How to Configure Your Counter-Strike: Source Server

Complete CS:Source server.cfg reference — hostname, GSLT, RCON, map rotation, and plugins.

CS:Source uses server.cfg in cstrike/cfg/ for server settings.

Key Settings

hostname "My CSS Server"
sv_password ""
rcon_password "secretpass"
sv_lan 0
sv_cheats 0
mp_autoteambalance 1
mp_timelimit 30
mp_maxrounds 0
mp_friendlyfire 0

GSLT Required

Create at Steam Game Server Management with App ID 240. Add +sv_setsteamaccount TOKEN to startup.

Map Rotation

Edit cstrike/mapcycle.txt — one map per line:

de_dust2
de_inferno
cs_office
de_nuke

Change map in-game: rcon changelevel de_dust2

FastDL

For custom content delivery, add to server.cfg:

sv_downloadurl "https://yoursite.com/fastdl/"
sv_allowdownload 1

Plugins

Install MetaMod:Source + SourceMod for admin management. Popular for surf, bhop, and jailbreak servers.

Ports

Port	Protocol	Purpose
27015	UDP + TCP	Game + RCON
27020	UDP	SourceTV

How to Join

How is this guide?

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How to Change Your Counter-Strike: Source Server Name

How to set the hostname displayed in the Counter-Strike: Source server browser.

How to Set a Password on Your Counter-Strike: Source Server

How to password protect your Counter-Strike: Source dedicated server.