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This guide covers installing and running TeamSpeak 6 Server natively on Windows systems. This method is ideal for Windows-based hosting or local development.

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System Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016 or later
  • Architecture: x86_64 (64-bit)
  • RAM: Minimum 512 MB (1 GB+ recommended)
  • Disk Space: 100 MB for server files + space for database and logs
  • Network: Open ports 9987/UDP and 30033/TCP
  • .NET Framework: Not required (server is self-contained)

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Installation

1

Download the server package

Download the latest TeamSpeak 6 Server for Windows from the official website:
  1. Visit the TeamSpeak Downloads page
  2. Download the Windows Server package (ZIP file)
  3. Save it to a location of your choice, such as C:\Downloads
The Windows server package is distributed as a ZIP archive that contains all necessary files.
2

Extract the archive

Extract the downloaded ZIP file:
  1. Right-click the downloaded ZIP file
  2. Select “Extract All…”
  3. Choose a destination folder (e.g., C:\TeamSpeak6-Server)
  4. Click “Extract”
Avoid paths with spaces or special characters to prevent potential issues.
3

Review the license

Before starting the server, read the LICENSE file in the extracted folder to understand the terms of use.
4

Start the server

There are two ways to start the server:
  1. Open Command Prompt (search for “cmd” in the Start menu)
  2. Navigate to the server directory:
cd C:\TeamSpeak6-Server
  1. Start the server:
tsserver.exe --accept-license
The server will start and display log output in the console window.
Important: Look for the ServerAdmin privilege key in the console output during the first startup. This key is displayed only once - copy and save it immediately!
5

Test the connection

With the server running:
  1. Download the TeamSpeak 6 Client
  2. Install and open the client
  3. Connect to localhost:9987 (or your server’s IP address)
  4. Use the ServerAdmin privilege key to gain admin access
If you can connect successfully, your server is working correctly!

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Running as a Windows Service

For production use, you should run the server as a Windows service so it starts automatically and runs in the background.
1

Open PowerShell as Administrator

  1. Search for “PowerShell” in the Start menu
  2. Right-click “Windows PowerShell”
  3. Select “Run as administrator”
  4. Click “Yes” on the UAC prompt
2

Navigate to the server directory

cd C:\TeamSpeak6-Server
3

Install the server as a Windows service

Use the built-in NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager) or create a service using sc:
Create the service:
sc.exe create TeamSpeak6 binPath= "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\tsserver.exe --accept-license" start= auto
Set the service description:
sc.exe description TeamSpeak6 "TeamSpeak 6 Server - Voice Communication"
Note the space after binPath= and start= - this is required by the sc command.
4

Start the service

Start the TeamSpeak 6 service:
Start-Service TeamSpeak6
Check the service status:
Get-Service TeamSpeak6
The status should show “Running”.
5

Configure automatic startup

Ensure the service starts automatically on boot:
Set-Service TeamSpeak6 -StartupType Automatic
6

Retrieve the ServerAdmin key

If this is the first startup, retrieve the ServerAdmin privilege key from the log files:
Get-Content "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\logs\*" | Select-String -Pattern "serveradmin|privilege" -Context 0,2
Save this key securely.

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Service Management

Use these PowerShell commands to manage your TeamSpeak 6 Server service: 
Start-Service TeamSpeak6
Run PowerShell as Administrator to execute these service management commands.

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Firewall Configuration

You need to configure Windows Firewall to allow TeamSpeak traffic:
1

Open PowerShell as Administrator

Right-click PowerShell and select “Run as administrator”.
2

Create firewall rules

Add firewall rules for the required ports:
# Allow TeamSpeak voice port (UDP)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6 Voice" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 9987 -Action Allow

# Allow file transfer port (TCP)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6 File Transfer" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 30033 -Action Allow

# Optional: WebQuery port
# New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6 WebQuery" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 10080 -Action Allow

# Optional: SSH Query port
# New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6 SSH Query" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 10022 -Action Allow
3

Verify firewall rules

Check that the rules were created:
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6*" | Format-Table DisplayName, Enabled, Direction, Action
If you’re running the server on a cloud provider or behind a router, you’ll also need to configure port forwarding or security groups to allow external connections.

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Configuration

You can configure the server using command-line arguments or a configuration file.

