RunePort Guide
Are RSPS Safe? How to Protect Your PC, Passwords and Money
Many private servers are run honestly, but you're downloading software from strangers. Here's how to check a client before you run it, keep your accounts safe, and avoid losing money.
Many private servers are run honestly by people who love the game. But playing one means running software made by people you don't know and trusting them with a password and sometimes your money. So the honest answer is that an RSPS can be safe, and a few simple habits make a big difference.
This guide covers the main risks and what to do about each one. To judge whether a server itself is legitimate, read how to spot real servers.
A listing is not a security check: RunePort reviews listings by hand, but we don't audit the game clients that servers distribute. Being listed or verified here doesn't prove a download is safe, so always follow the steps below.
The risks that matter
- A harmful client. A game client is a program that runs on your computer, so a bad one could steal passwords or install malware.
- Stolen passwords. Server owners can potentially see what you type into their game, so assume any password you use there could be exposed.
- Discord scams. Fake giveaways, fake staff, and malicious files often target players through direct messages.
- Lost money. A server can shut down or remove items you paid for, and you may have no way to get your money back.
Before you download a client
- Use the official source. Get the download link from the server's own website or official Discord, never from a direct message, a comment, or a search ad.
- Check that the address is right. Copycat sites use names very close to the real one. The website link on a server's RunePort listing is a useful place to compare.
- Scan the file. Upload it to VirusTotal, which checks it against dozens of antivirus engines. One or two minor flags can be false alarms on small game clients, but many flags or named trojans mean you should delete it.
- Ask other players. Search the server's name along with words like "virus" or "scam", and read what people say in its Discord.
- Get Java from the source. If a client needs Java, install it from its official website, not from a file the server sends you.
Stop if you're told to turn off your antivirus: Don't disable your antivirus or add an exception just because a server tells you to. A real client may occasionally trigger a false alarm, but this is also exactly what a harmful one would ask for.
Protect your passwords and accounts
- Use a different password for every server. A password manager makes this easy.
- Never enter your Jagex login. A private server has no reason to ask for it.
- Don't reuse your email password. If your email account is taken over, an attacker can reset your other passwords from it.
- Turn on two-factor authentication. Do this for Discord and your email at the very least.
Stay safe on Discord
- Don't open files or links sent to you in a direct message, even by someone you know. Their account may have been taken over.
- Be suspicious of anyone offering free items, staff roles, or beta access in return for downloading something.
- Never scan a QR code to "verify" yourself. It can log someone else into your account.
- Check that a "staff member" actually holds that role in the server's member list.
Before you donate
- Play first. Spend time on the server before you pay anything, and only spend what you could afford to lose.
- Check where the store is. It should sit on the server's own website, not behind an unfamiliar redirect.
- Prefer payments with protection. Be careful with crypto, gift cards, and direct transfers to staff, because they are very hard to reverse.
- Read the rules. Look for what happens to purchases if you're banned or if the server resets.
What RunePort can tell you
A server's RunePort listing can't prove it's safe, but it does give you useful signals to weigh up:
- Verified badge: a person at RunePort has reviewed the listing.
- Live player count: sent directly by the game server, when the owner has set it up.
- Player reviews: written by people who voted for that server through the RunePort Discord bot.
- Vote trend: a 14-day history, which shows whether activity is steady or just a sudden spike.
If you think you ran something harmful
- Disconnect that computer from the internet.
- Run a full scan with your antivirus and a second reputable scanner.
- From a different, clean device, change your email password first, then your Discord password and any others you saved on that computer.
- Log out of all other sessions in your Discord and email security settings, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Warn the server's other players, and report the server to RunePort support if it's listed here.
