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A reliable Left 4 Dead 2 dedicated server depends on two things: a correctly placed server.cfg and a launch command that actually loads it. The file controls the server name, passwords, public or LAN visibility, lobby behavior, map rotation, game modes, file checks, logging, and voice chat. This guide provides a safe baseline and explains which values must change for private groups, modded communities, or public internet play.
Where server.cfg goes and how it is loaded
Create a plain-text file named server.cfg in the server installation’s left4dead2/cfg/ directory. The complete relative path is:
left4dead2/cfg/server.cfgOn Windows, this is inside the folder where the dedicated server was installed. On GNU/Linux, it is inside the game directory used by your SteamCMD installation. The filename is case-sensitive on Linux, and it must end in .cfg, not .cfg.txt.
Loading is explicit. Start the server with +exec server.cfg; add a map and mode when you want a predictable first session:
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+exec server.cfg +map c1m1_hotel coopIf a setting appears to have no effect, first verify that the launch command targets the same installation containing the file. A second server directory, a different SteamCMD instance, or a startup script that omits +exec server.cfg can make a correct file look broken.
A safe baseline configuration
Save the following as a starting point. Change the password, hostname, access policy, and consistency options to match your community rather than copying every value blindly.
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// Identity and access
hostname "My L4D2 Server"
rcon_password "generate-a-long-unique-secret"
sv_password "" // Set a value for private play
// Public or LAN behavior
sv_lan 0
sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0
sv_pausable 0
// Rotation and mode policy
mapcyclefile "mapcycle.txt"
// Security and file consistency
sv_cheats 0
sv_consistency 1
// sv_pure 2 // Optional stricter file policy
// Logging
sv_logfile 1
sv_logbans 1
// Communication
sv_voiceenable 1
sv_alltalk 0The comments are valid configuration comments. Keep the RCON secret out of public screenshots, repositories, guides, and support tickets. Generate a long, unique value that is not reused for another service.
Identity and access settings
hostname
hostname is the name shown to players in the server browser and connection dialogs. Use a name that identifies the community or purpose without implying an access level the server does not enforce.
rcon_password
rcon_password protects remote console access. Anyone who obtains it may execute administrative commands, so it deserves a unique secret and restricted distribution. Do not confuse RCON authentication with the player password: RCON is for administration, while sv_password controls who may join.
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sv_password
An empty value, sv_password "", leaves the server open to players who can reach it. Set a non-empty value for a friends-only or event server:
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Public, LAN, and lobby-only behavior
Internet visibility with sv_lan
Use sv_lan 0 for the normal internet-facing dedicated-server configuration. LAN mode changes visibility and authentication behavior and is intended for a local network rather than ordinary public matchmaking.
sv_lan 0Choose sv_lan 1 only when you deliberately want a LAN server. If an internet server is unexpectedly invisible, checking this value is one of the first diagnostics.
Allowing direct connections
sv_allow_lobby_connect_only determines whether a matchmaking lobby is required. Set it to zero to permit direct connections:
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sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0With a value of 1, players are restricted to lobby-mediated joins. That can be useful for a controlled matchmaking workflow, but it prevents the direct-connect behavior many self-hosted communities expect. A public server that appears to work only when launched from a lobby should be checked for this setting.
Pausing
sv_pausable 0 prevents ordinary players from pausing the server. Set it to 1 only when your group has agreed on who may pause and how pauses are handled; otherwise an accidental pause can look like a frozen server.
Map rotation and game-mode selection
mapcyclefile
mapcyclefile names the text file used for multiplayer map rotation. The common default is:
mapcyclefile "mapcycle.txt"Keep the named file in the expected game directory and make sure its map names are valid for the installed content. A malformed or missing rotation file can leave the server on an unexpected map or prevent the intended sequence from being used.
Starting a map in a specific mode
The startup map command can set the initial mode. Include both the map and mode when the mode matters:
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+map c1m1_hotel coopDocumented mode values include coop, realism, versus, survival, scavenge, and holdout. The mode belongs in the launch or map command rather than being assumed from the last session. For example:
| Purpose | Example command | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op campaign | +map c1m1_hotel coop |
Starts the campaign map in co-op. |
| Realism campaign | +map c1m1_hotel realism |
Starts the map with realism rules. |
| Versus | +map c1m1_hotel versus |
Starts a versus session. |
| Survival | +map c1m1_hotel survival |
Starts survival mode on the selected map. |
| Scavenge | +map c1m1_hotel scavenge |
Starts scavenge mode where supported by the map. |
| Holdout | +map c1m1_hotel holdout |
Requests holdout mode where the installed build and content support it. |
Not every map is appropriate for every mode. If a command falls back to another mode or fails to create the expected session, verify that the map and mode combination is supported by the installed game content and any server-side modifications.
Security and file consistency
sv_cheats
Keep sv_cheats 0 on a normal public server. Enabling cheats changes gameplay and can permit commands that are unsuitable for an open community. Use a separate test instance when you need to investigate cheat-dependent behavior.
sv_consistency
sv_consistency controls whether clients with mismatched files are accepted. A value of 1 is a deliberate vanilla-oriented baseline, but modded communities may need a different policy. Changing it can affect custom campaigns, skins, scripts, and other content, so announce the rule to players and test the exact collection of files you intend to support.
sv_pure
sv_pure applies a stricter file policy when enabled. The baseline leaves it commented so the operator must choose consciously:
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// sv_pure 2Uncommenting a strict value may improve consistency for an unmodified server while rejecting client files required by a modded community. There is no universally correct value: decide whether vanilla integrity or custom content compatibility is the priority, then test a clean client and the clients using your approved mods.
