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To disable Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) on a Garry’s Mod dedicated server, add the Source launch parameter -insecure to the command that starts srcds, then restart the server. A typical command is:
srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct -insecureOn a managed host, stop the server, enable the provider’s Insecure setting in the Garry’s Mod configuration panel, save it, and restart. VAC-off mode lets modified clients connect, so use it only for testing, addon development, or a controlled private environment.
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What the -insecure switch does
Valve’s Source Dedicated Server documentation defines -insecure as starting the server without Valve Anti-Cheat. It is a server-side launch argument, not a Garry’s Mod console command that you toggle after the server is already running.
When the parameter is present in the startup command, the server launches without VAC enforcement. That can be useful when you are testing an addon, developing a custom client, or operating a private environment where VAC compatibility is not wanted. It also removes an important layer of protection: players using modified clients can connect. Shockbyte’s November 9, 2024 guidance specifically warns that disabling VAC creates security risks for this reason.
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The switch changes VAC behavior only. It does not automatically make the server LAN-only, disable Steam authentication, change the gamemode, alter the map, or remove other server-side protections.
Before you disable VAC
Decide whether VAC-off mode is necessary
For a normal public server, leaving VAC enabled is the safer choice. Consider -insecure when you have a defined reason, such as:
- Testing an addon that cannot be evaluated with VAC enabled.
- Developing or validating a custom client in a private environment.
- Running a temporary test server for a trusted group.
If your only goal is to keep strangers out, use access controls and a private setup rather than assuming that disabling VAC provides privacy. VAC is an anti-cheat service; it is not a substitute for a password, whitelist, firewall, or LAN configuration.
Record the current startup configuration
Write down or copy the command, script, service definition, or panel settings currently used to launch the server. You should add one argument and preserve the existing -game garrysmod, map, gamemode, ports, and other options. Keeping a copy makes it easy to remove -insecure later.
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Plan a restart window
The parameter takes effect at startup, so the server must be stopped and started again. Warn connected players, save any work in progress, and schedule the restart if the server is public.
Disable VAC on a self-hosted server
Use this procedure when you control the machine, startup script, service definition, or command prompt that launches the Source dedicated server.
- Stop the server. Shut down the running Garry’s Mod dedicated server cleanly before editing its launch settings.
- Find the real startup command. Locate the batch file, shell script, service definition, scheduled task, or manual command that starts
srcds. Editing a shortcut or script that is not actually used will have no effect. - Add
-insecure. Append the switch to the existing Source launch arguments. For example:srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct -insecureThe important change is the final
-insecureargument. Keep the existing game, map, gamemode, and operational parameters unless you intentionally want to change them. - Save the startup configuration. If the server is launched by a service manager, update the service’s configured command rather than only running a one-time command in a terminal.
- Start the server again. Launch it through the same script, service, or process you normally use so the new argument is applied consistently.
- Check the result. Review the startup command recorded by your service or launch script and inspect the server console for the server’s security state. You can also test a connection from the client environment for which VAC was preventing access. Do not treat a successful launch alone as proof that every client-side restriction has changed; verify the actual behavior you need.
Where to place the argument
-insecure is a command-line launch switch. It belongs with the other arguments used to start srcds, alongside options such as -game garrysmod. It should not be added as a line in server.cfg when you need a startup-only setting. Facepunch’s Garry’s Mod command-line guidance notes that some startup settings are evaluated before server.cfg is processed.
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SteamCMD and the dedicated-server context
Facepunch’s dedicated-server guide uses SteamCMD app ID 4020 for Garry’s Mod. SteamCMD installs or updates the files; the srcds launch command controls how the installed server runs. Adding -insecure changes the launch phase and does not replace the installation or update command.
Disable VAC through a managed hosting panel
Hosting dashboards use different names and layouts, so do not assume that every provider has the same menu path. The documented pattern is:
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- Stop the server from the provider’s control panel.
- Open the Garry’s Mod server’s Settings, Configuration, or equivalent page.
- Find the option labeled Insecure and enable it.
- Save the configuration.
- Restart the server.
Shockbyte documents this stop–enable–save–restart workflow. If your host uses a different label or puts launch parameters in an advanced startup field, use that provider’s exact control. If no insecure option is exposed, ask the host whether it supports passing -insecure to the Garry’s Mod startup command; do not assume that a similarly named security setting controls VAC.
-insecure versus sv_lan 1
These settings solve different problems and should not be substituted for one another.
