Getting Started

From zero to streaming your first game over Ethernet in under ten minutes. Follow this guide to prepare your network, organize your disc images, run the server, and connect from your console.

Console Loader Prerequisite

You need a PlayStation 2 with an Ethernet network interface (a Fat console with an original or compatible Network Adapter, or any Slim model) and a homebrew loader such as RiptOPL, Open PS2 Loader (OPL), or Neutrino / NHDDL booted via Free McBoot (FMCB), Free HD Boot (FHDB), or Modchip.

1. Connect Your PS2 to the Network

Both your server host (PC, router, Raspberry Pi, or NAS) and your PlayStation 2 must share a physical or bridged local network. A wired Ethernet connection is strongly advised; Wi-Fi can cause stuttering during FMV playback and disc reads.

Topology A: Local Router or Switch (Recommended)

Plug both your host computer and your PS2 into the same router or Ethernet switch using standard Cat5e or Cat6 cables. Your router handles IP assignment, or you can assign static addresses in the same subnet.

PC LAN IP: e.g. 192.168.1.100
PS2 IP: e.g. 192.168.1.150
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Topology B: Direct Ethernet Cable (PC to PS2)

Connect an Ethernet cable directly between the PC's network jack and the PS2. Modern PC network interfaces support Auto-MDIX (automatic crossover), so a standard patch cable works fine.

Assign your PC's Ethernet adapter a manual static IP: 192.168.0.1 (Subnet: 255.255.255.0).
Assign the PS2 a static IP in the same subnet: 192.168.0.2.
Leave Gateway blank or set to 192.168.0.1.

2. Set Up Your Game Directory

Create a dedicated folder on your storage drive (for example D:\PS2Games on Windows or /srv/ps2 on Linux). Organize it with the standard OPL folder hierarchy:

PS2Games/
├── CD/         ← CD-based PS2 games (<700 MB ISO images)
├── DVD/        ← DVD5 and DVD9 PS2 games (>700 MB ISO images)
├── ART/        ← Cover art, backgrounds, spines, discs (optional)
├── CFG/        ← Per-game configuration files (optional)
├── VMC/        ← 8MB Virtual Memory Card files (optional)
└── CHT/        ← Cheats files (optional)

Folder Case Sensitivity & Disc Naming

Ensure folder names are in UPPERCASE (DVD, CD, ART). Many loaders (and Linux/Edge servers) are case-sensitive.
For best compatibility, name your games using the standard OPL startup identifier convention: DVD/SLUS_201.74.Rumble Racing.iso or CD/SCUS_971.24.Game.iso.

3. Start PS2 Servers

Download and Extract

Download the latest release package from the Releases Page. Extract the portable ZIP to a folder on your host machine. Launch PS2Servers.exe on Windows, or invoke python ps2servers.py from source.

Choose Your LAN Interface

In the top bar of PS2 Servers Desktop, ensure the LAN IP dropdown selects the network adapter wired to your PS2. The launcher automatically displays the IP address and helpful setup hints for each card.

Select Games Folder & Start

On the server card matching your loader (e.g. SMBv1 for standard OPL, or UDPFS for Neutrino/RiptOPL), click Browse and select the parent folder holding your DVD/ and CD/ subdirectories. Click Start.

Firewall Notice

When starting a server for the first time, Windows Defender Firewall may prompt to allow network traffic. Check Private networks and click Allow access. PS2 Servers also provides an automatic firewall rule creator in the application settings.

4. Configure Network in Your Loader

Boot your PlayStation 2, launch your loader, and navigate to Network Settings. Configure the connection to match the values displayed on your running server card:

Setting	SMBv1 Mode (Standard OPL)	UDPFS Mode (Neutrino / RiptOPL)	HTTP Mode
Protocol / Device	SMB (ETH)	UDPFS (Network Boot)	HTTP
Address Type	IP	IP (or Broadcast Discovery)	IP
PC IP Address	Host PC LAN IP (e.g. `192.168.1.100`)	Host PC LAN IP (e.g. `192.168.1.100`)	Host PC LAN IP
Port	1025 (Desktop) or 1111 (Core/Edge)	62966 (Auto data port)	1100 (Explicit match required)
Share Name	`games`	N/A (folder tree served directly)	Blank or anything
User / Password	User: `guest` · Password: (empty)	None	None

5. Launch Your First Game

Save your loader's network configuration to your Memory Card (mc0:).
Return to the main menu and press the button to refresh the game list (in OPL/RiptOPL, scroll to the ETH / Netboot tab or press Select / Circle).
Your game list should populate with titles from your DVD/ and CD/ folders.
Highlight your game, press X (Cross) or Start, and enjoy!

Common Questions & Troubleshooting

The game list is empty after connecting. What should I check?

Verify that your games folder has the uppercase DVD and CD subfolders and that file extensions are .iso, .zso, or .cso. If using SMBv1, ensure the share name in OPL is exactly games, address type is set to IP (not NetBIOS), and the port matches the displayed card port (1025 or 1111).

UDPFS games list correctly, but freeze on a black screen when launching.

This is commonly caused by multiple network adapters on the host PC (e.g. active Wi-Fi and Ethernet simultaneously). When the PS2 sends data requests, the OS may attempt to respond from the wrong IP. See our detailed UDPFS Diagnostics Guide for how to pin the bind address directly to your PS2-facing interface.

Does PS2 Servers support Virtual Memory Cards (VMC)?

Yes. Both SMBv1 and SMB2/3 in PS2 Servers are writable by default. If your loader supports creating and mounting VMC images over the network (such as stock OPL or RiptOPL on SMB), images in VMC/ can be written directly over the network.