Create Your Server

The server runs on your computer

Monky doesn't work like Discord: the server goes offline when you quit Monky or turn off your computer, and friends on another network need an open port, a VPN or a VPS to join. See the FAQ.

In Home, click the + button on the server rail and choose Create my server. Fill in the server name, local port, optional password, the starting text and voice channels and, if you want, a member limit. Monky uses the global nickname saved under My Profile.

Open full-size screenshot (new tab)

The app hosts on your computer. Internet availability also depends on networking and firewall rules.

Click Create and Start Server. The server starts on your machine, listens on every network interface on the chosen port, and opens for browsing. Joining a voice channel is a separate action.

Created servers are saved (up to 10) and appear on the rail like any other server. Right-click the icon to Start or Stop it, open Monitor (while it is running) or Delete the local data.

You can keep several of your servers running at the same time, each on its own port. The form suggests a free port and does not accept a port used by another of your servers. Starting an offline server from the server rail preserves the current call, including camera, screen shares and mute, and never stops another running server.

Returning Home through the house icon does not disconnect servers or end the call. To start another saved server without leaving the call, use its entry in the server rail.

Invite friends

Inside the server, click the server name › Invite Friends. The app shows the name, public IP and port, and copies the invite.

Situation	IP your friends should use
Same local network	Your local IP, or the app's automatic discovery
Different internet connection	Your public IP + forwarded router port
Without touching the router	VPN IP, such as Radmin VPN, Hamachi, ZeroTier or Tailscale

Voice & Media Modes (P2P Mesh vs SFU)

When creating or managing a server, you choose the media topology:

• P2P Mesh (Default): Audio and video try a direct path between participants. Without a relay, the server does not forward this media; when TURN is needed, the relay consumes bandwidth to carry it.
• Centralized SFU (mediasoup): Each broadcaster sends media tracks once to the server, which forwards them to viewers. Saves CPU and upstream bandwidth when sharing 1080p60 screens. The app and CLI include a built-in Capacity Estimator to plan host requirements.

Open access over the internet

• Primary TCP Port: Allow port 3000 (or your chosen port) in your firewall and configure router port forwarding.
• Ports for SFU (mediasoup): If using SFU mode, also forward/allow port 40000 — on UDP and on TCP (if you already opened the 40000-49151 range, nothing needs to change). On a VPS, see Opening the SFU mode ports.
• Without touching the router: Use a virtual network/VPN such as Radmin VPN, Hamachi, ZeroTier, or Tailscale.
• Secure connection (wss://) without a domain: With a public IP and an open port, right-click the server's icon and open Automatic secure connection. The server gets and renews a Let's Encrypt certificate for your IP by itself; port 80 (TCP) must also be open and forwarded to this computer. It does not work over a VPN, CGNAT or a local network only. See monky tls.
• Behind a reverse proxy or tunnel: Right-click the server's icon and open Reverse proxy to list your proxies' addresses. Without it, everyone shares the same login attempt limit. See Behind a reverse proxy.

Administer

In Server Settings, rename the server, change/remove its password, switch P2P/SFU and adjust limits and Soundboard. Use + to create channels and the channel's More options menu to edit or delete. The administration guide covers roles, private channels and moderation.

Edits apply immediately, with text fields applying when editing finishes. Done closes the window; there is no final save step. Dismissal stays blocked while an operation awaits the server's acknowledgement. Failures are shown and allow correction and retry.

The limit counts registered members, not who is online: a person takes the seat from their first join onwards, even while disconnected. To free the seat, kick the member. With the limit off, the server accepts as many people as want to join.

Server Monitor

Open server name › Server Monitor to inspect the connected server, including one running on a VPS. Administrators have access; other members need the View server monitor permission in a role. Manage server alone does not grant access. The server checks authorization for every request; the client does not need to host a local server.

For a server hosted on this device, the Monitor action in the rail context menu still opens the explicitly local monitor, separate from the remote server in focus.

The panel shows:

• Live metrics, refreshed every 3 seconds: uptime, people online, registered members (and the limit, when there is one), channels and messages.
• Recent logs, with a level filter (INFO, WARN, ERROR), text search, auto-scroll and copying of visible entries. Clear view clears only this window, without deleting server history.

In-memory history is bounded. Remote logs show protected operational summaries without credentials, private data or system details. Full details remain available to the server host, including through monky logs. Switching servers closes the remote monitor. Disconnection or permission loss stops polling and removes retained data from the window, without disconnecting you from Monky.