How To Enhance Network Performance and Fix Desync on Your Valheim Server

Note:

Better Networking is server-authoritative for multiplayer packet queuing and socket rates. While the server enforces network compression and send ceilings on its own, players who also install the mod on their local PC will benefit from client-side compression and lower input latency when exploring crowded areas.

1. Download the Better Networking Mod

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2. Extract the Better Networking Mod

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3. Log In to Your Panel

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4. Select the ‘Switch Loader’ Tab

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5. Ensure That the Server Is Running on Valheim BepINex Loader

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6. Select the ‘File’ Tab

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7. Select the ‘BepInEx’ Folder

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8. Select the ‘Plugin’ Folder

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9. Upload the Better Networking Mod

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10. Restart Your Server

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11. Head to the BepInEx Folder and Select the ‘Config’ Folder

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12. If the Mod Was Installed Properly, You Should See a File Named ‘CW_Jesse.BetterNetworking.cfg’

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13. Configure Server Socket Protocols and Player Limits

This section governs network routing protocols and allows you to expand the multiplayer lobby limit beyond the default 10-player cap:

Setting Key	Recommended Value	Description
Force Crossplay	steamworks (PC-only) / playfab (Crossplay)	Dictates the networking stack used by the server. Setting to steamworks forces direct Steam SDR communication and bypasses PlayFab relay servers for lower ping. Set to playfab if console players join your server.
Player Limit	10 – 32 (Supports up to 127)	Bypasses Valheim’s hardcoded 10-player ceiling, allowing larger player populations on your server. Requires a server restart to take effect.

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14. Configure Network Compression and Packet Update Rates

This section manages outbound update frequency and activates real-time data compression to minimize bandwidth strain:

Setting Key	Recommended Value	Description
Compression Enabled	true	Compresses game data before network transmission. Adds active compression on Steamworks connections and accelerates compression speed on PlayFab connections to save bandwidth.
Update Rate	_100 (Standard) or _75 (Low Bandwidth)	Sets the tick rate for world sync updates. _100 sends 20 updates per second; _75 sends 15 updates per second; _50 sends 10 updates per second to stabilize servers with limited upload speeds.

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15. Configure Network Queue Size To Eliminate Desync

This parameter controls the internal memory buffer allocated for sending world state updates and large structures to clients:

Setting Key	Recommended Value	Description
Queue Size	_64KB or _80KB	The memory allocated for outbound packet queues. Increasing to _64KB or _80KB prevents packet truncation and eliminates chest-opening delays when entering dense player bases.

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16. Configure Steamworks Bandwidth Send Rates

When running via Steamworks, this section raises the transmission bandwidth floor and ceiling to allow rapid data delivery

Setting Key	Recommended Value	Description
Minimum Send Rate	_256KB or _512KB	The minimum transmission speed Steam attempts to maintain per client. Ensure this value remains below your total dedicated upload capacity.
Maximum Send Rate	_1024KB	The maximum transmission speed Steam can use per client. Setting this to _1024KB allows the server to burst up to 1 MB/s per player to load massive bases instantly.

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17. Configure Logging Verbosity

This setting governs the detail of networking diagnostics output to your server console:

Setting Key	Recommended Value	Description
Log Level	message or warning	Controls console diagnostic verbosity (warning, message, info). Setting to message reports connection milestones; setting to warning keeps the server log clean.

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18. Save the Changes

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19. Restart Your Server

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