Servers come and go daily. KAD is forever. But KAD is useless if you don't bootstrap it.
A nodes.dat file contains the IP addresses of live KAD users. To get the "top" KAD performance:
To move from a "KAD: Firewalled" status to an "Open" status (which finds 10x more sources), you must forward ports TCP 4662 and UDP 4672 in your router. An open KAD node is considered a "top" contributor.
Despite KAD’s serverless architecture, the search term endures due to several reasons: emule kad server list top
1. User Interface Legacy
Older eMule versions displayed “KAD servers” in logs when bootstrapping via static IPs like emule-project.net. This linguistic convenience conflated “server” with “initial contact node.” Users, accustomed to eD2k server lists, naturally extended the terminology to KAD.
2. Practical Need for Quality Bootstraps
A “top” KAD bootstrap list includes nodes that are:
Without active bootstrap nodes, a new client cannot join the KAD mesh. Hence, users search for “top” lists to avoid dead entries. Servers come and go daily
3. Community Maintenance Traditions
Since eMule is open-source, communities (e.g., eMule-Morph, eMule Future) maintain live hosts files or .met links. These lists are often ranked by user votes or automated pings, creating a de facto “top” hierarchy. For example, a node with 83.149.96.34:4232 that remains online for months ranks higher than transient home connections.
Do not use random servers from Google searches. Many are "honeypots." Stick to these trusted addresses:
| Rank | Server Name | IP:Port | Ping | Files Indexed | Reliability |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | eMule Security No1 | 91.209.136.75:4184 | 120ms | 12M+ | High |
| 2 | TV Underground No1 | 193.138.221.214:4242 | 150ms | 8M+ | High |
| 3 | eMule Security No2 | 91.209.136.75:3883 | 140ms | 7M+ | Medium |
| 4 | PeerBooter | 95.211.73.35:4000 | 180ms | 9M+ | Medium |
| 5 | Usenet-Dragon | 195.154.215.203:4000 | 200ms | 5M+ | Medium | Without active bootstrap nodes, a new client cannot
How to update your server list automatically:
Warning: Never use "DonkeyServer No2" or "Big Bang" – they are fake servers designed to log your IP address.
Forget the old "server.met" files from 2015. Most of those are dead or filled with corrupted indexers. Here is how to get a clean, updated list.