flooding attacks (clamped 1 - 1000)

On build 25582902 the value was 5. The help text says values are clamped to 1 through 1000.

Who hits the limit

Anyone whose players share a public IP address:

• Several people playing from one home, dorm or office behind one router.
• A LAN event or internet cafe.
• Players whose ISP puts many customers behind one address (carrier grade NAT).

The sixth simultaneous connection from such an address is over the limit at the default. If you run events like that, raise the value for the event. It is a flood protection, so leaving it very high on a public server gives up some of that protection.

Three per IP limits, three ConVars

They are independent. An RCON tool that opens many sockets from one address counts against the RCON limit, not the player limit. The RCON help text says -1 disables its limit and that a change "Requires server restart"; the game limit's help text says neither.

Setting it

server.maxconnectionsperip 10

Unlike the RCON limit, its help text does not mention a restart, and it can be set over RCON. We have not tested whether a lower value disconnects players who are already connected.

Put the line in server.cfg so it survives a restart. The serverauto.cfg our test server wrote has no line for it, so server.writecfg does not appear to save it.

In Panelra

Add it under Settings, Custom ConVars. Panelra writes it to server.cfg and runs server.readcfg; the panel marks the entry if the server cannot read the name back.