Setting up your own server

[AdamAnubis]

How easy/costly/useful is it to have a PC used for a server? I've seen a few in people's sigs, and just wondered if it is worth it. What kind of stuff can you host of them? Small tf2 servers? ventrilo servers?

Just intruiged as to whether it's worth getting one...hmmmm...*strokes imaginary philisophical beard....*

[TAKTAK]

it depends on what you want really...

connectible via LAN or WAN?

(i.e. internal fileserver or a teamspeak server...)

[AdamAnubis]

Wouldn't be LAN i don't think, so i'm guessing WAN? What does it stand for? Sorry, I've never really looked into it before so don't know much about it.

[TAKTAK]

LAN (Local area network) is basically your personal network sort of thing (i.e. connected through your router or whatever) so basically your local computers and devices...
WAN (wide area network) is basically (for you) connecting via the interwebs (i.e. a TF2 server connectible from Antigua ) so basically computers over a large area.

(^^they are not proper definitions, just simple ways to look at it)

so on a LAN you might have a fileserver, so that you could just quickly share between all of your PCs using one device (without the need for other things to be on)

on a WAN you might setup a game over t'internet with mates

[AdamAnubis]

Ahh k, so yeah, would be WAN. My main plan would be for a ventrilo server, and maybe a TF2 server if i could.

[TAKTAK]

for a TF2 server you may find this interesting to read: http://forums.srcds.com/viewtopic/5439 and here: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...1621839,00.asp

ventrilo setup: http://www.ventrilo.com/setup.php or here: http://www.ugt-servers.com/ventrilo-guide.php

[jackvdbuk]

the main problem with hosting servers is upload...

i think on css more than 4 over a WAN started to get laggy when a friend tried it... though its probobly (sorry cant spell!) his internet and settings

[Jay]

yes upload will be your issue as well as ping.

[Saracen]

And possibly your ISPs terms and conditions. Some have fairly restrictive t&c's when it comes to public-facing servers, especially if they're used enough to impact on other customers quality of service. You might get yourself in a bit of trouble with the ISP.

[Jay]

very doubtful unless you host illegal material to be honest.

[kalniel]

very doubtful unless you host illegal material to be honest.

Actually not all that doubtful. I know people who've come across a few different ISP interventions while hosting persistant worlds and websites/forums for NWN - sometimes they don't like any kind of server, more often they ignore NWN data but get uppity about hosting forums, and sometimes they don't mind anything (legal).

[AdamAnubis]

Hmm, thinking of revisiting this idea. Haven't checked the ISPs t+c's, but still toying with it. What would i be limited to on this connection:


I'm guessing a fair bit, considering only 2MB :/

[moogle]

Hmm, thinking of revisiting this idea. Haven't checked the ISPs t+c's, but still toying with it. What would i be limited to on this connection:


I'm guessing a fair bit, considering only 2MB :/

2Mb/s lot's for a game server, it's that 184kb/s thats the problem. A dedi server would be like 10/10 or 30/30 mbps, and as for shared hosts it'd be enough for the game and others. If you're talking about home servers then right now in the UK there aren't any home-based ISP's up to the job. Even with Be*'s Upload+ the 2mb upload is still shared by everyone else. Mind you I'm sure it could host quite a few people locally but people further away won't be having such good connections.

[Jay]

You could host a 2 man tf2 server and it would be pretty poor at that as well.

[Emirzan]

Not something I'd consider doing personally but out of interest how much upload bandwidth would you realistically need to run a decent fps server?

If I was ever going to a home server it would definitely be of the additional storage type.

[Jay]

a 12 man CS:S server at 66 tick would need 1.5Mb upload. move to 100 tick and you need about 2.5Mb