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Launch the Source dedicated server with the -insecure parameter. For example: srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct -insecure. On a managed host, stop the server, enable its Insecure setting, save, and restart. The switch disables Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC), so use it only when you understand that modified clients can connect.
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What the -insecure option does
-insecure is a Source dedicated-server launch parameter. Valve’s Source Dedicated Server documentation defines it as starting the server without Valve Anti-Cheat. In Garry’s Mod, that means VAC is not applied to clients joining that server instance. It is a server-side startup setting, not a Garry’s Mod console command that can be safely toggled during a live session.
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The option is useful for controlled testing, addon development, private environments, or custom clients that cannot connect while VAC is enabled. It also removes an important protection from a public server. Shockbyte’s Garry’s Mod documentation, published November 9, 2024, warns that disabling VAC creates security risks because players using modified clients can connect.
Adding the flag does not make a server private, convert it to LAN mode, or bypass Steam authentication by itself. It simply tells the Source server to run without VAC.
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Disable VAC on a self-hosted server
Use this procedure when you start srcds yourself, through a shell script, a Windows shortcut, a Linux service, a container entrypoint, or another process manager.
- Stop the server. Shut down the running Garry’s Mod instance cleanly. Do not edit a startup command while the old process is still running and expect the current map to inherit the change.
- Find the actual startup definition. Locate the script, service file, shortcut, scheduled task, container command, or control-panel field that launches
srcds. The relevant line normally contains-game garrysmodplus map, gamemode, and other options. - Add
-insecureto the launch arguments. Keep the existing Garry’s Mod arguments. A Windows example is:srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct -insecure - Save the startup definition. If you use a service manager, save the unit or service configuration and apply its normal reload procedure before starting the server. If you use a script, preserve its quoting, line breaks, environment variables, and existing tickrate or port options.
- Start the server again. The parameter must be present when the Source server process starts. Adding it to a running console, or placing it in a configuration file that is read after startup, does not provide the same result.
- Check the startup state. Review the server console and the connection behavior for an insecure-server indication. This article does not claim a particular console line because output varies by Source build, host, and launch wrapper.
Example startup layouts
The exact command differs by operating system and installation path. The important part is that -insecure is an argument to the srcds process, alongside the normal Garry’s Mod parameters.
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-insecureto the existingsrcds.exeline. - Linux shell script: append
-insecureto the command that invokessrcds_runor the server binary. - Service manager: add
-insecureto the service’s executable argument list, then reload the service definition and restart it. - Container or game-server wrapper: add the flag to the startup-parameter field or entrypoint rather than to an addon configuration file.
Facepunch’s dedicated-server guide describes installing Garry’s Mod with SteamCMD app ID 4020 and launching it through srcds with command-line parameters. That is the context in which -insecure is added: it belongs to the server launch command, not to the SteamCMD installation command.
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Disable VAC from a managed hosting panel
Hosting interfaces use different menus and labels, but the documented workflow is consistent when a provider exposes this control:
- Stop the Garry’s Mod server from the provider panel.
- Open the Garry’s Mod server settings or configuration page.
- Find the setting labeled Insecure and enable it.
- Save the change.
- Restart the server.
Use the provider’s exact label if it differs. Some panels expose raw startup parameters instead of a checkbox; in that case, add -insecure to the server’s launch arguments. Do not assume every host offers the toggle or places it under the same menu. If the option is absent, ask the provider whether custom startup parameters are supported.
Self-hosting and managed hosting compared
| Consideration | Self-hosted server | Managed host |
|---|---|---|
| Control | You edit the command, script, service, or container that starts srcds. |
You use the provider’s settings page or startup-parameter field. |
| Convenience | Requires access to the machine and a manual edit followed by a restart. | Usually a guided toggle followed by save and restart. |
| Security responsibility | You must control access, monitor players, and manage the consequences of running without VAC. | You still control server policy, while the provider supplies the panel and infrastructure. |
| Reproducibility | The startup script or service file records the exact flag and is easy to reproduce on another machine. | Reproduction depends on the provider’s interface, saved settings, and any wrapper-generated command. |
-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 it is applied |
|---|---|---|
-insecure |
Starts the Source server without Valve Anti-Cheat. | Add it to the srcds launch command or enable the host’s Insecure option, then restart. |
sv_lan 1 |
Runs the server in LAN mode. Facepunch describes this as a LAN server with no authentication and no non-class-C addresses. | Set it before startup, normally as +sv_lan 1 in the launch command, when a LAN-only server is intended. |
A public server that needs VAC disabled should use -insecure, not sv_lan 1. A LAN server should use the LAN setting because its networking and authentication behavior are different. You can technically configure both, but doing so creates a LAN-mode server without VAC; it does not turn a public server into a normal VAC-disabled server.
