CS 1.6Server AdminCounter-Strike 1.6 RCON Commands: Server Admin Reference
CS 1.6 server admin over RCON: the GoldSrc protocol (not Source - use the right tool), native kick/ban commands with persistence, the AMX Mod X admin layer most servers run, match cvars, and the no-Steam ID-ban gotcha.
Counter-Strike 1.6 runs on the GoldSrc engine (hlds). Its RCON is the GoldSrc protocol - different from the Source RCON used by CS2 and TF2 - so you must use a GoldSrc-compatible RCON tool; a Source tool will not connect.
How CS 1.6 RCON works
RCON runs on the game port (default 27015). Set the password in server.cfg:
rcon_password "your_secret_here"
An empty password disables RCON. Most real CS 1.6 administration is done through AMX Mod X (loaded via Metamod), which adds the amx_* admin command set. That is a server plugin, not native hlds - a fresh server only has the native commands in the next section.
Listing players
| Command | What it returns |
|---|---|
status | Each player's #userid, name, Steam ID, ping, and IP. |
On sv_lan 1 or no-Steam servers, player IDs show as VALVE_ID_LAN / STEAM_ID_LAN - they are not stable and cannot be banned by ID. IP bans (addip) are the only native option there.
Moderation (native)
| Command | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
kick | kick <name|#userid> | Disconnect a player (no ban). Prefer #userid. |
banid | banid <minutes> <steamid> [kick] | Ban a Steam ID; 0 = permanent. |
addip | addip <minutes> <ip> | Ban an IP; 0 = permanent. |
removeid / removeip | removeid <steamid> | Lift a Steam ID / IP ban. |
writeid / writeip | writeid | Persist bans to banned_user.cfg / banned_ip.cfg. |
listid / listip | listid | Show the current ban lists. |
Native bans are in-memory until you run writeid/writeip. (AMX Mod X bans below write to disk automatically.)
Moderation (AMX Mod X)
Requires AMX Mod X + Metamod installed; admins are defined in users.ini.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
amx_kick <name> [reason] | Kick with a reason. |
amx_ban <name> <minutes> [reason] | Ban by Steam ID (0 = permanent), writes to disk. |
amx_banip <name> <minutes> [reason] | Ban by IP. |
amx_addban "<steamid>" <minutes> [reason] | Ban an offline player by Steam ID. |
amx_unban "<steamid|ip>" | Remove a ban. |
amx_slay <name> / amx_slap <name> [dmg] | Kill / damage-and-shove a player. |
Match settings
| Cvar | Description |
|---|---|
mp_friendlyfire <0|1> | Team damage. |
mp_autoteambalance <0|1> | Auto-balance teams at round end. |
mp_limitteams <n> | Max team-size difference (0 = no limit). |
mp_roundtime <1-9> | Round length in minutes. |
mp_freezetime <seconds> | Buy/freeze time at round start. |
mp_startmoney <800-16000> | Starting money. |
mp_c4timer <seconds> | Bomb timer. |
mp_timelimit <minutes> | Map time limit (0 = unlimited). |
sv_password "<pw|>" | Join password (empty = public). |
sv_cheats <0|1> | Cheat gate - keep 0 on public servers. |
Maps and server control
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
changelevel <map> | Change map (keeps the session). |
map <map> | Full map load with a server reset. |
sv_restart <seconds> | Full game restart (resets scores and money). |
hostname "<name>" | Set the browser name. |
exec <file> | Run a .cfg from cstrike/cfg/. |
Communication
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
say <message> | Native broadcast to all players. |
amx_say <message> | AMX broadcast. |
amx_csay <color> <message> | Center-screen HUD message (AMX). |
Quick reference
status # userids + Steam IDs
kick #5 # kick by userid
banid 0 STEAM_0:0:12345 kick # permanent ban + kick
writeid # persist bans
amx_ban "cheater" 0 "Aimbot" # AMX ban (writes to disk)
changelevel de_dust2
say "Server restarting soon"
Tracking your server in MantaScope
MantaScope tracks your CS 1.6 server from the browser - live player counts, population history, uptime and downtime incidents, and server rank. Run the commands above with a GoldSrc-capable RCON tool or the in-game console (as covered earlier, a Source-RCON client will not connect to GoldSrc), and use MantaScope to watch the results, share an embeddable status banner, and keep an eye on your community. Setting one up from scratch? See Counter-Strike 1.6 Server Setup.