To let friends reach a Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server behind your home router, forward the server’s game port—27015 by default—to the computer’s local IPv4 address, allow that port through the computer’s firewall, launch CS2 with -dedicated, and use a Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT) for public access. Friends then join with connect YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:27015. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), ordinary port forwarding may not work until the ISP supplies a public address or removes the restriction.
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What port forwarding does for a CS2 server
A home router normally allows connections that start inside your network but blocks unsolicited connections arriving from the internet. Port forwarding creates one exception: traffic arriving at a specified public port is sent to one device on your private network.
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- A player connects to your public IP and port.
- Your router matches the port-forwarding rule.
- The router sends the traffic to the host computer’s local IPv4 address.
- The operating-system firewall permits the server process to receive it.
- The CS2 dedicated server accepts the connection.
The port in the router rule must match the port used when the server starts. If you launch with -port 27016, forward 27016 instead of 27015.
Before you start
- A CS2 dedicated-server installation on Windows or Linux.
- Administrator access to the host computer, its firewall, and your router.
- The host’s local IPv4 address and the router’s default-gateway address.
- A public IPv4 address that accepts inbound connections. CGNAT can prevent this.
- A Game Server Login Token for a server intended to be reachable from the public internet.
- The exact port and protocol required by your server configuration. Community port lists conflict, so treat 27015 as the default starting point rather than an exhaustive list.
Step 1: Find the server computer’s local IP address
Windows
- Open Command Prompt.
- Run
ipconfig. - Under the adapter that is actually connected, record IPv4 Address and Default Gateway. A typical private address looks like
192.168.x.xor10.x.x.x.
Use the address of the active Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, not a disconnected virtual adapter. The default gateway is normally the router address you will open in the next step.
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Linux
Use ip addr to identify the address on the interface carrying the server’s traffic. Use ip route to see the default gateway. Record the private IPv4 address, not the loopback address 127.0.0.1.
Keep the address from changing
A DHCP lease can give the computer a different address after a reboot, silently breaking the forwarding rule. The most reliable fix is a DHCP reservation in the router, binding the host’s network adapter to the IPv4 address you recorded. If your router has no reservation feature, configure a static address on the host only after checking the network’s subnet, gateway, and DNS settings.
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Step 2: Sign in to the router
- Enter the Default Gateway from
ipconfigorip routeinto a browser’s address bar. Common gateway addresses include192.168.1.1and192.168.0.1, but use the value shown by your network. - Sign in with the router administrator account.
- Open the section named Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, NAT, or a similar label. Menus differ by manufacturer and firmware.
Do not confuse port forwarding with port triggering. Triggering opens a temporary rule after an outbound connection; a dedicated server needs a persistent forwarding rule.
Step 3: Create the CS2 forwarding rule
Create a rule that sends the external game port to the host’s local IPv4 address. For the default configuration, use 27015 for both the external and internal port.
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| Router field | Value for the default server |
|---|---|
| Rule name | CS2 server (any descriptive name) |
| External/WAN start port | 27015 |
| External/WAN end port | 27015 |
| Internal/LAN start port | 27015 |
| Internal/LAN end port | 27015 |
| Destination IP | The server computer’s reserved local IPv4 address |
| Protocol | UDP, TCP, or both according to the server documentation and router options; community guides disagree |
| Enabled | Yes |
When the router offers only a combined TCP/UDP choice, selecting both is a practical initial test. If it allows separate rules, start with the protocol specified by Valve’s current SRCDS documentation for your configuration. Do not assume that every port listed by a community guide is required.
If you launch with a different value, substitute it everywhere. For example, a server started with -port 27016 needs a rule for 27016 and players must use connect YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:27016.
Which CS2 ports should be opened?
27015 is the commonly cited default game port. Valve’s CS2 Dedicated Servers documentation covers the -port option but defers detailed port information to broader SRCDS documentation. Current community lists are inconsistent, so open only what your selected features and Valve’s current documentation require.
| Port or range | Protocol as commonly listed | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| 27015 | Varies by guide; often UDP, sometimes TCP and UDP | Default core game port; forward the value used by -port |
| 27020 | UDP | Often associated with SourceTV; not automatically required for a private server |
| 3478 | UDP | Listed by some community guides for NAT traversal; verify before opening |
| 4379–4380 | UDP | Listed by some guides for matchmaking-related traffic; verify before opening |
| 27014–27050 | TCP | A SteamCMD guide lists this range; it is not a universal requirement established by the retrieved Valve material |
| 27000–27030 | UDP | Another SteamCMD list; do not forward the entire range unless your configuration requires it |
| 27000–27015 | UDP | An older Steam discussion lists this for game clients; the discussion is roughly 3,400 days old |
| 27015 | TCP | An older discussion associates this with RCON; only expose administration services you intentionally configure |
The safest baseline is one rule for the actual game port, then add optional ports only when a Valve-supported feature or a verified current configuration needs them. A VPS can also have a separate cloud firewall; it must permit the same traffic as the operating-system firewall.
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Step 4: Allow the server through the host firewall
Windows Defender Firewall
- Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
- Select Inbound Rules, then New Rule.
- Choose Port, select the protocol and local port used by the server, and enter 27015 (or your custom port).
- Choose Allow the connection.
- Apply the rule only to the network profiles you need, give it a clear name such as CS2 dedicated server, and finish.
You can instead create a program rule for the dedicated-server executable, but a port rule makes the intended network exception explicit. If you selected both protocols in the router, create matching firewall rules or a combined rule where Windows permits it.
