How To Set Up A Dedicated Gaming Server

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Don't let your computer parts get out of control because they were upgraded. Instead, put them back to work. Half of the top-ten most-played games on Steam come with the option to customize your entire gameplay, right up through running your own dedicated server. Are you going sit back and let the game play as it was intended? Or will you grab the goat by the hairs and create your own server?



Why not host the server on your LAN rather than renting a rental server (or remote hosting)?



A remote provider can be rented a server for many reasons. These include bandwidth availability, dedicated support or eliminating latency between the host and the player.



Remote hosting can be a hassle. Some server rental hosting services don't consistently update the site's server software for many days after a game update rolls out. Hosting the server yourself on a separate machine means you can take control and update the system as soon as you wish. All you need is to save the parts you replace when you upgrade, and build a new system out of it. Sure, it may be old tech, but most dedicated servers for games don't require a lot.



What is the benefit of running your own dedicated server?



A dedicated server is often more stable than the game client itself. If your gaming computer goes down, you can close the game or reboot the system. Other players connected to the server may still be able play the game.



Remote Management (VNC



Sometimes, the server admin tools that come with games don't suffice. Remote management is your solution. Remote management is possible using many different options. TeamViewer is most popular VNC software, followed by Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection.



Remote Desktop Connection is a free program that Microsoft offers for modern Windows systems. RDC allows users to connect to other computers using the same login credentials as if they were physically present. As reported at Windows Central (http://www.windowscentral.com/you-do-not-need-activate-windows-10 (opens in new tab)), Microsoft has loosened their grip on un-activated copies of Windows 10.



To find out more about the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, visit Microsoft's RDC page: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remote-desktop-connection-faq (opens in new tab).



Voice Chat Servers



Maybe you're playing a multiplayer game that doesn't allow for private dedicated servers. The expectation of voice chat in multiplayer games has grown and server requirements have not changed over the past decade. You have enough bandwidth to host a voice chat server for your clan/clan if you can stream on Twitch, or video chat on Skype. Consider that you can upload 64Kb/s per user (ten users = 640Kb/s upload).



Common Games



Obtain the server software from the official site at (http://minecraft.net/download (opens in new tab)). This program will create additional files and folders in the location that you run it from. It is recommended that you run it from another folder (e.g., D.Minecraft Server).



When you first start the server, it will create /logs/ and eula.txt. Open eula.txt and read it (if necessary), then change the last line from eula=false or eula=true and save it.



Run the server once more, and all the remaining files will be created.



Use a text editor like notepad to edit server.properties and make any necessary changes. For a full list of what each property does, visit the wiki: http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Server.properties (opens in new tab)



Change the port setting of router config by noting: "server-port=25565" (default Line 11).



Steam-based games



Check if the game you want to host is on the list of dedicated servers on Steam: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Dedicated_Servers_List (opens in new tab).



This list will provide information on whether you can obtain the dedicated server software by using the SteamCMD program, or from the Steam Client. It will also indicate if the game allows for anonymous login or if you have to purchase the game in order to access the dedicated server software.



SteamCMD



SteamCMD is a command line program that allows you to install software such as dedicated servers without the need to install the Steam Client (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD (opens in new tab)).



Use of SteamCMD assumes that you know the app ID of the program you wish to download or update.



The easiest way to use SteamCMD to install your dedicated server is to use SteamCMD-GUI (https://github.com/DioJoestar/SteamCMD-GUI/releases (opens in new tab)). This program allows users to select all the variables they want and then click to install them. It even allows you to run most Source server. It is very easy to use the SteamCMD GUI tool. Installing SteamCMD separately is required before you can use it. The GUI tool has a quick button to do this.



For Steam games with dedicated server software that does not have its own independent app ID, check in the game's installation directory: (SteamInstall or SteamLibrary)\SteamApps\common\(Game Name)\ or at the game's website or wiki.



Global Offensive: Counter-Strike



Acquisition: SteamCMD only. Anonymously-allowed. App ID: 740. Installation over SteamCMD-GUI works well, but running the server will require that you become acquainted with the intricacies of the Source Dedicated Server Software (srcds.exe), which runs all Source engine servers.



For CS:GO Dedicated Server beginners, the pyr0s-csgo-server-launcher (http://code.google.com/p/pyr0s-csgo-server-launcher/ (opens in new tab)) batch file mostly automates the server configuration and launch, making it easy to step into running your own CS:GO server.



If you want to further customize your server, we recommend reading further on CS:GO Dedicated Server configuration at the Valve Developer wiki (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Counter-Strike:_Global_Offensive_Dedicated_Servers (opens in new tab)).



