Why does my CS2 server refuse the RCON connection?

Nine times out of ten the server was started without -usercon, or rcon_password is empty. Both are required; the password alone is not enough.

Which port does CS2 RCON use?

The game port, 27015 unless you moved it. RCON shares it rather than using a separate one, which is why the connect address and the RCON address usually match.

Does it work with CS:GO servers too?

Yes, and with any Source engine server — the protocol has not changed. TF2, Garry's Mod, Left 4 Dead 2 and Team Fortress community servers all connect the same way.

Can I admin from my phone during a match?

Yes. The same console and profiles are in the Android and iOS apps, which is when kick and ban are actually needed.

No — the protocol sends the password in a plain packet. Keep the port off the public internet and reach it through an SSH tunnel; a saved forwarding rule makes that automatic.

CS2 & Source RCON

Run the match from the console, not the scoreboard

Counter-Strike 2 speaks the RCON protocol Valve invented, and so does everything else on the Source engine. Tempest saves each server as a profile, keeps the console scrollback across reconnects, and puts the machine's shell one tab away.

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Windows, macOS, Linux, Android & iOS.

Tempest RCON console attached to a Counter-Strike 2 server

Setup

rcon_password, and the launch flag people forget

A Source dedicated server needs two things before RCON answers: a password and permission to listen.

Set rcon_password in server.cfg, and start the server with -usercon. Without that flag the port stays shut and every client reports a refused connection.

RCON rides on the game port, 27015 by default — the same number the connect string uses.

The same profile shape works for CS:GO legacy servers, TF2, Garry's Mod, Left 4 Dead 2 and the rest of the Source family.

In the match

The commands you actually type

status to see who is on, kick and banid when someone ruins it, changelevel between maps, mp_restartgame after the warm-up, exec to load a config for the next mode.

Command history persists, so the ten-cvar competitive setup is a scroll away instead of a retype.

Save it as a snippet once and run it on the right server from a menu. Snippets & scheduled runs

Long replies — a full status on a busy server — are reassembled correctly rather than truncated at the packet boundary.

The machine

When the answer is not a cvar

Plugin crashes, disk full, a SourceMod update, a config that needs diffing against last week. Those live on the box, and the box is an SSH host in the same list.

Edit server.cfg, autoexec.cfg or a SourceMod config over SFTP with syntax highlighting. SFTP file manager

Console and log tail side by side in one workspace. Split screens

Live CPU and memory gauges in the session, read with plain Unix commands rather than an agent. Monitoring docs

Editing a server.cfg over SFTP next to the game console

Frequently asked questions

Why does my CS2 server refuse the RCON connection?: Nine times out of ten the server was started without -usercon, or rcon_password is empty. Both are required; the password alone is not enough.
Which port does CS2 RCON use?: The game port, 27015 unless you moved it. RCON shares it rather than using a separate one, which is why the connect address and the RCON address usually match.
Does it work with CS:GO servers too?: Yes, and with any Source engine server — the protocol has not changed. TF2, Garry's Mod, Left 4 Dead 2 and Team Fortress community servers all connect the same way.
Can I admin from my phone during a match?: Yes. The same console and profiles are in the Android and iOS apps, which is when kick and ban are actually needed.
Is RCON encrypted?: No — the protocol sends the password in a plain packet. Keep the port off the public internet and reach it through an SSH tunnel; a saved forwarding rule makes that automatic. Port forwarding guide

Keep exploring

RCON client Minecraft RCON client Rust RCON client BattlEye RCON for DayZ & Arma SSH client for Linux

One app for the match and the machine.

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