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Squad Setup

Squad servers rely on steady CPU performance, fast I/O, and dependable RCON access for 50v50 combined-arms battles. This guide covers provisioning, configuration, and operations on Mamba Host’s Dell PowerEdge R630 hardware (dual Intel E5-2680v4, 128 GB RAM, NVMe).

  • Licensed vs unlicensed configuration decided; server token ready if applicable.
  • Server.cfg, LayerRotation.cfg, and admin permission JSON files prepared.
  • Admin tooling chosen (SquadJS, BattleMetrics RCON, custom bots) with credentials.
  • Workshop/mod stack (IDs for custom factions/maps) documented.
Player TargetRecommended PlanNotes
20–30 (training/private)Starter (≈3 GB RAM)Drills, whitelisted nights
40–60 (public servers)Pro (≈5 GB RAM)Most communities start here
70–80 (full 50v50)Premium (≈8 GB RAM)Prioritized CPU + support

Upgrade when server frame time exceeds 16 ms on full lobbies or when armor-heavy layers hitch.

  1. Go to https://panel.mambahost.comCreate ServerSquad.
  2. Select plan/region and deploy (~2 minutes).
  3. Grab SFTP credentials and RCON info from the console output.
  4. Enable auto-backups before customizing configs.
  • Upload Server.cfg to /SquadGame/ServerConfig/ and edit hostname, rules, passwords, tick settings.
  • Update LayerRotation.cfg (or MapRotation.cfg) with desired layers, mixing official + modded entries.
  • Add admin permission levels in Admins.cfg tied to SteamIDs.
  • Configure RCON (Rcon.cfg) and connect via SquadJS/BattleMetrics for remote control.
  1. Create/subscribe to a Steam Workshop collection with required mods/factions.
  2. Set the collection ID in startup variables so mods download during restarts.
  3. Verify each mod’s GUID appears in Mods.txt; restart to load them.
  4. For manual installs, upload .pak files to /SquadGame/Content/Paks and reference them in config.
  • Schedule daily restarts + weekly map wipes (if running limited rotations) via the panel scheduler.
  • Track performance via panel metrics and admin dashboards; high packet loss indicates bandwidth constraints.
  • Version-control Server.cfg/layer files so changes can roll back quickly.
  • Pipe admin logs to Discord for player reports, TK tracking, and automated moderation.
  • Document escalation paths for licensed servers (OWI guidelines).
  • Players stuck on loading: ensure mods are whitelisted, run ForceInstall for Workshop IDs, and confirm FastDL/HTTP redirects are reachable.
  • RCON disconnects: whitelist admin IPs, ensure connection limits aren’t exceeded, keep heartbeat running.
  • Armor-heavy lag: limit simultaneous vehicles, rotate infantry layers more often, or scale to Premium.
  • Licensed server rejection: double-check the license token, hostname format, and EULA compliance.