Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) is one of the most actively hosted Call of Duty titles. Built on the IW 3.0 engine, it supports a thriving community of casual and competitive players, largely thanks to the CoD4x project that keeps the game alive with modern server infrastructure.

Guides

• Connecting — How to join your server from the game client.
• Server Config — Full server.cfg reference with every common setting.
• RCON Commands — Remote console commands for live server administration.
• Mods — Installing and managing mods and custom maps.
• Promod — Setting up Promod for competitive play.

Quick Reference

Property	Value
Default Port	28960 (UDP + TCP)
Engine	IW 3.0 (Quake 3 derived)
Server Binary	CoD4x v1.8
Max Players	64
Config File	main/server.cfg
Mod Format	.iwd archives in mods/
Game Types	FFA, TDM, S&D, Sabotage, Domination, HQ

Getting Started

1. Create a new CoD4 server from the uHost dashboard.
2. Choose a region, set your server name, RCON password, and player limit.
3. Optionally select a mod. Promod variants are available out of the box.
4. Start the server. Your connection string will appear on the dashboard.
5. Open CoD4, press ~ to open the console, and type:

   /connect <address>:<port>

See the Connecting guide for detailed instructions.

CoD4x

All uHost CoD4 servers run CoD4x v1.8, a community-maintained server binary that replaces the stock 1.7 server. CoD4x is the standard for modern CoD4 hosting and provides:

• Community master server — Servers are listed on the CoD4x master server since the official Activision master server is unreliable.
• Automatic client patching — Players on stock 1.7 are automatically updated when they connect to a CoD4x server. No manual installation required.
• Extended RCON commands — Additional commands like screensay, permban, and plugin management. See the RCON guide.
• Plugin system — Load server-side plugins for custom functionality.
• Security improvements — Better player identification, anti-cheat measures, and built-in admin system.
• Bug fixes — Patches for several issues present in the original server binary.

TIP

CoD4x requires RCON passwords to be at least 8 characters long and alphanumeric only.

Game Types

Code	Mode	Description
dm	Free-For-All	Every player for themselves. First to the score limit wins.
war	Team Deathmatch	Two teams score kills. First team to the score limit wins.
sd	Search & Destroy	Round-based, one life per round. Attackers plant a bomb; defenders stop them.
sab	Sabotage	A neutral bomb spawns at the centre of the map. Both teams race to plant it at the enemy site.
dom	Domination	Capture and hold three flag points (A, B, C) to earn points over time.
koth	Headquarters	A neutral HQ spawns on the map. The holding team earns points but cannot respawn.

Set the game type in server.cfg:

set g_gametype "war"

You can mix game types in a single map rotation:

set sv_mapRotation "gametype war map mp_crash gametype sd map mp_backlot gametype dom map mp_strike"

Maps

Stock Maps

Map	Internal Name
Ambush	mp_convoy
Backlot	mp_backlot
Bloc	mp_bloc
Bog	mp_bog
Countdown	mp_countdown
Crash	mp_crash
Crossfire	mp_crossfire
District	mp_citystreets
Downpour	mp_farm
Overgrown	mp_overgrown
Pipeline	mp_pipeline
Shipment	mp_shipment
Showdown	mp_showdown
Strike	mp_strike
Vacant	mp_vacant
Wet Work	mp_cargoship

DLC Maps (Variety Map Pack)

Map	Internal Name
Broadcast	mp_broadcast
Chinatown	mp_carentan
Creek	mp_creek
Killhouse	mp_killhouse

Other

Map	Internal Name
Winter Crash	mp_crash_snow

TIP

Some internal names don't match their display names. For example, District is mp_citystreets, Downpour is mp_farm, and Wet Work is mp_cargoship.

Custom Maps

1. Upload the custom map files (.iwd, .ff, and _load.ff) to usermaps/<mapname>/ via SFTP.
2. Add the map to your rotation in server.cfg:

   set sv_mapRotation "... map <mapname> ..."

3. Ensure downloads are enabled so players receive the files:

   set sv_allowDownload "1"

4. Restart the server.

uHost servers have FastDL configured automatically. Custom map files are served over HTTP so players download them at full speed instead of the slow default UDP transfer. See the Server Config guide for more on FastDL settings.

Hardcore Mode

Add these settings to server.cfg to enable Hardcore mode:

set scr_hardcore "1"
set scr_player_maxhealth "30"

In Hardcore mode the HUD is minimal, friendly fire is on, and players have significantly less health. Restart the server after making changes.

Troubleshooting

"Extra IWD Files Detected" / Server Violation

The server detects .iwd files that clients don't have. This is caused by stray files in the main/ or mods/ directory.

1. Connect via SFTP and remove any unknown .iwd files from main/ and mods/.
2. Verify sv_pure is set correctly in server.cfg:

   set sv_pure "1"

3. Restart the server.

Players Can't Download Mods or Maps

If players get stuck downloading or fail to receive files:

1. Confirm sv_allowDownload is "1" in your server.cfg.
2. Check that all mod/map files are in the correct directory (mods/<modname>/ or usermaps/<mapname>/).
3. FastDL is auto-configured on uHost. If you've overridden sv_wwwBaseURL, verify the URL is reachable and the directory structure mirrors your server's file layout.

"Impure Client Detected"

The server has sv_pure "1" enabled and a player's game files don't match. The player needs to remove custom files from their main/ folder, or you can set sv_pure "0" to disable purity checks (not recommended for competitive servers).

Players Can't Connect

• Verify the server is running on the dashboard.
• Ensure the player is on patch 1.7 or has the CoD4x client (they will be auto-patched on connect).
• If the server runs a mod, confirm sv_allowDownload "1" is set so players can receive mod files.
• Check if a game password is set with g_password. The player needs to enter it before connecting.