Acquisition: SteamCMD or Steam Client App ID: 376030 (note: this is not listed on the DS list page). All other guides will advise you to download the app ID 346110. This requires SteamCMD login as well as game purchase.



This server is best managed using the free Ark Server Manager (http://forum.arkservermanager.com/ (opens in new tab)). This program can manage most aspects of the server, including SteamCMD installations and updates. Ark Server Manager uses the 376030ID ID. This means that you don't need to enter your logic credentials to any third-party program. If you do not wish to use a GUI to run the server, the unofficial wiki for the game provides the best information on how to set up the server manually at http://ark-survival-evolved.wikia.com/wiki/Dedicated_Server_Setup (opens in new tab).



This server does consume a significant amount of resources.



Acquisition: SteamCMD Limited. App ID: 232250. Source game configuration is similar to CS.GO. Support is limited. We recommend that users new to running a TF2 server visit the wiki page to get started quickly. Unlike CS:GO, this server is a breeze to run from the SteamCMD-GUI program, as the majority of settings that you will want to modify will be located in the server.cfg file (you will need to create this file in the f\cfg\ folder in the TF2-DS installation. An easy-start example of this file is listed on the wiki: https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_configuration#Example_Server.cfg_for_TF2_dedicated_server (opens in new tab) ).



SteamCMD, Steam Client, Automatically downloaded with game client to \DedicatedServer(64) and in .zip form in \Tools\ App ID: 298740.



Launch SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe as Administrator (or just click the [Run as Admin!] Button inside the program) from the folder that best fits your system: DedicatedServer for x86 or DedicatedServer64 for 64bit.



If you only want to run the server in console mode, select Local/Console and [Continue server configuration]. This will let you set up the server parameters just as you would in the client, but with a few more fancy tricks.



You can launch the server by opening the configuration window (not necessary for server to start/stay running). Click [Add new instance] and give it a name. If you run a new service instance, it will automatically configure to run when windows starts. You can add multiple services to your system; each service can control many different settings and world saves.



Terraria



No separate App ID. It is automatically downloaded with the game client. You can obtain the server software from the developers without downloading the game, as well as a third-party GUI tool for the server-visit the official Terraria Wiki Server page for more information: http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Server (opens in new tab).



Terraria App ID: 105600-requires SteamCMD login to download.



Make sure that you have installed the prerequisite software XNA Framework 4.0 Framework, and.NET 4.0 Framework. Win10 does not require XNA.



Edit the serverconfig.txt to your liking and run start-server.bat; the server program is very straightforward and easy to use for anyone who has played the game.



For a dedicated server on a separate machine, it is advised to ignore the -steam launch option for this game, as it will only work if TerrariaServer.

exe is launched via Steam Client (uses Join Game function from user interactions in order to bypass port forwarding).

Router Configuration



Port Forwarding



If you aren't familiar with port forwarding, or have questions regarding setting up port forwarding on your router, find specific information for your setup at http://portforward.com (opens in new tab).



Default ports:



Teamspeak: UDP-in (voice 9987), TCP-in (file transfer 30333), TCP-in (serverquery 10011), TCP en (TSDNS) 411144.



Source Dedicated Servers (CS:GO, TF2, etc. ): 27015/TCP/UDP), 27020/UDP Note: You can also add any other ports you use for additional servers (e.g. 27015/CS:GO, 27016/TF2, etc.).



Terraria: 7777



ARK: Survival Evolved 7777, 27015 and 32330



It is recommended to set up dynamic DNS if your router has it. Alternative methods are available if you do not have dynamic DNS.



Dynamic DNS (DDNS), allowing you to host your dynamic IP at a specific domain name



Instead of giving your IP address out to friends, give them a simple-to-remember domain address that will always point to your IP address. Most games allow domain name connections, not IP addresses.



Dyn (formerly DynDNS), shut down its free services in 2014. This left many home users searching for a new provider. Many companies have stepped up to provide free Dynamic DNS services to those in need. Game Servers Modern routers come with accounts to their DDNS hosting, which you can configure directly on your router.



Here are some free services you can use to host your home server.



FreeDNS (https://freedns.afraid.org/ (opens in new tab))



DtDNS (https://www.dtdns.com/ (opens in new tab))



DuckDNS (http://duckdns.org/ - opens in new tab



No-IP (https://www.noip.com/ (opens in new tab))



EntryDNS (https://entrydns.net/ (opens in new tab))



Get Building!



Many people upgrade their computers, and then wonder what to do the parts we have just replaced. It is very common for those parts to collect dust on a shelf or in boxes. It's time for them to be put to good use and turned into another rig. Hosting a server means that you have hosted other people to connect to your computer to play a game. Using dedicated server software on a remote machine is just the same, except that you're freeing up system resources.