Linux with UFW
For a server using 27015, add the protocol rules required by your configuration, for example:
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sudo ufw allow 27015/tcpDo not add the second rule merely because a guide lists it; match the protocol you have chosen and verified. Check the result with sudo ufw status. Other firewalls, such as firewalld, nftables, or iptables, need equivalent inbound rules.
VPS and hosted networks
A hosted server may be protected by three layers: the cloud provider’s firewall, the operating-system firewall, and the CS2 process itself. Permit the selected port at every layer. A rule in only one layer cannot compensate for a block in another.
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Step 5: Launch the dedicated server with the right options
Valve’s CS2 Dedicated Servers documentation identifies -dedicated, -port, -ip, -maxplayers, and +sv_setsteamaccount as relevant launch options and commands. The executable path depends on where you installed the server.
Windows example
cs2.exe -dedicated -port 27015 +map de_dust2Linux example
./cs2 -dedicated +map de_dust2 -port 27015-dedicated is required for a dedicated server. +map de_dust2 selects the initial map. Use -maxplayers when you need to set the player limit. If the machine has more than one network interface, -ip can bind the server to the intended local address; otherwise, leaving it out avoids binding to the wrong interface.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Step 6: Create and apply a Steam Game Server Login Token
For a server intended to accept public internet connections or appear through Steam’s server systems, create a GSLT. Valve’s process uses game ID 730 and the token-management page at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers.
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- Sign in to the Steam account that will own the server token.
- Open the token-management page.
- Enter
730as the game ID and generate a token for the server. - Copy the token securely. Treat it like a password; do not paste it into public chat, screenshots, or a shared repository.
- Pass it at launch with
+sv_setsteamaccount <TOKEN>.
For example, the Windows command becomes:
cs2.exe -dedicated -port 27015 +map de_dust2 +sv_setsteamaccount <TOKEN>The Linux form is:
./cs2 -dedicated +map de_dust2 -port 27015 +sv_setsteamaccount <TOKEN>Valve’s documentation describes the GSLT process for dedicated servers. A community guide reports that omitting a token can leave the server effectively LAN-only for public connections, so do not skip the token when friends outside your home network need to join.
Step 7: Test from outside your home network
- Find your public IPv4 address from the router’s internet/WAN status page. Do not send players the private address from
ipconfig. - Keep the server running and test from a genuinely external connection, such as a phone using mobile data. Testing from the same Wi-Fi can fail on routers that lack NAT loopback even when outside players can connect.
- In the CS2 console, use
connect YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:27015. Replace the port if you used-portwith another value. - If the external test succeeds, give trusted players the same public IP and port. If your public IP changes, the address you share changes too unless you use a separately configured dynamic-DNS service.
A successful connection from another device on your LAN proves that CS2 is running, but it does not prove that the router and ISP allow inbound internet traffic.
Troubleshooting when friends cannot join
The server works on LAN but not from the internet
- Confirm that the forwarding destination still matches the host’s current local IPv4 address.
- Confirm that the router rule is enabled and that external and internal ports match the launch command.
- Check the host firewall and any cloud firewall.
- Test from mobile data rather than from the same home Wi-Fi.
- Verify that players are using your public IP, not a 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or other private address.
Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT)
Some ISPs place several customers behind one shared public IPv4 address. In that arrangement, your router receives no directly reachable public address, so an inbound request cannot be forwarded to your home. Compare the router’s WAN address with the public address shown by an independent internet service. If the router shows a private or shared-CGNAT address, contact the ISP and ask for a public IPv4 address or an inbound-compatible service. No router rule can bypass CGNAT by itself.
Multiple routers or mesh systems
If an ISP modem/router feeds your own router, the connection may pass through two NAT devices. Forward the selected port on the upstream device to your router’s WAN address, then forward it again on your router to the CS2 host. Alternatively, place the downstream router in the upstream device’s bridge or access-point mode if that matches your network design.
The port is already in use
Only one process can normally listen on a given local address and port. On Windows, inspect listeners with:
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ss -lunpt | grep 27015If another service owns the port, stop it or select an unused port with -port and update every router, firewall, and player connection setting.
The server starts but public listing or authentication fails
- Check that
+sv_setsteamaccountis present and that the token belongs to game ID 730. - Regenerate a token if it was exposed or revoked, then restart the server with the replacement.
- Read the dedicated-server console for token, binding, or network errors.
- Remember that a GSLT does not replace port forwarding or firewall rules; all layers must still permit traffic.
Only some players can connect
Intermittent access often points to a changing local address, a changing public address, or different protocol handling between routers. Reserve the host’s DHCP address, confirm the current WAN address, and compare the router rule with the protocol required by your server configuration. If your ISP blocks inbound traffic or uses CGNAT, ask the ISP before repeatedly changing local settings.
Quick Recap
Security and maintenance checklist
- Forward only the ports and protocols you actually need; wider ranges increase exposure.
- Keep the server, operating system, router firmware, and firewall rules maintained.
- Do not expose router administration, SSH, RCON, or other management interfaces to the internet unless you have deliberately secured them.
- Store the GSLT privately and rotate it if it is disclosed.
- Use a DHCP reservation so the forwarding target remains stable.
- Record the custom port, launch options, firewall rules, and router rule so you can restore them after a reset.
- Retest from outside the home network after changing the ISP, router, server computer, or launch command.
Quick verification checklist
- The server launches with
-dedicated. - The port in the command, router rule, firewall, and player connection is identical.
- The router forwards to the host’s current local IPv4 address.
- The host firewall and any cloud firewall allow the selected protocol.
- A GSLT created for game ID 730 is supplied with
+sv_setsteamaccount. - The test uses the public IP from an external network.
- The ISP is not blocking inbound traffic through CGNAT.
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