I thought the community might appreciate some links, all posted in one topic, to sites which provide programs or features to enhance your server. If I've missed any feel free to reply and I'll edit the master list.

1. PsychoStats2: Great stats proggy with terrific support. Mysql db required.

2. AMX Mod X: A final release, it is a versatile Half-Life metamod plugin which is targetted toward server administration. It has a wide array of scripting capabilities so people can write "plugins", or files which add on to a mod's functionality.

3. Admin Mod: A Metamod plugin that allows you to administer your Half-Life server while playing the game from your client console. Multiple administrators with different permissions can be set up. Not nearly as popular in the NS community as the above, nor as customizeable.

4. modNS.org Forums: A wonderful community where you can download and discuss various AdminMod, AMX/X, and Metamod plugins.

5. Brys NS Maps: A super collection of custom maps and more.

6. HLSW: Server monitoring tool, a must have.

7. Metamod: Required if you want to run administrative, anti-cheat, or bot programs on your server.

8. RCBots: Marine and alien artificial intelligence bots.

9. Whichbot: Aliens only artificial intelligence bots.

10. United Admins Cheating Death: Cheating Death is what you need as NS has no VAC support.

11. WS_FTP95: An exceptional tool for uploading files to your server, AND it's free!

12. AdminOP: EntMod, HookMod, RadioMod - Half-Life server-side modifications.

13. ServerDoc: Will start a program and check the program is still running every five seconds (default) and restart the program if required (if its crashed or closed) on Win95/98/2000/ME/NT & XP systems.

14. FireDaemon: A utility that allows you to install and run virtually any native Win32 application or script (eg. BAT/CMD, Perl, Java, Python, TCL/TK) as a Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 & Longhorn service. Often used to restart crashed Windows servers.

15. HLDS Guides for Newbies by Vadakill: A well written tutorial on Half-Life Dedicated Servers.

16. Clanmod: A tool for Half-Life modifications like Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Natural Selection, or Team Fortress Classic which helps to administrate your server with minimal usage of console commands.

17. RCON and Natural-Selection CVAR Guide: An excellent reference written by Bry.

18. Steam Game Server Status Monitor: An innovative tool for Steam game server administrators. It is an independent software application which specializes in individual server monitoring for Steam Powered game servers.

19. HiveMinD: Alien AI for Natural Selection. *no longer supported: 09-23-06*

20. Steam Forums: Windows Dedicated Server

21. Steam Forums: Linux Dedicated Server

22. Mods Maps & Models for NS An alternative to modNS.org featuring plugins, maps, models, and more for NS. (currently redirected)

23. Tweaks To Win32 HLDS Tweaks affecting performance on the level of HLDS' player interpolation by increasing uninterrupted work time done by the server, and thus producing apparent smoother player actions.

24. number-7.com The Premier Natural Selection Custom Map Archive.

25. Outpost Firewall Free basic firewall protection.

26. HackerWatch Anti-Hacker Community: Simple probes and port scans.

27. #nsserver on Gamesurge.net: Live support via IRC for Windows and Linux server ops.

I'm probably gonna get raped for posting this, but if you want to have some fun:
adminop.net plugins
(Not recommended for normal play.)

Funny plugin, you can copy & move around entities. (EntMod)

/me votes for sticky

Concise, informative, centralised.

Here's a question: how do you get HLSW to work? I've never found an instruction manual for it.

Thread updated. Thanks BlueNovember!

This post is really good for those wanting quick links to all things required to get an NS server up and running. Great post! Should be *PINNED*

I am researching more links as I sit here ... ... ... another 4 links posted.

Anyone have a good link regarding the use of RCON?

I don't suggest using it...basically everything with rcon can be done through the amx_rcon command (or similar for adminmod). As I understand, rcon access and remote rcon, etc. are a security risk to the server.

I haven't looked at it extensively, but I believe all you need is to set:
rcon_password "password" on the server, and then on the client when in game (same thing, rcon_password "password")
then type everything with "rcon <command>"

I believe that's all...let me test.

Here is a link to one page I found. It's not on the steampowered site it seems...weird.

*EDIT* Use bry's, his is better!

ive got a rcon guide (including security) iw rote available here:
http://www.brywright.co.uk/articles/17.html

My vote again...

PIN THIS TOPIC!

Any tweaking guides or tutorials applying to Linux servers.

Pretty sure Vadakill will post some things...go to his page, he has some guides there about tweaking the kernels and such

Ok i have RC bot but i cant get the conlse to open. How do I get the conlse running so i can type in commands?

just a little bump as all those with new 3.0 servers should take alook at this

I'd like to add some references to cpu monitoring tools, ones that measure temperature and cpu usage. Any suggestions?

zCPU (don't have a link, google it).