Logging and voice communication
Operational and ban logs
sv_logfile 1 enables server information logging, and sv_logbans 1 records bans. Keeping both enabled gives administrators an audit trail when diagnosing crashes, connection disputes, or moderation actions. Confirm that the process has permission to write its log directory and rotate or archive logs so a long-running server does not exhaust disk space.
Voice settings
sv_voiceenable 1 enables in-game voice. With sv_alltalk 0, voice remains restricted by team where the game mode uses teams. Set sv_alltalk 1 only when you intentionally want players on opposing teams to hear one another:
| Setting | Value | Effect |
|---|---|---|
sv_voiceenable |
1 |
Voice chat enabled. |
sv_voiceenable |
0 |
Voice chat disabled. |
sv_alltalk |
0 |
Uses team-restricted voice behavior. |
sv_alltalk |
1 |
Allows voice across team boundaries. |
Networking rates and the tickrate warning
Do not advertise a reliable 100-tick L4D2 server simply by adding -tickrate 100. Valve Developer Community guidance says the -tickrate command-line parameter is unavailable in newer builds of several Source games, including Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, and was disabled because changing tickrate could create timing problems. Treat that switch as unavailable unless the exact build you operate documents otherwise.
The same guidance identifies sv_minrate and sv_maxrate as controls for limiting client-requested data rates. Rate values are deployment-specific: bandwidth, hosting capacity, player count, and the server build all matter. Set and validate them for your environment rather than copying a number presented as a universal performance guarantee. The available documentation does not establish a benchmarked latency or player-capacity improvement for any particular rate.
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The documented SteamCMD setup uses application ID 222860. Installation paths differ between Windows and GNU/Linux, but the important deployment relationship is the same: the executable, the left4dead2 directory, cfg/server.cfg, and the startup script must belong to the same instance.
- Install or update the dedicated-server files with SteamCMD application ID
222860. - Open the installed game directory and create
left4dead2/cfg/server.cfgif it does not already exist. - Paste the baseline configuration, replace the RCON secret, and choose the password, consistency, voice, and mode policies.
- Save the file as plain text and verify that the operating system did not append an extra extension.
- Launch the server with
+exec server.cfg; add+mapand the desired mode when a deterministic start is required. - Check the console output and log files for parse errors, missing maps, permission failures, or evidence that a different installation was launched.
Port selection and firewall or router rules are outside server.cfg, but they determine whether an otherwise correct internet server can be reached. Open and forward the ports required by your deployment, then test from a network that is not the same LAN. A local test can succeed even when external clients are blocked.
Quick Recap
Configuration choices by server type
| Decision | Public community | Private group | Modded community |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet or LAN | sv_lan 0 |
sv_lan 0 for remote friends; LAN mode only for a local network |
sv_lan 0 unless the server is strictly local |
| Join path | sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0 for direct joins |
Direct joins plus a non-empty sv_password |
Direct joins unless the community intentionally requires lobbies |
| Cheats | sv_cheats 0 |
Usually 0; use a separate test server for cheats |
Keep 0 unless the server’s rules explicitly require otherwise |
| Consistency | Document a vanilla-oriented policy | Choose for the group’s installed content | Test sv_consistency and sv_pure against every approved mod |
| Voice | Voice enabled, team-only by default | Choose team-only or cross-team voice by agreement | Document whether cross-team communication is part of the mod’s rules |
Troubleshooting: when a setting appears not to work
The server starts with old values
- Confirm the file is exactly
left4dead2/cfg/server.cfgunder the active installation. - Confirm the launch command contains
+exec server.cfgand is not pointing to another game directory. - Check for spelling errors, unmatched quotation marks, or a second command later in the startup script that overrides the value.
- Restart the server after editing; do not assume an already running map has re-read every startup setting.
Players cannot connect directly
- Set
sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0. - For an internet server, verify
sv_lan 0. - Check firewall, router forwarding, host port selection, and whether external testing is being performed from outside the LAN.
- If the server is private, confirm that the player is using the current
sv_password.
The wrong mode or map starts
- Put the intended
+mapand mode in the actual launch command. - Check that
mapcyclefilenames the rotation file you edited. - Verify map spelling and that the selected mode is supported by the installed content.
Players are rejected after enabling consistency
- Determine whether the client has custom files that conflict with the server policy.
- For a modded community, test a documented
sv_consistencyorsv_purepolicy rather than disabling checks without understanding the trade-off. - Use the server log to correlate the rejection with a file or content mismatch.
Final pre-publication checklist
- The file is saved at
left4dead2/cfg/server.cfgin the active installation. hostnameidentifies the server andrcon_passwordis unique and private.sv_passwordmatches the intended public or private access policy.sv_lan 0is set for normal internet hosting.sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0is set when direct connections are required.mapcyclefilepoints to the rotation file you actually maintain.- The launch command includes
+exec server.cfgand, when needed,+mapplus a mode. sv_cheats 0is retained for ordinary public play.- Consistency and pure-file rules have been tested with the clients and mods you support.
sv_logfile 1andsv_logbans 1are enabled and writable.- Voice and cross-team communication settings match the server rules.
- Firewall, router, and host-port settings have been tested from an external network.
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