This guide will help you connect to your Counter-Strike 1.6 dedicated server. Works with both Steam and non-Steam clients, including Christmas Edition servers.
The classic way to join any CS server.
Open Counter-Strike 1.6 from Steam or your games folder.
Press the tilde key (~) to open the developer console. If it doesn't open, enable it in Options > Keyboard > Advanced > Enable Developer Console.
Type the connect command with your server IP:
If your server has a password:
Press Enter and you'll connect to your server. Custom maps will download automatically.
Add your server to favorites for quick access.
From the main menu, click "Find Servers" to open the server browser.
Click the "Favorites" tab at the top of the server browser.
Right-click in the server list and select "Add server by IP". Enter your server address: 123.45.67.89:27015
Double-click your server to connect, or select it and click "Connect".
If you created a Christmas Edition server, it works exactly the same way! Connect using the same IP and port. You'll see festive snow maps and holiday decorations once you join. No special client needed.
Make sure your server is online in the NordHost dashboard. If using Smart Sleep, the server may need 60 seconds to wake up after your first connection attempt.
Go to Options > Keyboard > Advanced and check "Enable Developer Console". Then press ~ to open it.
If custom map downloads are slow, the server has fast download (FastDL) enabled. Large maps may take a moment. Be patient or ask the server admin about direct download links.
Make sure you're running a compatible CS 1.6 version. Both Steam and non-Steam clients should work, but they need to be the standard 1.6 version.
Use the password command before connecting: password yourpassword then connect ip:port. Or enter it when prompted.