No. You keep your host and your server. Traffic reaches Sterile first and is delivered to your server over a GRE tunnel, so the only thing that changes for players is the address they connect to.
What hits Garry's Mod servers
What gets thrown at a public Garry's Mod server, and what happens to it behind Sterile.
- Floods aimed at your IP
- UDP and amplification floods big enough to fill your host's uplink are filtered on our network. Your server's real address stays hidden, so nobody can aim around us.
- Server-browser query floods
- Spoofed A2S queries can bury a Source server and use it to reflect traffic at others. The A2S challenge answers the server browser without letting fake requests through.
- Join pressure
- Floods of connection attempts that never become players are filtered before they reach the server, so real players can still join.
- RCON on the same port number
- Source RCON listens on TCP 27015. With a rule only for UDP, it is not reachable on the protected IP at all.
Premade protection for every Garry's Mod port
Every port a Garry's Mod server uses has a premade profile, tuned for that traffic. In the dashboard you pick the port and its profile from a list; there are no filter rules to write. Traffic to a port you have not added does not reach your server.
ServicePortIts premade profile handles
- Game and Steam queryOr the -port you start the server withPlayers joining, playing and the server browser27015 UDP
Leave RCON (TCP 27015) without a rule, so it is not reachable on the protected IP. Reach it over SSH or a VPN instead.
Set up in a few minutes
Download the installer from the dashboard and run it as root on the Linux server that hosts Garry's Mod. It brings up the GRE tunnel; then add a rule for UDP 27015 and give players the Sterile IP. Add your SSH port to a profile first, or the install can cut your session.
root@your-server
# ./installer.sh --install
_____________________ ______ ______ _ _______________ ______ ____ __ __
/ ___/_ __/ ____/ __ \/ _/ / / ____/ / | / / ____/_ __/ | / / __ \/ __ \/ //_/
\__ \ / / / __/ / /_/ // // / / __/ / |/ / __/ / / | | /| / / / / / /_/ / ,<
___/ // / / /___/ _, _// // /___/ /___ / /| / /___ / / | |/ |/ / /_/ / _, _/ /| |
/____//_/ /_____/_/ |_/___/_____/_____/ /_/ |_/_____/ /_/ |__/|__/\____/_/ |_/_/ |_|
https://sterile.network
[sterile] Starting sterile GRE tunnel installer for EDGE_ID=1042
==============================================================
IMPORTANT BEFORE CONTINUING
==============================================================
Before installing this tunnel, go to your dashboard:
1) Open the tunnel IP profiles section.
2) Add a TCP profile for port 22 (SSH) using one of your SSH profiles.
3) Open any other ports/profiles you need before running this installer.
If you skip this, your current SSH session can be interrupted during setup.
==============================================================
Type YES to confirm you configured profiles/ports and want to continue: YES
[sterile] Detected init system: systemd
[sterile] Configuring sysctl (persist -> /etc/sysctl.d/99-sterile-tunnel.conf)
[sterile] Applying sysctl from /etc/sysctl.d/99-sterile-tunnel.conf
[OK] Applying sysctl from /etc/sysctl.d/99-sterile-tunnel.conf
[sterile] systemd-networkd not active; skipping foreign-route persistence hardening
[sterile] Ensuring GRE kernel modules are loadable (persist -> /etc/modules-load.d/sterile_tunnel.conf)
[sterile] Loading module ip_gre
[OK] Loading module ip_gre
[sterile] Loading module ip6_gre
[OK] Loading module ip6_gre
[sterile] Ensuring route table 'sterile_1042' exists in /etc/iproute2/rt_tables
[OK] Added route table 'sterile_1042' with id 100 to /etc/iproute2/rt_tables
[sterile] Installing wrapper at /usr/local/bin/sterile_tunnel_1042.sh
[OK] Installed wrapper at /usr/local/bin/sterile_tunnel_1042.sh
[sterile] Installing systemd service /etc/systemd/system/sterile_tunnel_1042.service
[sterile] Reloading systemd units
[OK] Reloading systemd units
[sterile] Enabling and starting sterile_tunnel_1042.service
[OK] Enabling and starting sterile_tunnel_1042.service
[OK] Installation complete
[sterile] Wrapper: /usr/local/bin/sterile_tunnel_1042.sh
[sterile] Service: /etc/systemd/system/sterile_tunnel_1042.service
[sterile] Log : /var/log/sterile_tunnel_1042.log
# ./installer.sh --status
_____________________ ______ ______ _ _______________ ______ ____ __ __
/ ___/_ __/ ____/ __ \/ _/ / / ____/ / | / / ____/_ __/ | / / __ \/ __ \/ //_/
\__ \ / / / __/ / /_/ // // / / __/ / |/ / __/ / / | | /| / / / / / /_/ / ,<
___/ // / / /___/ _, _// // /___/ /___ / /| / /___ / / | |/ |/ / /_/ / _, _/ /| |
/____//_/ /_____/_/ |_/___/_____/_____/ /_/ |_/_____/ /_/ |__/|__/\____/_/ |_/_/ |_|
https://sterile.network
SERVICE NAME : sterile_tunnel_1042
WRAPPER PATH : /usr/local/bin/sterile_tunnel_1042.sh
LOG PATH : /var/log/sterile_tunnel_1042.log
META PATH : /var/lib/sterile_tunnel/1042.meta
SYSCTL CONF : /etc/sysctl.d/99-sterile-tunnel.conf
RT TABLE : sterile_1042 (100)
Tunnel : gre_1042
State : UP
MTU : 1476
Local : 203.0.113.10
Remote : 82.41.156.1
GRE TTL : 255
Assigned IPv4s : 82.41.156.24/32
Assigned IPv6s : -
---- traffic ----
RX : 1.2 MiB (9412 pkts)
TX : 3.8 MiB (11207 pkts)
RX errs : 0
TX errs : 0
INIT SYSTEM : systemd
Guides
- How to set up your GRE tunnel with the installerDownload the installer, run it as root, and check the tunnel is up.
- How to add a service rule for your game serverBind a premade profile to your game's port and pick a filter level.
- The A2S challenge for Steam game serversWhat it does for the server browser, and when to turn it off.
- Rate limits in a profile: packets, bits and burstsWhen to raise a premade profile's limits, and by how much.
Questions about protecting Garry's Mod
If they join by domain name, point its A record at the Sterile IP and nothing changes for them. If they join by IP address or a saved favourite, give them the new one.
Yes. The game port also answers the server browser, and its premade profile has the A2S challenge on, which answers real queries and drops spoofed ones.
Workshop content comes from Steam, so nothing changes. If you serve FastDL from a web server on the same machine, add a rule for its port too.
A little, because traffic takes one extra hop through our edge. How much depends on where your players, our edge and your server are. Read the latency guide
You choose the reserved speed, clean traffic and protected IPs you need, and pay monthly for that. View pricing
Keep your Garry's Mod server online
Protect the server you already run, and be filtered before the next attack arrives.