Server administrator guide

Set Up SentinelID on Your Server

The SentinelID sidecar is a lightweight Python service that runs alongside your game server. It verifies player devices and manages the server whitelist via RCON.

Prerequisites

SentinelID publisher account

Register at the dashboard to get your Publisher ID and API key.

Go to Dashboard

Python 3.10+

The sidecar runs as a Python process alongside your game server.

Oxide/uMod installed

The SentinelID plugin runs on Oxide and handles player verification and enforcement.

Download Oxide

RCON enabled

WebSocket RCON is used for ban enforcement (kick commands). Enabled by default in Rust.

Rust Setup

Rust uses the sidecar for whitelist management plus an optional Oxide/uMod plugin for in-game commands.

  1. 1

    Download the sidecar

    Download the Rust sidecar package and extract it to your server.

    Download Rust Sidecar
  2. 2

    Download the Oxide plugin (optional)

    If you use Oxide/uMod, download the plugin for in-game chat commands (/sid, /sid ban, etc.).

    Download SentinelID.cs

    Copy to oxide/plugins/SentinelID.cs on your server.

  3. 3

    Configure config.toml

    Edit config.toml with your SentinelID credentials, RCON settings, and admin API key. See the config reference below.

  4. 4

    Start Rust with Oxide + RCON

    Your Rust server startup must include RCON settings:

    +rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "YOUR_PASSWORD"

    The SentinelID Oxide plugin handles whitelist enforcement — it kicks unverified players after a configurable grace period. No +server.whitelist needed.

  5. 5

    Install dependencies and run

    pip install aiohttp httpx websocketspython sidecar.py
  6. 6

    Open firewall ports

    Players and the admin panel need to reach the sidecar:

    • Port 7999 TCP — sidecar (companion + admin panel)
    • Port 28015 UDP — Rust game traffic
    • Port 28016 TCP — RCON (keep local-only unless needed)
    • Port 28017 UDP — Steam query
  7. 7

    Set up the admin panel

    Download the Admin Panel (single HTML file). Open it in any browser, enter your sidecar URL and admin API key, and you can view connected players, ban devices, and look up Steam IDs from anywhere.

  8. 8

    Verify

    Check the sidecar is running: http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:7999/status should return {"status":"ok"}.

Config reference

All parameters in config.toml.

ParameterDescriptionExample
sentinel_api_keyYour API key from the SentinelID dashboardsni_live_...
sentinel_publisher_idYour publisher IDpub_xxx
sentinel_game_idThe game ID you registeredgame_xxx
rcon_hostRCON host (usually localhost)127.0.0.1
rcon_portRCON port28016
rcon_passwordYour server's RCON password—
auth_ttl_secondsHow long a player stays whitelisted before needing to re-authenticate3600
listen_portPort the sidecar listens on for companion connections7999
mode"enforcing" (manages whitelist) or "permissive" (log-only)enforcing
admin_api_keySecret key for remote admin access (ban/unban/players). Required for the admin panel.your-strong-random-key
auth_store_pathFile path for persisting auth state across sidecar restartsauth_store.json

Troubleshooting

Companion can't connect to sidecar

Ensure port 7999 (or your configured port) is open in your firewall and forwarded if behind NAT.

RCON connection refused

Check that RCON is enabled on your server. For Rust: +rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "pass" +rcon.web 0

SentinelID API returns 401

Your API key is invalid or expired. Generate a new one from the dashboard.

Players can join without authenticating

Make sure the server whitelist is enabled. Rust: server.whitelist true. SCUM: enable in ServerSettings.ini.

Whitelist changes not persisting (Rust)

The sidecar runs server.writecfg after each change. If that's failing, check RCON permissions.

Register your server

Once your sidecar is running, submit your server details below. After review, your server will appear in the companion app so players can find and authenticate with it.

Need more help?

Read the Docs Go to Dashboard