NightCoop guide
Self-hosted relay
Last checked: 2026-11-04 · Official version: v0.2.0-beta (2026-11-02) · Protocol 164 · Free · Windows 10/11 64-bit · Up to 8 players · RED4ext only (no CET) · Phantom Liberty not required
A NightCoop hub hands out session codes, helps two home routers open a direct path, and relays packets when they cannot. The guide in the Twenfys repository is a small Linux service. The guide estimates about 300 concurrent players per core when roughly one third relay through the hub; it calls 512 MB RAM enough. A public IPv4 address, such as a VPS, is required.
| Piece | Figure from the hub guide | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | UDP 47800 in. Thread ports 47810 upward. 47810–47873 covers the documented range. | 1 source (hub guide) |
| Bandwidth | About 0.5 Mbit/s each way per relayed player, up to about 1 Mbit/s in a fight. | 1 source (hub guide) |
| Docker | Engine 24 or newer, plus the Compose plugin. | 1 source (hub guide) |
| Key | Created on first start at /data/hub-sign.key. Fingerprint is 16 characters. Back it up and keep it private. | 1 source (hub guide) |
| Update | docker compose up -d --build. Sessions can resume within 90 seconds if the key file stays. | 1 source (hub guide) |
What players type
In Co-op, open Server, add your own server, and paste address#fingerprint. The invite line the guides describe is the session code, an @ sign, then that same address#fingerprint. Without the fingerprint the link can still be encrypted, and the window says it is not verified. The hub can see player IP addresses and how much traffic moved. It cannot see game content, because the host-guest channel is sealed. The October audit adds a harder boundary: the hub holds the signing key, so the person who operates it can sit in the middle of sessions that key vouches for. Trust is “who runs this box.”
There is no graphical installer in the guide. A partial thread-port range slows session creation by about five or six seconds rather than always failing. If the client says the server does not answer, use the server-not-responding page. If the key check fails, use that page and rotate nothing until you have copied the new fingerprint to every player.
Questions
Why pick a server if the game is peer to peer?
The hub is the meeting point and the fallback relay. When two home routers cannot open a direct path, traffic goes through the hub. You still need a nearest hub or your own.
Can I run the hub on Windows?
The published guide is Linux, with Docker or a C++ build on Debian 13 or Ubuntu 24.04. There is no Windows hub guide. A Windows host would need a Linux environment.
Sources
- Self-hosted hub guide — checked 2026-11-04
- NightCoop guides — checked 2026-11-04
- NightCoop home — checked 2026-11-04
- Independent network notes — checked 2026-11-04
- Audit findings — checked 2026-11-04