Why server.cfg can be too late for LAN mode
The Garry’s Mod command-line documentation states that sv_lan 1 must be set before the server starts or a changelevel is required. A value placed only in server.cfg is read too late for that startup requirement. Use +sv_lan 1 at launch when LAN mode is the goal. This timing rule reinforces the broader principle: launch-only behavior belongs in the startup arguments, not in a configuration file that loads afterward.
When disabling VAC makes sense
Running without VAC can be appropriate in a narrow, controlled situation:
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- Addon or script testing: You need to test code without VAC-related connection restrictions.
- Custom client development: A development client or modified build must connect to a private test server.
- Closed development environments: The server is limited to trusted testers and is not advertised as a protected public game.
- Compatibility troubleshooting: You are isolating whether VAC participation is related to a connection problem.
For a public community server, disabling VAC should be treated as a deliberate security trade-off, not as a routine performance or configuration tweak. Players using modified clients can connect, and the server operator becomes more responsible for access control and moderation.
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Security and administration after VAC is disabled
VAC is only one layer of a server’s defenses. If you disable it, compensate with controls that match the server’s audience and purpose.
- Restrict access when possible. Use a password, whitelist, private Steam group, or other access control for development and testing servers.
- Limit administrative privileges. Give staff only the permissions they need, and review who can execute powerful server commands.
- Keep backups. Back up the server configuration, addon list, maps, and any persistent data before testing untrusted content or allowing unfamiliar clients.
- Monitor activity. Watch logs, player reports, unusual command use, and unexpected changes to files or settings.
- Separate environments. Keep an insecure test instance separate from a public production instance so experimental addons and modified clients cannot affect the community server.
- Restore protection when testing ends. Remove
-insecureor disable the panel’s Insecure setting, then restart the server to return to the normal VAC-enabled launch.
Troubleshooting
The server still appears VAC-protected
- Confirm that you edited the command used by the process that actually starts the server. Hosts often have separate commands for different instances.
- Check that the spelling is exactly
-insecure, with a leading hyphen, and that it was not placed inside a map name, gamemode value, or quoted argument. - Stop the old process completely before restarting. A wrapper may leave an earlier instance running while a new command fails.
- If you use a managed panel, verify that the setting was saved before the restart and that the panel did not overwrite custom arguments.
- Inspect the current startup command or service definition rather than relying only on an old console transcript.
Players cannot connect after the change
- Check whether the server was accidentally started with
+sv_lan 1. LAN mode is not the normal public VAC-disabled configuration. - Verify the server’s address, port, firewall, and router forwarding independently of VAC. The
-insecureflag does not configure network reachability. - Ensure the server is running the intended Garry’s Mod installation and map. A failed launch can leave the previous instance or a different profile visible.
- Test with the same client and network conditions you used before the change, then review the server console for a specific connection error.
The panel has no Insecure option
Provider interfaces are not standardized. Look for an advanced startup-parameter field, command-line editor, or configuration template. If none exists, contact the provider and ask whether -insecure can be added to the Garry’s Mod launch command. Do not place the text in an addon file or server.cfg and assume it will alter VAC.
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The server was made insecure accidentally
- Stop the server.
- Remove
-insecurefrom the startup command, or turn off the panel’s Insecure setting. - Save the configuration.
- Restart the server.
- Check the new startup state and review who connected while VAC was disabled.
How to verify the setting without guessing
Verification should be based on the instance that is currently running, not on an edited file alone. First, confirm that the process was restarted with the modified arguments. Next, read the startup console for the server’s own insecure-status indication, if one is displayed. Finally, check the server listing or connection behavior from a client and compare it with the server’s documented state.
Do not infer that VAC is disabled merely because an addon loads, a client connects, or a panel shows a saved checkbox. Those events do not prove which launch arguments the active process received. If the panel generates the command behind the scenes, its current startup or console view is the authoritative place to inspect.
Returning to a normal VAC-enabled server
To re-enable VAC, reverse the same change: remove -insecure from a self-hosted launch command or disable the managed host’s Insecure toggle, save, and restart. Leave sv_lan 1 out unless the server is intentionally LAN-only. A restart is required because the VAC choice is made when the Source server starts.
Quick Recap
Quick decision checklist
- Need a public server with VAC turned off? Add
-insecureat startup. - Using a hosting panel? Stop the server, enable Insecure, save, and restart.
- Need a LAN-only server? Use
+sv_lan 1at launch; it is not a VAC switch. - Testing untrusted clients or addons? Prefer a separate, access-controlled instance.
- Finished testing? Remove
-insecureand restart to restore VAC.
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