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Using Command-Line Arguments

When running manually, add arguments to the command: 
tsserver.exe --accept-license --default-voice-port 9987 --filetransfer-port 30033
For services, modify the service configuration: 
sc.exe config TeamSpeak6 binPath= "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\tsserver.exe --accept-license --default-voice-port 9987"

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Using a Configuration File

Generate a default configuration file: 
cd C:\TeamSpeak6-Server
tsserver.exe --write-config-file
This creates a tsserver.yaml file. Edit it with Notepad or your preferred text editor:
tsserver.yaml
server:
  accept-license: accept
  default-voice-port: 9987
  voice-ip:
    - 0.0.0.0
    - "::"
  filetransfer-port: 30033
  filetransfer-ip:
    - 0.0.0.0
    - "::"
  log-path: logs
  license-path: .
  
  database:
    plugin: sqlite3
    sql-path: sql/
    sql-create-path: sql/create_sqlite/
    client-keep-days: 30

  query:
    http:
      enable: false
      port: 10080
    ssh:
      enable: false
      port: 10022
After editing the configuration file, restart the service: 
Restart-Service TeamSpeak6
For a complete list of configuration options, see the Configuration documentation.

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Verification Steps

1

Check if the server process is running

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and look for tsserver.exe in the Processes or Details tab.Or use PowerShell:
Get-Process tsserver
2

Check listening ports

Verify the server is listening on the correct ports:
netstat -ano | findstr "9987"
netstat -ano | findstr "30033"
You should see the ports in the LISTENING state.
3

Check service status

If running as a service:
Get-Service TeamSpeak6 | Format-List
The status should be “Running”.
4

Review log files

Check the log files in C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\logs for any errors or warnings:
Get-Content "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\logs\ts3server_*.log" -Tail 50
5

Test client connection

  1. Download the TeamSpeak 6 Client
  2. Connect to your server’s IP address and port 9987
  3. Verify you can join and communicate

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Updating the Server

1

Stop the server

If running as a service:
Stop-Service TeamSpeak6
If running manually, close the console window or press Ctrl+C.
2

Backup your data

Create a backup of your server directory:
Copy-Item -Path "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server" -Destination "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server-Backup-$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd')" -Recurse
Always backup your server data before updating!
3

Download the new version

Download the latest TeamSpeak 6 Server package for Windows and extract it to a temporary location.
4

Replace the server files

  1. Copy tsserver.exe from the new version to C:\TeamSpeak6-Server
  2. Replace the sql directory with the new version
  3. Keep your existing tsserver.yaml, database files, and logs
# Example - adjust paths as needed
Copy-Item -Path "C:\Temp\teamspeak6-server-windows\tsserver.exe" -Destination "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server" -Force
Copy-Item -Path "C:\Temp\teamspeak6-server-windows\sql" -Destination "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server" -Recurse -Force
Do not replace configuration files, database files, or logs - only the binary and SQL files.
5

Start the server

Start-Service TeamSpeak6
Check the status:
Get-Service TeamSpeak6
Review the logs to ensure the update was successful:
Get-Content "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\logs\ts3server_*.log" -Tail 50

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Troubleshooting

Common causes and solutions:
  1. License not accepted: Ensure --accept-license is included in the command
  2. Port already in use: Check if another application is using ports 9987 or 30033:
netstat -ano | findstr "9987"
netstat -ano | findstr "30033"
  1. Permission issues: Run as Administrator or check file permissions
  2. Missing files: Verify all server files were extracted correctly
Check the Windows Event Viewer for detailed error messages:
  1. Open Event Viewer (search for “Event Viewer” in Start menu)
  2. Navigate to Windows Logs > Application
  3. Look for errors related to TeamSpeak6 service
Also check the service configuration:
sc.exe qc TeamSpeak6
  1. Verify the server is running:
Get-Process tsserver
  1. Check Windows Firewall rules:
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "TeamSpeak 6*"
  1. Test port connectivity:
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName localhost -Port 30033
  1. Ensure your router/firewall allows the required ports if connecting from outside your network
If you lost your ServerAdmin key:
  1. Stop the server
  2. Set a custom admin password by adding to your tsserver.yaml:
server:
  query:
    admin-password: your_secure_password
  1. Start the server and use ServerQuery to generate a new privilege key
Alternatively, check old log files:
Get-ChildItem "C:\TeamSpeak6-Server\logs\*.log" | ForEach-Object { Get-Content $_.FullName | Select-String "serveradmin|privilege" }
  1. Check the number of connected clients and channels
  2. Review log files for errors or warnings
  3. Consider adjusting thread settings in tsserver.yaml:
server:
  threads-voice-udp: 5  # Adjust based on CPU cores
  1. Monitor performance using Task Manager or Performance Monitor

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Next Steps

Configuration

Learn how to customize your server settings

Server Management

Manage your server and virtual instances

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