Port 16262 warning fix

So your friends probably got a warning
when joining your game in Project Zomboid.

And as far as I have tested it, you should NOT ignore it (as it affects the ping in a bad way)
What you could have found yet is opening a port as a solution.
While that may work (instructions at part B)...
There is something that is much simpler to use as a fix, start with an option A is my recommendation.

It is a client-side fix:

Main menu —> Multiplayer —> add a server —> enter all the data —> add new account —> UNCHECK the steam relay tick (make sure the box is empty) and then join the game.

Done, now the error should disappear ✓

How to find an IP of a server?

Server-side, you do:
Press Win+R —> type "cmd", press enter —> type "ipconfig" inside the terminal, press enter —> find ipv4 adress and there you are, it is your server adress that you can give to your friends for joining.

It should look something like 192.168.55.555 (but with different numbers of course)
It would always have the same structure and length xxx.xxx.xx.xxx

Warning (!):
for unstable build of a game, you might want to create a LAN or virtual LAN for this to work.

Now, for a server-side fix:

1) PLEASE make sure that you have a static IP from internet provider. Pretty often you would have a dymanic IP from your internet provider, in which case there is absolutely NO other fixes, you would have to contact your internet provider and buy a static IP as a part of your paid plan. There is no way around this, there is no sense in going further unless you have a static IP. This step is why I recommend you to try option A first.

Also, it is a small chance, but make sure that your internet provider does not block the port 16262 while you are at it (they usually block some ports for you on their side, but not all of them).

2) If you have a static IP, log into your router settings and ensure you also allocate a static IP for your device where you would be hosting Project Zomboid server (your PC or notebook).

3) When 1) and 2) are done, only after you should go to your port forwarding menu in the router settings and open the port 16262 (you should find the instructions on the web as router interfaces are not all the same).

4) Make sure to save that port opening and restart the router just in case (to make sure open ports are applied and no router restart is needed in the future).

5) Now if you made everything correctly, you just host the server as usual and port problem should be gone for good ✓

IP adress - internet protocol adress, basically the adress of your device on the web, just like your house has an adress in your city

Static IP and dynamic IP - in short, Static IP always remains the same, while dynamic IP can and will change.

Server-side and Client-side - Server-side is your device (computer) where you will host (launch) your server, Client-side is anyone who will be joining your server, i.e. your friends.

Ping - ping refers to the time taken for data to travel from your computer to a server (or another player's computer) and then back to your computer. it means high ping will make your data to travel at a slower speeds, so your click of a mouse or any actions in a game might take longer to register, which might be critical if you are eaten by a zomboid.