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| Setting | Purpose | How to apply it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
-insecure |
Starts the Source server without Valve Anti-Cheat. | Add it to the srcds launch command or enable the host panel’s Insecure option, then restart. |
Addon, custom-client, or private testing where VAC must be off. |
sv_lan 1 |
Puts the server in LAN mode. Facepunch describes this as a LAN server with no authentication and no non-class-C addresses. | Set it at launch with +sv_lan 1 when LAN mode is intended. The command-line guidance says a startup setting may require a restart or changelevel; placing it only in server.cfg can be too late. |
A genuinely LAN-only server on the local network. |
Use -insecure when the requirement is specifically to disable VAC. Use +sv_lan 1 only when you want LAN networking and its authentication limitations. A public server can be insecure without being a LAN server, and a LAN server is not simply another spelling of VAC-off mode.
Self-hosting and managed hosting compared
| Consideration | Self-hosted server | Managed host |
|---|---|---|
| Control | You edit the command, script, or service that launches srcds. |
You use the provider’s panel, usually an Insecure toggle or startup-argument field. |
| Convenience | Requires locating the correct launch configuration and performing the restart yourself. | Usually a guided toggle followed by save and restart. |
| Security responsibility | You must control access, monitor players, and decide how to handle modified clients. | The provider supplies the infrastructure, but you still own the server’s player-access and moderation decisions. |
| Reproducibility | A versioned startup script makes the setting explicit and repeatable. | Behavior depends on the provider’s current panel and how it translates settings into launch arguments. |
Whichever model you use, document that VAC is intentionally disabled and record the reason. This prevents a later administrator from mistaking the setting for an accidental security failure.
Security measures after VAC is disabled
Because modified clients can connect, treat an insecure server as a higher-risk test environment.
- Restrict access. Use a private address, password, whitelist, firewall rule, or other access control appropriate to your setup.
- Limit the exposure period. Keep VAC disabled only for the test window that requires it, then remove the switch and restart.
- Use trusted administrators. Give moderation privileges only to people who need them and review who can join the test.
- Separate test and public environments. Do not use the same insecure instance for ordinary public play if you can run a dedicated test server.
- Watch server behavior. Review logs, unexpected crashes, addon changes, and unusual player activity while the protection is off.
- Keep the server and addons updated. VAC-off mode does not remove the need for current Garry’s Mod files, operating-system updates, and maintained addons.
These controls reduce exposure; they do not recreate VAC’s detection or enforcement. If the test no longer needs custom clients or incompatible addons, restore the secure launch configuration.
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How to verify and troubleshoot the change
The server still reports VAC or behaves as if the switch was ignored
- Confirm that the running process was stopped and restarted after the edit.
- Check the exact command used by the service or hosting panel. A different script, container, or service may be launching the server.
- Make sure the argument is spelled
-insecure, with the leading hyphen, and is not accidentally placed inside a quoted map name or another value. - If you use a managed host, verify that the Insecure option was saved before the restart.
- Check whether an automated deployment process rewrites startup arguments when the server updates or reboots.
The server will not start after editing the command
- Compare the new command with the last known working command and remove only the newly added switch to confirm that the edit is the cause.
- Check for missing spaces, unmatched quotation marks, or accidental deletion of
-game garrysmod, the map, or the gamemode argument. - Restore the saved original command, start the server, and then add
-insecureagain as a separate argument.
Players can connect, but the server is not private
-insecure does not make a server LAN-only or automatically restrict its audience. Configure access controls separately. If the intention is a LAN server, use the LAN setting at startup and understand that Facepunch describes sv_lan 1 as disabling authentication and limiting address types.
The panel has no Insecure option
Provider interfaces differ. Look for an advanced startup-arguments field or ask support whether the host permits -insecure. Do not edit unrelated settings in the hope that they disable VAC; the required behavior comes from the Source launch argument.
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How to turn VAC back on
- Stop the Garry’s Mod server.
- Remove
-insecurefrom the self-hosted launch command, service definition, or startup script. - On a managed host, turn off the Insecure option and save it.
- Start or restart the server using the normal secure configuration.
- Check the active startup configuration and test a normal client connection.
Keep the secure version of the command available as your default, and apply the insecure variant only when a specific test requires it.
Quick Recap
Key points to remember
-insecureis the Source dedicated-server launch parameter for running Garry’s Mod without VAC.- The change takes effect at startup, so edit the launch configuration and restart the server.
- Managed hosts may expose the same function through an Insecure toggle followed by save and restart.
- Disabling VAC allows modified clients to connect and increases the operator’s security and moderation burden.
sv_lan 1is LAN mode, not the normal VAC-disable switch.
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