Skip to content
Start a test

How to make a CS 1.6 server

Order a server, set its name and passwords in server.cfg, and share its address. On Hostsrc it starts from a base pack with AMX Mod X. You can also run one yourself.

Audience
New to running a server
Last checked
Steps
8
Reading time
4 min
On Hostsrc
Includes the steps for a Hostsrc server

To make a CS 1.6 server, you need the Half-Life dedicated server (HLDS) running at an address players can reach, for as long as people play. The quickest way is a hosted server. On Hostsrc you pick a plan and a location, and the server is created once your payment is confirmed. Then you set its name and passwords in server.cfg and share its address.

You can also run HLDS on your own computer or on a machine you rent. The section Running it yourself, after the steps, covers what that takes.

On Hostsrc

New servers install with xHLDS, our fork of ReHLDS, and start from our base pack. AMX Mod X, Metamod and the core configuration are already in place.

Before you start

  • How many players you expect at once: 14, 24 or 32.
  • Where most of them live, to choose Frankfurt or Bucharest.
  • A name for the server, and a long password for RCON that you keep to yourself.

Steps

  1. Step 1: Choose the plan and the player slots

    Every plan comes with 14, 24 or 32 player slots, 2 GB RAM and 15 GB NVMe. The plans differ in CPU priority, PingBoost and what's included.

    Essential runs at standard priority with PingBoost 2, from €5.99/month for 14 players. It suits MIX, CW and lighter plugin sets. Performance runs at high priority with PingBoost 2 and includes a dedicated IPv4, from €9.99/month. It suits public, respawn, Furien and HNS servers with more plugins. Premium runs at highest priority with PingBoost 3, from €12.99/month, for plugin-dense and high-load setups.

    Priority decides how CPU time is split when servers on the same node are busy at the same moment. The cost guide lists every price and add-on.

  2. Step 2: Start with a paid test, if you want to try first

    A paid test runs the same server with 14 player slots for 3 or 7 days. It costs €1.99 to €3.99 for 3 days and €2.99 to €6.49 for 7 days, depending on the plan.

    Use it to check your plugins and your players' ping. When you're happy, convert the same server to a monthly plan with the slot count you need.

  3. Step 3: Order the server

    Open the CS 1.6 hosting page, build the server with the plan and slots you chose, and go to checkout. You pick Frankfurt or Bucharest there.

    The server is created automatically, in under 10 seconds once your payment is confirmed. With a bank transfer, that is when the payment arrives.

  4. Step 4: Open your server in the control panel

    Go to control.hostsrc.com (opens in a new tab) and sign in with your Hostsrc account, by email code, Google or Discord. Open your server. Its menu has Console, Files, Network and the other pages these steps use.

    Server menu in the control panel with Files highlighted

    Panel as of

  5. Step 5: Set the name and passwords in server.cfg

    In Files, open cstrike/server.cfg and set the lines below. Press Save Content when you're done.

    hostname is the name players see in the server browser. rcon_password lets you run server commands from your game, so keep it long and private. Leave sv_password empty for a public server, or set it so players need a password to join. mp_timelimit is the minutes each map runs.

    cstrike/server.cfg
    hostname "My CS 1.6 Server"rcon_password "a-long-password-only-you-know"sv_password ""mp_timelimit 30

    On Hostsrc

    Leave the sv_downloadurl line as it is. We set it in server.cfg each time the server starts, so FastDL works without you setting it.

  6. Step 6: Restart the server

    The server reads server.cfg when it starts and at each map change. Open the menu next to Shut Down and choose Restart.

    Power menu next to Shut Down, open, with Restart highlighted

    Panel as of

  7. Step 7: Connect and share the address

    Open Network and click the address to copy it with its port. In the game console, type connect and paste it.

    A server with a dedicated IPv4 uses port 27015. A server without one shares an address with other servers and gets a random port, so always share the full address with the port.

    Console
    connect 203.0.113.10:27015
    Network page with the server address highlighted and the Click to copy tooltip

    Panel as of

  8. Step 8: Make yourself admin and add plugins

    Add your SteamID to users.ini to get admin rights, then add plugins one at a time and check each one loads. The admin guide and the plugin guide have the steps.

Running it yourself

You can run a CS 1.6 server without a host. You need:

  • A computer or a rented server that stays on while people play.
  • A public IPv4 address, with UDP port 27015 forwarded to the machine if it sits behind a router.
  • SteamCMD, Valve's command-line tool that downloads HLDS.

Download HLDS (app 90) with SteamCMD. The download often stops before it finishes, so run the same line again until it says Success! App '90' fully installed.

Shell
steamcmd +force_install_dir ./hlds +login anonymous +app_set_config 90 mod cstrike +app_update 90 validate +quit

Then start the server from its folder. On Windows, use hlds.exe -console with the same options.

Shell
./hlds_run -game cstrike +maxplayers 16 +map de_dust2 -port 27015

Metamod, AMX Mod X and ReHLDS are separate downloads that you install and update yourself. The ReHLDS reference covers installing ReHLDS, and the guide to playing with friends covers port forwarding and CGNAT.

Troubleshooting

The server doesn't show my new name

The server reads hostname from server.cfg only when it starts or changes map. Restart it or change the map. If the old name stays, another line further down the file, or another config, sets it again.

Players can't join after I set sv_password

They need to type the password in the console before they connect: password "your-password", then connect with the address. The connect guide explains why.

My server isn't in the Internet list

The list depends on master servers and on each player's filters, while connect goes straight to the server. Share the full address with the port, and ask players to add it to their favourites.

Can I make a CS 1.6 server for free?

Yes, on your own computer: HLDS costs nothing, but the computer must stay on and reachable while people play (see Running it yourself). A hosted server costs money. On Hostsrc a paid test starts at €1.99 for 3 days.

Links

Counter-Strike 1.6 server hosting

From €5.99/month for 14 players

Frankfurt or Bucharest. Final price, no VAT added.

Build my serverStart a paid test from €1.99

Discord

Ask other admins and our team.

Join our Discord (external site, opens in a new tab)

Related guides