And if you have an ASUS board, use ASUS Probe (Comes on the cd, probably can dl it form the asus site).

Ok, heres the deal, I went through the Vadakill setup thing. Its all there, I created the batch file, did everything TO THE LETTER, like it says. But when I run the batch file that SHOULD start the server, it tries but gets no where. I'm not sure what the deal is, so if anyone has even the SLIGHTEST idea let me know. I see the window pop up that should start the server, but it just keeps closing before I can even see what it says. If anyone thinks they can help I can tell you exactly what I did to set it all up.


Im not even attempting to add any plugins or mods until I acctually get the damn server running, I'm going to review the vadakill setup thing again check my steps, then try a restart. Wish me luck

Hey depot, I was reading one of the threads on modNS and someone asked about serverdoc. And you put up the path you use, When I run serverdoc for my stuff, it doesn't "check" every 5 seconds. Every 5 seconds it tries to start the program again, even while I'm staring at the screen its running in. Is it because I have y path set to the batch file? Would it make my life 6000000 times easier to set the path as the dedicated server in the steam apps folder?
Also, in order to run the dedictaed server through steam, do I have to start steam up BEFORE I tell serverdoc to run it?

@minitroupe: You've asked some very good questions but as I already stated I do not use a batch file. I also do not run my hlds from the Steam directory.

Create an hlds seperate from Steam and set your ServerDoc up like I showed you. There are many good tutorials on how to create a hlds, including Vadakill's listed above.

The purpose of this thread is to provide as many links as possible in one location so server ops may find what they need all in one place. Kindly place any technical questions in the appropriate forum or go to #nsserver on IRC.

http://www.primeelement.com/ - Steam Game Server Status Monitor

More specifically - http://www.primeelement.com/information.php?topic=sgssm

***

Steam Game Server Status Monitor (or SGSSM) is an innovative tool for Steam game server administrators. This utility allows users to keep an eye on a server remotely, in a small, conveniently designed window. Server statistics are displayed in real-time, and at an interval of your choosing. SGSSM can also function in the background. When minimized, the software moves itself into the system tray to save valuable desktop and taskbar space, all the while using sound cues to indicate the status of the specified server.

SGSSM also provides complete game joining and RCON client abilities. The joining mechanism auto-detects the server's game or modification, and connects the Steam client accordingly. If a server is locked and no password has been previously specified, SGSSM will request one prior to joining. The RCON client supports all known RCON commands, as well as logaddress recognition, in which server logs may be redirected to a specific IP address for remote logging. These logs can then be displayed in the Remote Console window.

Please be aware that SGSSM isn't a server browsing utility. It is an independent software application which specializes in individual server monitoring for Steam Powered game servers.

Notes: Version 2 and above now supports the Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source communication protocols. Both server monitoring and RCON capabilities are now available for these Steam games. Undocumented command line options include: -monitor <ip:port>, and -rcon <password>.

***

Nice proggy BloodBall - I was unaware this existed. Added to the master list.

Worth noting: AMX Mod X 1.01 Released with new NS module.

indeed iw as unaware of this tool too

More clickies added.

i guess you could say rcon is "insecure" in that the password is transmitted to the server in plain text (as far as I know at least), so if someone was packetsniffing they could get the password
but beyond that its not
and yes you just have to set rcon_password, and then do rcon "command"
quite usefull to bind a key to put you rcon password in, as it sometimes doesnt reset after a map change
and as far as rcon being "dangerous", you can do way more damage to a system with amx than you ever could with rcon

anyone know what's up with HLSW over the past few days?

it won't allow me to "get log (internet)" because it "can't detect your internet ip address"

is this because the HLSW site(s) are down?

if so, anyone know an IRC contact or anything or any info on when it will be up again?

He means actually sending the packet.

In an RCON packet it has something like:

rcon "password" command

Your password is sent as clear text, and therefor packetsniffers can catch the password.

A bump for Depot

Well deserved bump.

where that **** **** cunt**** custom loading music wt replaces ur gamestartup music when connecting to server, where does it even come. it should be banned coz its or they are just annonying except in crackhouse whers that arab style ambience thingy

i just cant understand a **** about it. its just flipping ****

i'm amazed nobody brought up the new metamod, not just the old, neways heres the link

http://metamod-p.sourceforge.net/

Another remote access program, The Overlord.

You can control up to five servers at a time remotely. I find this one very useful for my server running.

Here's a better option for restarting your server when it crashes - better than Serverdoc as far as I am concerned, for a few reasons, not the least of which you don't have to "donate" if you don't want to have to download a new version every month.

(mEAn) ServerLoader

I don't mind downloading the update every few weeks, it's a minor inconvenience. ServerDoc pwnz.

Don't tell anyone Bry, but I live on a pension and I can find better ways to spend $11.00.