An annoying item (to me and maybe others) from the last dod: update is the Steam Networking tick box in the “Create Server” Panel.

This article describes the annoyance and there is a download for this plus how that was done.

The Half-Life 1 25th Anniversary update also installed this in Nov 2023.

Sharing your local server with a friend used to be a problem, with the new update it's very easy.

But that also brings annoyance to others.

INDEX

The annoyance issue with Steam Networking

Who does this default state of a ticked "Use Steam Networking" tick box affect?

• If you use Listenservers (games on your local PC with bots) most of the time it can be an issue if... you don't want visitors
• or...
• If you mostly use on-line servers this will not annoy you...as you almost never use that panel...

The default state - ticked

What that ticked box means is you are sharing your IP address with Steam and others (depending on a command setting)

Others can join your local game, come in, make repulsive unwanted remarks in chat (like the “n” word) with one visitor who came in after I forgot to un-tick the box....

Your local "private" server is in the "Internet" tab of the "Find Servers" panel

Hold on there are settings for that in Steam Settings.

There are other adjustments are in the Steam settings under Steam > Settings > In Game > Steam Networking

Steam > Settings > In Game > Steam Networking

Click that “Steam Networking” link it takes you here.

Sure… you can set either of those four options.

However, even on “Never” I found a “visitor” came in my server when I was very busy looking at commands.

I was not happy. Checking later I was still on “Never” but I still had a visitor.

To me that is actually a bug.

So how do we un-tick this annoying “feature” ? Two ways below.

Commands for Steam Networking.

The command to disable this tickbox is...

sv_use_steam_networking "0"  (Default "1")

After that the box will be unticked.

• It will not save in config.cfg just putting that in console.
• It is better to place that in a autoexec.cfg file 

The "autoexec.cfg" file is better placed in dod\custom folder so it is never destroyed in a update or verifying files action.

To save you the hassle of making one I you can download a copy of what I made here.

All it has is that one command and setting above turned off, you can of course add many more commands, binds and scripts in that file.

Here is one "cut and paste" version to consider from bulletlottery, go through each one and grab the ones you what.

Custom HUD file method

Lets say you want to do this in a custom GUI or HUD mod.

Why, well it doesn't have to have the command and really I only put this here for a lesson of GUI editing or to show another option for those that have custom GUI and HUD's that also need a example of tick boxes and how they work.

The file the panel uses is - Createmultiplayergameserverpage.res

The file that controls this tickbox is found in…
YOUR DRIVE YOUR FOLDER\steamapps\common\Day of Defeat Source\hl2\resource

To change that and place the file in dod:s has various ways

• No custom files? Place that file in dod\custom\<somefoldername>\resource
• Got a custom HUD? Place that file in dod\custom\<customHUDname>\resource
• Or just stick it in dod\resource (not recommended for custom files)

Editing the file
You can do lots of things in these .res file types in the GUI and HUD areas.
In this case we will fix an annoying “feature” from the 19th February 2025 update to source games.

Open the file.
Using a good text editor (like Notepad++ or even Notepad) go to the section labelled “EnableSteamNetworkingCheck”

 
	}
	"EnableSteamNetworkingCheck"
	{
		"ControlName"		"CheckButton"
		"fieldName"		"EnableSteamNetworkingCheck"
		"xpos"		"16"
		"ypos"		"50"
		"wide"		"200"
		"tall"		"24"
		"autoResize"		"0"
		"pinCorner"		"0"
		"visible"		"1"
		"enabled"		"1"
		"tabPosition"		"5"
		"textHidden"		"0"
		"editable"		"0"
		"maxchars"		"-1"
		"NumericInputOnly"		"0"
		"unicode"		"0"
		"labelText" "#Start_Server_SteamNetworking"
		"selected"		"0"  // added to make the tickbox unticked as standard.
	}
}

Add the "selected"    "0"  line to the bottom.

This will make the default state of the tick...un-ticked.

That line was missing and defaults to "1" when not included.

After the change the “Steam Networking” tick box will always be un-ticked as standard, you still have the option to tick it.

The default state of the tick has now changed to OFF

A security issue with Sourcemod plugins

There are certain plugins that can be a issue if... you run SourceMod on your Listen Server then place your server on-line via Steam Networking.

I will not name them but if you are not using the normal method of adding admins as listed here, then someone could gain access to your admin panel and do some real damage.

You should check your admin access and be careful what you place on-line.

Please contact me if you need help with that possible security issue.