Setting Up a TF2 Server: Managing Kicks and Bans

This tutorial will go into how to manage kicking and banning players.  Kicking often needs to be done simply to make room in a crowded server for the regulars and sponsors.  Banning is often required for cheaters not yet permanently banned by VAC security and players who harass the players with obnoxious mic spam.

Banning can help keep servers healthy because one person can easily ruin the game for everyone else.

The Ban Hammer

There are a number of simple console commands which can be used in the administrative console in order to manage bans and kicks.

In console, use the command status to get a list of all players and their SteamIDs and IP addresses.

In all cases, time specifies the duration of the ban or kick in minutes.  To ban a player permanently use a time of 0 minutes.

Kicking


kick time steamID - Where  SteamID is the unique SteamID of the player.
kick time playername - Where playername is the name currently being used of the player on the server.

Banning


banid time steamID - Where  SteamID is the unique SteamID of the player.
banid time steamID kick - Where  SteamID is the unique SteamID of the player.  This will ban and kick a player in one action.

If a player has multiple accounts but only one IP then you can do an IP ban.  I recommend sticking to typical bans except in select specific cases.

filterban status - Turns IP bans on or off.  Status can be set to 1 for on or 0 for off.  Unless you are too worried about rampant moderators there is no reason to set it to off.
addip time IPaddress - Where IPaddress is the IP address of the player.


Removing a Ban

removeid steamID - Removes a ban.  steamID represents the players Steam ID.
removeip IPaddress - Removes a ban.  IPaddress represents the players IP address.

As far as I can tell, there is no method to reduce a kick or ban so be careful when handing them out.