> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wasabihosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Join Your Counter-Strike 1.6 Server

> Connect to your Counter-Strike 1.6 server hosting at Wasabi Hosting via the in-game server browser, favorites, or the console connect command.

Once your Counter-Strike 1.6 server is online, there are three ways to join it: the in-game server browser, your favorites list, or the console. This guide covers all three, plus password-protected servers and the most common connection problems.

## Finding Your Server Address

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to the Game Panel">
    Go to the [Wasabi Hosting Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) and sign in with your panel credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your server">
    Click your CS 1.6 server in the server list to open its dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the address">
    Your server address is shown on the dashboard in the format `IP:port` (for example `203.0.113.10:27015`). Click it to copy it to your clipboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  The default Counter-Strike 1.6 port is UDP `27015`. If your server was assigned a different port, always include it — `connect` without a port assumes `27015`.
</Info>

## Joining via the Server Browser

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Find Servers">
    Launch Counter-Strike 1.6 and click **Find Servers** from the main menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your server to Favorites">
    Switch to the **Favorites** tab, click **Add a server** (bottom right), and paste your server's `IP:port`. The server appears in the list with its name, map, and player count.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Select the server and click **Connect** (or double-click it). Once it's in your favorites, joining takes two clicks every time.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Share the `IP:port` with your community and tell them to add it to **Favorites** — that's how CS 1.6 regulars keep coming back night after night.
</Tip>

## Joining via the Console

The console is the fastest way to connect, and the only way to use commands like `retry` and `rcon` later on.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable the developer console">
    In CS 1.6, go to **Options → Keyboard → Advanced...** and check **Enable developer console**. You can also add `-console` to the game's launch options in Steam.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the console">
    Press the backtick/tilde key (`` ` ``) in the main menu or in-game.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Type the connect command with your server's address:

    ```
    connect 203.0.113.10:27015
    ```

    If the connection drops, `retry` reconnects to the last server instantly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Password-Protected Servers

If the server has `sv_password` set in its [server configuration](/games/cs16/server-configuration), there are two ways to get in:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Console (recommended)">
    Set your password *before* connecting, then connect as usual:

    ```
    setinfo _pw "yourpassword"
    connect 203.0.113.10:27015
    ```

    The password is remembered for the session, so `retry` works without re-entering it.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Server browser prompt">
    When you join a locked server from **Find Servers**, the game shows a password prompt. Type the password and click **OK**. Locked servers show a lock icon in the browser list.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Server not responding / connection failed">
    * Check the server is actually running — open the console in the [Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) and look for map load messages.
    * Double-check the `IP:port` against the panel dashboard. A wrong port is the most common cause.
    * If you use the [Firewall Manager](/firewall-manager), make sure a rule isn't blocking your own IP.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Protocol or build mismatch">
    Errors like *"This server is using a newer/older protocol than your client"* mean your game build and the server build don't match. Make sure your game is fully updated in Steam (right-click **Counter-Strike** → **Properties** → verify game files), then reconnect.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Non-Steam clients">
    Some players use unofficial CS 1.6 clients. These often run older protocol versions (protocol 47 instead of 48) or modified builds that can't connect to an up-to-date HLDS server. We recommend the official Steam version for reliable connections; whether to accommodate other clients is up to you and your community.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kicked with 'bad password'">
    The password you set with `setinfo _pw` doesn't match `sv_password` on the server. Re-run `setinfo _pw "correctpassword"` and `retry`. Passwords are case-sensitive.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Stuck on 'Verifying resources' or slow downloads">
    The server is sending you custom maps or files. Direct HLDS downloads are slow by design — if you run lots of custom content, set up FastDL. See [Custom Maps](/games/cs16/custom-maps).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="Need a CS 1.6 server?" icon="rocket" href="https://wasabihosting.com/game-servers/counter-strike-1.6">
  Get your own Counter-Strike 1.6 server from **€6.49/month** — deployed in about 2 minutes with DDoS protection included.
</Card>