--- title: "Getting started with your Counter-Strike: Source server" description: "First boot, ports, connecting and the cstrike folder layout for a Counter-Strike: Source server." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/getting-started-with-your-server/" category: "Counter-Strike: Source" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/" published: "2026-08-07T08:25:09.323Z" updated: "2026-08-07T08:32:30.446Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # Getting started with your Counter-Strike: Source server Counter-Strike: Source launched on 1 November 2004 and it never really went anywhere. It runs on **Source 1**, the original Source engine, and that single fact decides almost everything about how you administer a CS:S server today — including the fact that the mature SourceMod toolchain still works on it. This guide covers first boot, how players join, which ports the server uses, and where the files live. ## What happens on first boot 1. Open your Counter-Strike: Source server in the panel. 2. Click **Start**. 3. Watch the console output. The install is small by modern standards, so first boot is quick compared to a CS2 or Rust server. 4. Once the server has loaded a map, it will answer queries and appear to players. > [!NOTE] A server that has not loaded a map will not answer > Valve's dedicated server documentation is explicit that servers do not respond to queries until a map is loaded. If the server process is up but nothing can see it, check that a map actually loaded before you start debugging your network. ## How do I connect to my Counter-Strike: Source server? The reliable route is the in-game server browser, because it does not depend on console access: 1. Launch Counter-Strike: Source. 2. Open **Find Servers**. 3. Switch to the **Favorites** tab. 4. Choose **Add a Server**, and enter your server's IP address and port, for example `203.0.113.10:27015`. 5. Refresh, then double-click the server to join. If you have the developer console enabled, the `connect` command takes the same `address:port` pair and joins directly. ## Which ports does a Counter-Strike: Source server use? Your [GSK Counter-Strike: Source server](/games/counter-strike-source/) uses port **27015** by default, over **UDP**. Valve's Source Dedicated Server documentation lists the full set that SRCDS officially requires: | Port | Protocol | Purpose | Changed with | |---|---|---|---| | 27015 | TCP/UDP | Game transmission, pings and RCON | `-port` | | 27020 | UDP | SourceTV transmission | `+tv_port` | | 27005 | UDP | Client port | `-clientport` | | 26900 | UDP | Steam port, outgoing | `-sport` | On a managed server the port is assigned for you and the firewall is already open — you only need this table if you are diagnosing a connection problem or planning a SourceTV relay. > [!TIP] Game traffic is UDP, RCON is TCP > Port 27015 is listed as TCP/UDP because the two are used for different things on the same number: gameplay and queries ride UDP, while the RCON protocol is TCP. A firewall rule that only permits UDP will give you a server players can join but not one you can administer remotely. ## Where are the Counter-Strike: Source server files? CS:S uses **`cstrike`** as its mod folder. AlliedModders' installation documentation uses this exact folder as its worked example, and it is the folder every guide, plugin and config path will refer to. | Path | What lives there | |---|---| | `cstrike/` | The mod root — everything below is relative to it | | `cstrike/cfg/` | Server configs, including `server.cfg` | | `cstrike/maps/` | Map files (`.bsp`) | | `cstrike/addons/` | Metamod:Source and SourceMod, once installed | So the file most people are looking for is at **`cstrike/cfg/server.cfg`**. Full detail is in [Counter-Strike: Source server.cfg configuration](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/configuration-overview/). ## What should I set up first? In rough order of how much difference each makes: 1. **Config** — set your server name and passwords in `server.cfg`. See [Counter-Strike: Source server.cfg configuration](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/configuration-overview/). 2. **Admin access** — install Metamod:Source and SourceMod and add yourself as root admin. See [How to add admins to a Counter-Strike: Source server with SourceMod](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-add-admins-with-sourcemod/). 3. **Maps** — set up a map cycle and, if you run custom maps, FastDL. See [How to add and rotate maps on a Counter-Strike: Source server](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-add-and-rotate-maps/). 4. **Plugins** — the reason most people run CS:S in the first place. See [How to install SourceMod plugins on your Counter-Strike: Source server](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-install-sourcemod-plugins/). ## FAQ ### Which port does Counter-Strike: Source use? 27015, and on a GameServerKings server that is UDP by default. Valve's documentation lists 27015 as TCP/UDP because RCON uses TCP on the same port number while gameplay and queries use UDP. SourceTV, if you enable it, uses 27020/UDP. ### Where is server.cfg on a Counter-Strike: Source server? `cstrike/cfg/server.cfg`. The `cstrike` folder is the CS:S mod directory, and every config, map and addon path is relative to it. ### Can I run SourceMod on Counter-Strike: Source? Yes. AlliedModders' Required Versions page lists Counter-Strike: Source as supported on the current stable release of both Metamod:Source and SourceMod. This is the single biggest practical advantage CS:S has over newer Counter-Strike titles for a server owner, and it is covered in [How to add admins to a Counter-Strike: Source server with SourceMod](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-add-admins-with-sourcemod/). ### Is administering Counter-Strike: Source the same as Counter-Strike 2? No, and the difference is larger than the shared name suggests. CS:S is Source 1 and runs SourceMod, which bundles an admin system, a permission model and an admin menu in one package. Newer Counter-Strike titles built on Source 2 do not run SourceMod at all — AlliedModders lists SourceMod on Counter-Strike 2 as **Unsupported** — so their admin tooling has to be rebuilt from other projects. If you have administered a Source 1 server before, your knowledge transfers directly to CS:S. ### Why can nobody see my server? Work through it in this order: confirm a map has actually loaded, since a server with no map loaded will not answer queries at all; confirm players are using the right `address:port`; and confirm they are querying the port the panel shows rather than assuming 27015. ### Do I need to install anything to run a plain public server? No. A stock CS:S server runs and takes players with nothing added. Metamod:Source and SourceMod are what you install when you want per-person admin permissions, chat commands, map voting and plugins — see [How to install SourceMod plugins on your Counter-Strike: Source server](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-install-sourcemod-plugins/). ## What to read next - [Counter-Strike: Source server.cfg configuration](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/configuration-overview/) — where each config file lives and what executes when - [How to add admins to a Counter-Strike: Source server with SourceMod](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-add-admins-with-sourcemod/) — admin flags, immunity and the full command set - [How to install SourceMod plugins on your Counter-Strike: Source server](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-install-sourcemod-plugins/) — installing, enabling and debugging plugins - [How to add and rotate maps on a Counter-Strike: Source server](/knowledge-base/counter-strike-source/how-to-add-and-rotate-maps/) — map cycles, FastDL and map voting --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings