Some game servers require a dedicated public IP address in order to operate reliably. On MaximusHost, this currently applies to Satisfactory and Sons of the Forest.
Because public IPv4 addresses are a limited resource, MaximusHost uses different IP allocation policies depending on the type of server and account.
Standard Users
Standard users use a shared pool of dedicated IP addresses.
When you start a supported game server:
- MaximusHost checks whether a compatible dedicated IP is currently available.
- If one is available, it is assigned to your server automatically.
- The IP remains assigned while your server is running.
- Restarting your server does not release or change the IP.
When you fully stop the server:
- The dedicated game IP is returned to the available pool.
- Your server may receive a different IP the next time it starts.
- Your game files, saves, settings, and other server data are not affected.
If no compatible IP is currently available, the server will remain stopped until capacity becomes available. The server is not considered successfully started until an IP has been assigned.
The MaximusHost control panel displays whether dedicated-IP capacity is currently Available or Unavailable for standard users. This status automatically refreshes periodically and can also be refreshed manually.
Premium Users and Founders
Eligible Premium users and Founders retain their assigned dedicated game IP while stopped.
This means their server address remains stable between sessions and the reserved address is not returned to the standard-user pool when the game server is shut down.
This reservation applies to the server covered by the Premium or Founder benefit rather than automatically reserving an unlimited number of IP addresses for every server on the account.
Satisfactory and SMM/SFTP Access
Satisfactory uses a separate SFTP connection for remote management and Satisfactory Mod Manager support.
SFTP access is independent of the temporary game IP and uses a stable hostname such as:
sftp-123.us-east.maximushost.com
Because of this, a standard user’s Satisfactory game can be stopped and its dedicated game IP released while SFTP/SMM access remains available.
Your SFTP hostname and port are managed separately from your Satisfactory game address.
Why MaximusHost Uses This System
Public IPv4 addresses are limited, and permanently reserving one for every server—even servers that spend most of their time offline—would significantly limit how many users could run games such as Satisfactory and Sons of the Forest.
Runtime allocation allows available IP addresses to be used by servers that are actually online while still giving Premium and Founder servers the benefit of a persistent address.
It also allows MaximusHost to expand access to dedicated-IP games without requiring every standard user to pay an additional monthly dedicated-IP fee.
What You Should Keep in Mind
If you have a standard account, do not rely on the numeric IP address remaining the same after a full stop.
Whenever possible, connect using the MaximusHost hostname shown in your server control panel. MaximusHost automatically updates the appropriate DNS records when a new dedicated IP is assigned.
If maintaining the same dedicated game IP while the server is offline is important to you, Premium and Founder account benefits include persistent IP reservation.
This policy currently applies only to game types that require dedicated-IP capacity. Games that use MaximusHost’s normal shared-port networking are unaffected.