In this tutorial, I am going to show you how you can properly use rcon_password functionality in Counter-Strike 1.6 Gaming Server Provided by us in private hosting. If you are looking for anything I have listed below, you are on the right place. Here’s what I have described here.
- Use of amx_rcon instead of RCON – More Security
- How to permanently set rcon_password locally on your system (RCON).
- How to change/configure rcon_password in server.
- Basic RCON commands with how to use them.
- Rcon password security.
Introduction
RCON is great for remote server management. It allows remote connections to your server with unlimited access, protected by a password. So basically, you can get the server-side console access from your console itself! While playing game along with your friends, you can change cvars and other commands easily from your console. So, your rcon_password must be unique, not easily guessable or hackable. We advise you to follow the below guidelines to first create a rcon_password for better security.
- Your password must be a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Your password must include numerials and special symbols.
- Your password must not be a dictionarry word.
- Your password must not be blank or empty, as it will disable the functionality, still see below what to do.
- Lastly, your password must be easily remembered by you.
Use of amx_rcon instead of rcon_password
In today’s world, every hacker wants to hack the server and get unauthorized access. But in our security, he can’t get access easily. He can’t get access until he knows all the credentials. Also, he can’t brute force. But still, the only way for a hacker left is to hack the server using rcon_password. The hacker here tries many complication methods to see whether he can get the password or not. Unfortuanently, no one can save you from these attacks, not even the best hosting companies in the world including us. So how can we prevent such hacks?
The best answer is to disable rcon_password. What? Yes – Disable your rcon password using this command in your csserver.cfg file.
rcon_password “”
Hah! Simple, now rcon_password functionality has been disabled. But now what to do if you need to access the commands from your gaming console? It is very simple, use amx_rcon command instead. What you need to do is to give you appropriate rights aka user flags such as immunity etc. So use amx_rcon “Command” to use server console easily. See the tutorial below on how to change this command in what file.
Still, If you want to use rcon_password functionality, move on further.
How to Configure (Or Change) RCON Password in Server
Changing RCON Password Regularly is must. By following my guide, you can change your rcon_password easily. Follow the below steps given correctly.
1. First of all, you need to login into your SSH Client. We recommend you using Bitvise SSH Client.
You need to fill your host ip (Usually your server ip) and port as 22.
2. Now you have to type down your username and password and click login. A new console and a FTP window will appear on the screen upon successful authentication.
3. Now navigate to serverfiles –> cstrike –> csserver.cfg (Open this file by clicking Edit button). When the file will open, it will look like this: 
4. Now replace “[email protected]()Rd” with any other password you want. Now save this file and restart the server from the console using the command: “./csserver r” without quotes.
If you have followed these three simple steps correctly, then you have successfully configured rcon_password in your server.
How to Setup RCON locally on your system
When you have successfully configured RCON password from the server side, we are good to go to setup the same password locally on our config file so that we need not to put it again and again when we restart Counter-Strike 1.6. Follow my steps carefully to set your rcon_password locally.
1. Navigate to your Counter Strike 1.6 MOD directory. It is usually in Steam folder or if non-steam installed, then Counter Strike folder (Program Files).
2. Now Open config.cfg file from cstrike –> config.php. Make sure the file has not any read-only flags. Now Open/Edit the file.
3. Scroll down till the last line, as it looks like in the image above. Copy and paste the following line above +mlook. Make sure to replace “[email protected]()Rd” with your original rcon_password.
rcon_password “[email protected]()Rd”
4. Now save this file and close it. Now right click the file and click Properties. Under the Attributes section, mark the file as read-only. This prevents various servers to change your rcon_password and other various commands. Then close the Properties box.
You are done! You have successfully setup your rcon configuration in four easy steps. Now you can use rcon commands in your game console. Consider seeking the below guide.
Basic RCON Commands – How to Use RCON
In this section, I will be guiding you how you can use RCON commands from your game console easily after you have followed my tutorial above.
To use RCON commands, first lets understand how RCON works. Like when you host locally on your server, you use raw commands in your console to change game settings. In the same way, RCON can be used the change server settings right from your console. Just what you need to do is to put rcon before your raw command in the console. Like if you want to restart the server, type this command in console:
rcon sv_restart 1
If you want to change map, type this command:
rcon changelevel map_name
There are many other commands you can use by rcon. If you are not familiar with rcon, we suggest you to take a look at the text below or just save this text locally for quick access. Just type rcon<space>commands below.
