Step 1 – Verify PufferPanel Works

Your server’s IP address and root password are shown in the Server Information section on the Overview tab of your server in the client portal. The CS2 Panel Admin Email and CS2 Panel Password you entered when ordering are shown in the CS2 Credentials card on the same tab. The panel is already accessible by IP address. Open your browser and go to:

https://your.server.ip

PufferPanel login:

• Email: the e-mail address you entered when ordering (it is your panel login)
• Password: the CS2 Panel Password you set when ordering (shown in the CS2 Credentials card on the Overview tab of your server)

CS2 server settings (generated for your server):

• RCON password – for remote server management from the game console

The panel opens over HTTPS with a certificate issued for your server address, so no browser warning appears. If your server is not reachable from the internet on port 80, the certificate cannot be issued and the browser shows a warning for a self-signed certificate – accept it and log in. You will see your CS2 Server in the server list. All credentials are also saved on the server in /root/.cs2_credentials.

For the first minute after the server is created the panel answers 403 Forbidden and SFTP does not accept connections: both stay closed until your login and password from the order are applied, so nobody can get in with a temporary password. Wait a minute and reload.

If you placed the server behind a VyOS router on a private network, forward ports 22 (SSH), 443 (PufferPanel), 5657 (SFTP) and 27015 TCP and UDP (CS2 game traffic) to the server on the router’s Configuration tab (Port forwarding). The UDP port is essential – without it, players cannot connect. Behind the router the server has only a private address, so it does not get the IP certificate, so PufferPanel shows a browser warning – accept it, or forward port 80 as well and set up a domain pointed to the router’s public address (Step 5).

Firewall. If you turn on the Firewall for this server in the client portal, allow incoming TCP port 80 in its rules, along with 443 (PufferPanel) and the game ports listed above. Certificates renew over port 80 – the IP certificate every few days – and without that rule the certificate expires and the browser starts showing a warning.

Step 2 – Start the Server and Connect

Once the installation is complete, click Start in PufferPanel to launch the CS2 server. Open CS2 on your computer, press ` (tilde) to open the console, and type:

connect your.server.ip:27015

If you set a server password in server.cfg (sv_password):

connect your.server.ip:27015; password yourpassword

Step 3 – Using PufferPanel

PufferPanel provides everything you need to manage your CS2 server:

• Console – live server output and command input. Type CS2 commands directly (e.g. changelevel de_mirage, status)
• Files – browse and edit server files in the browser. Edit game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg to change server name, passwords, and game settings
• Settings – change game mode, default map, and max players
• SFTP – upload files using an SFTP client (port 5657)

Step 4 – Get a GSLT Token (Optional)

A Game Server Login Token (GSLT) is required for your server to appear in the public server browser. Without it, players can only connect via the direct IP address.

1. Go to steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers
2. Log in with your Steam account
3. Enter App ID 730 and a memo (e.g. “My CS2 Server”)
4. Copy the token and add it to server.cfg via PufferPanel File Manager:

sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN

Restart the server in PufferPanel for the change to take effect.

Step 5 – Configure Domain and SSL (Optional)

To access PufferPanel via your own domain with a trusted SSL certificate:

1. Create an A record in your DNS settings pointing your domain to the server IP
2. Wait for DNS propagation
3. Connect via SSH and run:

/opt/setup/get-ssl.sh your-domain.com

After completion, PufferPanel is available at https://your-domain.com.

Workshop Maps

Load custom maps from the Steam Workshop. In the PufferPanel console, type:

host_workshop_map WORKSHOP_MAP_ID

For a workshop map collection:

host_workshop_collection COLLECTION_ID

Find map IDs on the Steam Workshop – the ID is the number at the end of the workshop URL.

RCON Commands

You can also manage the server from inside CS2. Press ` to open the console:

rcon_password your_rcon_password
rcon changelevel de_mirage
rcon mp_maxrounds 30
rcon status
rcon kick playerName

Server Configuration

The main configuration file is game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg. Edit it via PufferPanel File Manager. Common settings:

After editing, restart the server in PufferPanel for changes to take effect.

Fail2Ban – Brute-Force Protection

Your server comes with Fail2Ban pre-configured to protect SSH from brute-force attacks.

Useful commands:

# Check banned IPs
fail2ban-client status sshd

# Unban an IP
fail2ban-client set sshd unbanip 1.2.3.4

If you accidentally lock yourself out, open the Console on your server’s Overview tab in the client portal and unban your IP.

Service Management

Day-to-day CS2 server actions happen in PufferPanel. For the panel itself and stack services:

# PufferPanel service
systemctl status pufferpanel
systemctl restart pufferpanel
journalctl -u pufferpanel -f

# Nginx reverse proxy
systemctl status nginx
systemctl reload nginx

Software Included

• PufferPanel Documentation: docs.pufferpanel.com
• Valve CS2 Server Docs: developer.valvesoftware.com
• Steam GSLT Management: steamcommunity.com
• CS2 Steam Workshop: steamcommunity.com