Players may encounter an error on their Project Zomboid servers that causes them to be kicked, displaying a 'Malformed Packet' error. This error originates from the server's anti-cheat protections and can be resolved by disabling the associated anti-cheat settings. By solving the error, players can stop worrying about impending disconnections and even explore various mods that may not be available with anti-cheat enabled.
Note: Disabling anti-cheat can allow cheaters to play on the server.
Ensure the server is secured with a password or whitelist before disabling anti-cheat.
1. Log in to the BisectHosting Starbase panel.
2. Stop the server.
3. Go to the Files tab.
4. Find the following directory: /home/container/.cache/server
5. Open the [SaveName].ini file.
6. Change all AntiCheatProtection settings to false.
Note: While specific protections related to the error number can be disabled, it is safer to disable all of them to prevent the issue from recurring.
7. Press the Save button.
8. Start the server.