VxShield Firewall Guide

VxShield is the firewall and DDoS protection layer for servers on the VYKIX network. It controls which traffic is allowed to reach a server and which protection filter should inspect that traffic.

This guide is for VYKIX VPS and dedicated server customers who manage their own VxShield rules. Hosted game server protection is managed by VYKIX staff.

By default, ports are closed. If you want a service to be reachable from the internet, you must add the correct port, protocol, and filter in VxShield.

Default closed firewall

Opening a port in your server operating system is not enough. The port must also be added in VxShield with the correct protocol and filter before external traffic can reach it.

Before You Start

Before creating or changing filters, confirm the service details you want to expose.

• Server: The VPS or dedicated server IP address you want to configure.
• Service: The service type, such as SSH, RDP, DayZ, Rust, or another application.
• Port: The public port users or tools connect to.
• Protocol: Whether the service uses TCP or UDP.
• Custom configuration: Any custom game, query, RCON, or app ports configured on your server.

Accessing VxShield

Open the VxShield dashboard and select the server or protected IP address you want to configure.

If you are not already logged in, VxShield will ask you to sign in with your VYKIX customer account from portal.vykix.com. After selecting Sign in with WHMCS, log in with the same account you use for VYKIX billing and services.

VxShield login screen.

After logging in, you will see the VxShield dashboard. Select the protected IP on the left, then use the rule list and Add rule button to manage exposed ports.

VxShield dashboard overview.

From there, create a rule for each public service that should be reachable. Each rule should match the service port and use the correct protection filter.

Core Concepts

The same concepts apply whether you are protecting remote access, a game server, RCON, or a query port.

Concept	What it means
Port	The public service port users connect to.
Protocol	Whether the service uses TCP or UDP. This must match the application.
Filter	The VxShield protection profile used for the traffic type.

Basic Setup Flow

Use this flow for every service you want to expose.

1. Confirm the service is running on your server.
2. Confirm the public port and protocol used by the service.
3. Open VxShield and select the correct server or protected IP.
4. Add the port with the matching protocol.
5. Select the filter that matches the traffic type.
6. Save the rule and test the service externally.

Use Single when you want to add one custom port and choose the filter manually.

Single rule setup.

Use the DayZ preset to create the standard DayZ game, query, and RCON rules from one modal.

DayZ preset setup.

Use the Rust preset to create the standard Rust game, query, RCON, and Rust+ app rules from one modal.

Rust preset setup.

Tip

Create separate VxShield rules for separate traffic types. For example, a game port, query port, and RCON port usually need different filters.

SSH and RDP Protection

SSH and RDP are administrative access services that use TCP. In VxShield, add these ports with the Generic TCP filter.

Service	Default port	Protocol	Suggested filter
SSH	22	TCP	Generic TCP
RDP	3389	TCP	Generic TCP

Recommended setup:

1. Add the SSH or RDP port in VxShield.
2. Select the Generic TCP filter.
3. Save the rule.
4. Test the connection from your SSH or Remote Desktop client.

DayZ Standalone Protection

DayZ commonly uses separate ports for game traffic, Steam query traffic, and RCON. Each port should be added separately with the correct protocol and filter.

Purpose	Common port	Protocol	Suggested filter
Game traffic	2302	UDP	DayZ
Steam query	2303 or 27016	UDP	A2S Query Cache
RCON	2305	UDP	Generic UDP Rate Limiter

If your DayZ server uses custom ports, use your configured ports instead of the common examples above.

Recommended setup:

1. Add the DayZ game port as UDP and select the DayZ filter.
2. Add the Steam query port as UDP and select the A2S Query Cache filter.
3. Add the RCON port as UDP and select the Generic UDP Rate Limiter filter.
4. Test direct connection, server browser visibility, and RCON access.

Rust Protection

Rust commonly uses separate ports for game traffic, query traffic, RCON, and the Rust+ app. Each port should be added separately.

Purpose	Common port	Protocol	Suggested filter
Game traffic	28016	UDP	Rust
Query traffic	28017	UDP	A2S Query Cache
RCON	28018	TCP	Generic TCP
Rust+ app	28019	TCP	Generic TCP

If your Rust server uses custom ports, use your configured ports instead of the common examples above.

Recommended setup:

1. Add the Rust game port as UDP and select the Rust filter.
2. Add the query port as UDP and select the A2S Query Cache filter.
3. Add the RCON port as TCP and select the Generic TCP filter.
4. Add the Rust+ app port as TCP and select the Generic TCP filter if you use Rust+.
5. Test player connection, server browser visibility, RCON access, and Rust+ if enabled.

Troubleshooting

If a service is not reachable after creating a VxShield rule, check the items below before changing filters.

• Confirm the game server is listening on the expected ports.
• Confirm the selected protocol matches the service.
• Confirm query and RCON ports are not confused with the game port.
• Confirm custom ports are reflected in both the game server config and VxShield.
• Confirm the firewall inside the operating system also allows the same port.
• Confirm you are testing from outside the server, not only from localhost.

When to Contact Support

Contact VYKIX support if the port, protocol, and filter are correct but traffic still does not reach your server.

Include the following details:

• Server IP address
• Service or game name
• Port and protocol
• Filter selected in VxShield
• Whether the service works locally on the server
• Any error message from the game client, RCON tool, or remote access client