To enable RCON on a Garry’s Mod server, set a non-empty rcon_password in garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg, save the file, and restart the server. Use a long, unique password; an empty value disables RCON. The exact file location or settings screen may vary by hosting provider.
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What RCON does—and what enables it
RCON is the remote console mechanism used to send server commands over the network. In Garry’s Mod, the setting that controls RCON authentication is the console variable rcon_password. Give it a non-empty value to enable password authentication; set it to an empty string to disable it.
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The usual persistent setting is in garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg. A typical entry looks like this:
rcon_password "replace-this-with-a-long-random-password"Replace the example value with your own secret before saving. Do not leave the example password in place, and do not publish your real password in a forum post, screenshot, or shared configuration file.
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Enable RCON in server.cfg
- Stop or prepare to restart the server. Editing the configuration file is most reliable when you can restart the server afterward. A runtime change to the password also closes authenticated RCON connections.
- Open the server configuration. Find
garrysmod/cfg/server.cfgin the server’s files. A game-server host may provide a file manager, configuration editor, or a setting field instead; panel labels and file paths vary. - Add the setting. Put
rcon_password "your-long-random-password"on its own line. Keep the quotes around the value, and ensure the value is not empty. - Save the change and restart the server. The restart loads the persistent configuration. A setting typed only into a running console may not survive a restart, so use the file or the host’s persistent configuration field for a lasting setup.
- Connect using the same server address, port, and password. External RCON clients use the server IP, port, and password. The Source RCON protocol reference says SRCDS listens on TCP port 27015 by default; a server or host configuration may use a different port.
Using a hosting panel instead of editing the file
Managed servers do not all expose configuration in the same place. Look for a server configuration file editor or a setting for the RCON password, then confirm that the panel saves the value into the server’s persistent configuration. The underlying variable remains rcon_password; the panel’s navigation and exact field names are provider-specific.
- If the panel offers a server.cfg editor, add the same line shown above.
- If it offers a dedicated password field, enter a non-empty password and save the panel’s changes.
- Restart the server after saving. Do not assume that changing a value in a running console writes it to the persistent config.
Connect to the server with RCON
For an external RCON client, use the server’s IP address, its RCON TCP port, and the password configured in rcon_password. The default SRCDS listening port documented for Source RCON is TCP 27015, but verify the port shown by your host if it differs from the default.
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RCON commands are server commands sent through an authenticated remote connection. A hosting guide gives rcon sv_cheats 1 as an example command form, but available commands and their effects depend on the server and the command itself. Use only commands you understand and are authorized to run.
Guides describe different in-game console sequences for connecting, including entering a password and setting an RCON address. Those sequences are not established consistently by the official material here, so do not treat any particular in-game sequence as universal. If you need remote administration, use a compatible RCON client and its instructions for supplying the address, port, and password.
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Why the password may not work
The server is still using an old or empty value
Check that the saved configuration contains the intended non-empty rcon_password value, with the spelling and quotes intact. Then restart the server. If you changed the value while the server was running, authenticated RCON connections are closed and must reconnect using the current password.
You edited the wrong configuration file
The common location is garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg, but providers may use a different path or a panel-managed field. Check the host’s file layout or panel documentation and make sure the setting is in the configuration that the server loads.
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The connection uses the wrong address or port
An external client needs the server IP and RCON port as well as the password. TCP 27015 is the documented SRCDS default, not a guarantee that every hosted server uses that port. Use the port assigned to your server by its host.
You entered the password in a console but did not save it persistently
A runtime console change can be temporary. One hosting guide reports that a console-only setting does not persist after a restart; the persistent approach is to put the value in the server configuration or a host setting that writes to it.
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Keep RCON secure
- Choose a long, random password. Do not reuse a password from another account or service, and do not place it in public text.
- Limit who can reach the RCON service. Restrict access by IP where your host or network configuration allows it. The protocol uses TCP, so access controls need to account for the RCON TCP port in use.
- Use RCON only when you need it. Setting
rcon_password ""disables it; restart after changing the persistent configuration. - Know the failed-login control. Facepunch’s Garry’s Mod ConVars listing includes
sv_rcon_maxfailures, which caps failed authentication attempts before a ban. Its exact behavior and a suitable value are not established here, so consult the server’s current ConVar documentation before changing it.
Disable RCON
To turn RCON off, change the persistent setting to an empty value:
rcon_password ""Save the configuration and restart the server so it loads the disabled setting. If you use a hosting panel, clear its RCON password field and apply the change instead.
Protocol and scope
RCON for Garry’s Mod uses Valve’s Source RCON Protocol over TCP. The protocol reference documents TCP port 27015 as the SRCDS default. The password setting and the usual server.cfg method are also listed in Valve Developer Community and Facepunch Garry’s Mod ConVars material, respectively. A dedicated Facepunch setup guide and a verified universal in-game command sequence are not established here; provider-specific steps may therefore differ.
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