# Cannot connect to new server

**URL:** <https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [September 9, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167 "2026-09-09T12:07:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fat\_Larry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fat\_Larry](https://discourse.ioquake.org/u/Fat_Larry)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167/1 "2026-09-09T12:07:55Z")

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Hi guys,

I’m part of a small group that runs a few old games events from an Azure server.

I setup an ioquake server recently and still cannot connect to it.

i followed the sysadmin page to configure a dedicated server. We had to run the launch arguments from a shortcut as the command line wouldn’t initate the server. After we got the dedicated server to start we then ran into the problem of not being able to connect it. It also doesn’t show up in the server list.

Our servers firewall is controlled from Azure and the local firewall is off. We’ve had no other games give us major issues like this. I did find a reddit thread that suggested to open up ports two up and two down from 27960 and tried that this evening, but it didn’t make a difference.

I added [directory.ioquake3.org](http://directory.ioquake3.org) to a server.cfg file that is launched when the server starts.

I have full access to the server but not the Azure control panel, that’s handled by another admin.

What might I be missing here?

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**Author:** ![WofWca](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.ioquake.org/wofwca/32/795_2.png) [@WofWca](https://discourse.ioquake.org/u/WofWca)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 10:35am UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167/2 "2026-09-16T10:35:40Z")

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Hey!

I would first check that the port is really reachable. Maybe try setting up some simple UDP listener on it and sending some packets, see if you get them.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fat\_Larry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fat\_Larry](https://discourse.ioquake.org/u/Fat_Larry)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167/3 "2026-09-17T14:00:18Z")

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Cheers, the port is fine. It’s got to be something to do with ioquake. Is there any thing peculiar to running a dedicated server on an Azure vm that i might have missed in the setup?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WofWca](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.ioquake.org/wofwca/32/795_2.png) [@WofWca](https://discourse.ioquake.org/u/WofWca)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/cannot-connect-to-new-server/3167/4 "2026-09-17T14:29:43Z")

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> [@Fat\_Larry](#):
>
> Is there any thing peculiar to running a dedicated server on an Azure vm that i might have missed in the setup?

I don’t think so. Azure didn’t exist back when Quake III was made.

In case you missed it, there is

> **[Sys Admin Guide](https://ioquake3.org/help/sys-admin-guide/)**
>
> So, You’ve Decided to Start a Dedicated Quake 3: Arena Server. This guide will help you get started. If there isn’t a solution for the problem you ran into on this page, please try asking on …