This guide will touch on how to navigate Sourcebans both as a regular user, and as an admin. User experience may vary due to the ability to customize the layout and permissions of Sourcebans. In this example Sourcebans will be synced to several linux-based Team Fortress 2 servers, with the bans database accessible via the gaming group's website. I will begin by explaining features for non-admins, and then move on to admin-only features.

The Comms Section shows players that have been muted, gagged, or silenced (silence = mute + gag).
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Clicking on a record will show more details, such as the player's info, when the event occured, the length of the event, what server it occured on, and which admin invoked the event.

The Bans Section shows players that have been banned for breaking server rules. This page is accessible by anyone.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Clicking on a record will show more details, such as the player's info, when the event occured, the length of the event, what server it occured on, and which admin invoked the event. Any comments made on the bans can only be seen by other admins. Options to alter the record are also only accessible by admins

Clicking the Report Player tab will take you to the Ban Submission. Here you can report a player for breaking server rules. The use of this page is for non-admins, although admins have access to it as well. After submitting your report about the player and the event that occurred, your ban submission will be accessible by admins for evaluation and review.

Clicking the Appeal a Ban tab will take you to the Protest a Ban page. Here you can appeal a ban against you if you feel you were unjustly banned. The use of this page is for non-admins, although admins have access to it as well. After submitting your information, your ban appeal will be accessible by admins for evaluation and review.

If you're an admin, you will have access to the Admin Panel on Sourcebans. The Admin Panel has three options: Admin Settings, Server Settings, and Bans. It also contains a summary of stats such as the number of servers synced to the database, the number of admins that have access, total number of bans and players blocked, ban protests, and ban submissions.

Admin Settings will take you to the Admin Management page. Here you can view a list of all admins, as well as their permission group. Permission groups have predetermined permissions and access. Assigning a player to one of these groups will give that player the permissions attributed to the group.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Clicking on an admin will provide details about their permissions. Custom flags refer to permissions associated with various plugins.

Server Settings will take you to the Server Settings page (duh). As an admin there is nothing to do here. Clicking the "admins" button under Action will list all of the admins of that specific server, along with their SteamIDs. As the server owner (or an admin with similar permissions) there are probably some more options.

Clicking the Admin Panel will take you directly to the Add a Ban page. After filling out the required information, it will add the ban to the database immediately.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

It will even check to see if the player is currently on one of the servers.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　
Clicking the Ban protests section below Add a ban will show any current ban protests. If another admin has already viewed the submission, the ban protest will be moved to the Archive.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Archived Ban protests

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Clicking the Ban submissions section below Ban protests will show any current ban submissions. If another admin has already viewed the submission, the ban submission will be moved to the Archive.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Archived Ban submissions

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The import ban tool allows you to import ban records into the database. As an admin there is nothing to do here. As the server owner (or an admin with similar permissions), this is useful for when Sourcebans is updated. Export the bans prior to updating, then import after updating. Now you will never lose your bans!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Afterthought: Favorite Ban Submission
A player on the server tried to report the entire Red team for "spawnkilling". GG.

When you ban a hacker, BAN THEM ON THE SERVER (in-game) instead of using Sourcebans.
When you ban a player from in-game, it will provide the player's IP address on the ban record in Sourcebans. Then go onto Sourcebans and add a second ban for them, listed as IP ban. This will effectively stop most script kiddies from rejoining your server on their account or their alt accounts.


If the hacker has a name changer that mimics the names of other players, you have two options:

1. Using the admin menu (!admin), go to a section such as ban, and write down the numbers of the two players with the same name. Repeat when the hacker's name changes again. Did you notice that the number stays the same when the hacker changes names? This is the userid of the player. Ban them using the admin panel or via chat/console command.
   
   
   
2. Type status into the developer console. Then copy the userids, names, and SteamIDs of the players. Find the two names that are similar, then use their userID or their steamID(see Resources section) to determine which one is the hacker.
   

Hackers with name-changers will generally be level 0, possibly already having VAC bans from other games or private profiles.

Here on the dashboard I noticed a player, whose name I did not recognize was blocked from entering one of the servers.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

A player named Skalinski was blocked from connecting to our Halo Bloodgulch TF2 server.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

After clicking for his/her ban details, it revealed that the ban fell under a player named Sake. Sake was banned automatically by Source Mod Anti Cheat (SMAC), and then I gave him an IP ban.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Now comes the research. Was this the same account using a different name? Or did the player make an alt account and try to connect to the server?
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Viewing the player's recent name history on Steam, there is no mention of "Skalinski".
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Upon further research using a third-party tool, it was confirmed that the player never changed their name to "Skalinski".
　　　　　　　　　　　　　

So what does this mean? It tells us that the player made an alt account and tried to connect to the server on the alt. The IP ban prevented the alt account from joining, and will effectively prevent any other alts belonging to the player from joining in the future. This is why it is essential to ban hackers ON THE SERVER (in-game) instead of using Sourcebans, and then follow-up with an IP ban using Sourcebans, as described in the previous section.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　Did this guide help you? Like it and share with your friends!

Also feel free to join my Steam Trading Group: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/groups/SuddenTrading
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and/or
Feel free to join my Steam Gaming Group: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/groups/suddenentropygaming