| Task | Syntax | Description |
| RCON Login | rcon_password yourpassword | Login to rcon with your rcon password to gain access to all the rcon commands. |
| Change Level | changelevel map_name | This command allows you to change the map. |
| Status | status | Lists the current players names with id and wonid. |
| Kick Player Name | kick name | If you need to kick a player replace name with the players name. |
| Kick Player ID | kick#number | If you need to kick a player replace number with the players number. |
| Ban Player ID | banid time #number | If you need to ban a player replace time with the amount of time you would like to ban them. |
| Server Password | sv_password password | To password protect the server replace password with the games password. |
| Restart Game | sv_restart time | Resart the game, both teams scores are reset as is money. replace time with a value upto 10. |
| Restart Round | sv_restartround time | Resart the round, replace time with a value upto 10. |
| Frienly Fire | mp_friendlyfire number | Replace number with 1 to turn friendly fire on or 0 to turn it off. |
| Chase Cam | mp_forcechasecam number | Replace number with 1 to force chase cam mode or 0 to disable it. |
| Round Limit | mp_roundlimit number | Replace number with the amount of rounds before the level changes. |
| Round Time | mp_roundtime number | Replace number with a time in minutes – normally 5 (3-15 allowed). |
| Time Limit | mp_timelimit number | Replace number with the time in minutes for each map – 0 = no time limit. |
| Say something though server | say text | Sends a message from the server admin to the screen which all players can read. replace text with the message. |
| Color Message | cm_say @@r text | Sends a color message to the centre of the screen. replace r which is red with g for green y for yellow etc. replace text with the message. |
| Restart Server | restart | Restarts your server |
| Staring Money | mp_startmoney x | This integer value controls the amount that players start with at the beginning of a new map or when they join a server. 800 is the default and the minimum value, while 16000 is the maximum. |
| Deatailed Log | mp_logdetail x | Use this bitwise svar to control the depth of your logs. Be warned, these options can eat away hard drive space and CPU cycles. Use 0, the default, to log no attacks, 1 to log enemy attacks, 2 to log teammate attacks, and 3 to log both. |
| Player ID | mp_playerid x | This variable controls what players see when they put their crosshair over an enemy, a hostage, or a teammate. At 0 (the default), the player see’s all popups with team colors. At 1, the player sees their teammates and hostages, with team colors. At 2, players see no popups. |
| Fading | mp_fadetoblack x | This is also to combat ghosting, but is more harsh. 0 will have no affect on the game, while 1 will disable chasecam and any sort of death cam at all. The client’s screen fades to black instantly after death. One boon of this setting is that corpses stay around for the entire round. Useful for clan matches. |
| Buying Time | mp_buytime x | A floating point (decimal) value to determine the buy time in minutes. E.g., ‘1.25’ equals one minute and fifteen seconds of buy time (this is not the pause, but the time where it is legal to purchase stuff). The minimum value is 0.25 and there is no maximum. |
| Win Limit | mp_winlimit x | This, of course, is an integer (whole number). When a team reaches this amount of wins (before the timelimit or the roundlimit is reached), it has won the map. 0, or disabled, is the default. |
| Spectators | allow_spectators x | Setting to 1 will allow spectators, while 0 will disallow them. These are non-playing spectators, not dead people. |
| Team Killer Banning | mp_autokick x | This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles automatic team-killer banning and kicking of idle clients – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |
| Team Balancing | mp_autoteambalance x |
This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles the forcing of clients to join teams to make it balanced – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |
| Bomb Timer | mp_c4timer x | This variable is defaulted to 45. Sets the amount of time in between C4 placement and its explosion – ranges between 15 and 90 seconds. |
| Use Flashlights | mp_flashlight x | This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles the use of flashlights by clients – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |
| Hear Footsteps | mp_footsteps x | This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles footstep sounds – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |
| Freeze Players For Buying | mp_freezetime x | This variable is defaulted to 6. Sets the amount of “freeze” time at the beginning of each round to buy weapons and equipment – Use a setting of ‘0’ to disable. |
| Hostage Kill Kicking | mp_hostagepenalty x | This variable is defaulted to 0, or disabled. Sets the number of hostages a player can kill before they are booted from the server. |
| Number of more players on team can have over another | mp_limitteams x | This variable is defaulted to 2. Sets the maximum number of players that one team can have more than the other team – Use a setting of ‘0’ to completely disable the team limiting. |
| Log Chat Messages | mp_logmessages x |
This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles logging of chat messages in the log files – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |
| Map Vote Ration | Map Vote Ration | This variable is defaulted to 0.6. Set the ratio of players required to vote on the same map before a map will change. The default is 0.6 , which means that 60% of the players on a server must vote on the same map in order for the server to change to that map. The range is 0.0-1.0. |
| Kick Vote Ration | mp_kickpercent x |
This variable is defaulted to 0.66. Set 0.0-1.0. |
| Team Kill Punishing | mp_tkpunish x | This variable is defaulted to 1. Toggles the forcing of a player to sit out the next round if he has just killed a teammate – Setting of 1 = ‘on’, and 0 = ‘off’. |