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Lane on Knowledge Base Wiki - Now Here!

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:28:07 +0000

Hello Everyone, Our knowledge base wiki is now online and part of our forums. You will now find at the bottom of our forums a new section that dedicated solely to tutorials on how to get things done in the realm of servers & business. They are a little bit empty currently, however they will be filling up as new articles are written by our staff. We do also want to invite everyone to join in and write your own tutorials, the more the better. The wiki is designed as a section where users can come read and learn how to do things and then ask questions based on that individual tutorial. So the more tutorials we can write, the more we can help everyone out. Nothing is too small, so if you have something that has stumped you at one time or know something that causes people a headache, post up your guide and help everyone else out! See you there!

Lane on Counter-Srike: Source - Tickrate & FPS

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:54:14 +0000

Today we are going to take a quick look at how a server admin is able to set the tickrate and server side FPS rate on a Counter-Strike: Source game server.

This guide will work on most all Valve games, such as DOD:S, TF2, etc. as long as they are running the source or orange box engine. This guide does not apply to the order games like Counter-Strike 1.6 & Day Of Defeat Original.

-Tickrate

The first thing we will look at is setting the tickrate of the server. This is best set in the commandline therefore not allowing to be overridden in the server config file.

You will need to add the following to your commandline:

-tickrate 66

The number 66 will be just a place holder for the moment, we will explain below what the valid options are.

The -tickrate command can has numerous values in place of the "66″ with have listed above. The most common and suggest values at "33″, "66″, or "100″ (Without the quotes). It will depend what you are running and the slot count you plan to use the server for. Most times you will want to stick on the 66 tick level, as it is what I would call the "normal" value.

However, if you are playing in competitions, you may be required to use a 100 for the tickrate value.

Note: We will not be getting into the debate on what is better, only showing how a server admin is able to set the tickrate, so please don't make a reply asking which is better or start a flame war on how this is better than that. Thank you.

When you have set the tickrate of your server via the commandline you will be set to go, even if you are renting out the server to a client, they will not be able to change unless you give them access to the commandline.

-Serverside FPS

Now that we have set the tickrate, we will take a look at how we will set the server side FPS rate. This setting needs to be set via the server.cfg and cannot be locked down in the commandline. So if you plan to limit your clients to a X amount of FPS, you will need to find another way.

With that out of the way, we will need to add the following line to your server.cfg (Or server config file).

-max_fps 600

Adding this line will tell the server it is allowed to go up to, but no further than 600 FPS on the server side. This value you can set to just about anything depending on what FPS rate you want the server to run at.

Now once you have added this to your server config file, you are set to restart your server and enjoy the new FPS rate. Check the server console window to see what rate you are getting.

Note: If you are not getting the full FPS you were expecting, keep reading!

-FPS Not Working (Windows)

If you are reading this, you have found you are not getting the serverside FPS that you were expecting, so now we will do a little more work to the server.

Note: As I am not a Linux tech, I will only be showing how to get this done on Windows, Linux is much more messy and can require kernal hacking to get the FPS working as desired.

By default, Windows does not support more than about 64FPS without changing the windows clock.

Not to worry, this is a very easy fix!

Solutions:

1. Easiest solution is to open Windows Media Player on the server. You do not need to be playing anything, just open and running.

As soon as you open it, you should see a nice boost to your expected FPS.

2. Second solution is to run an added piece of software on your server machine, called FPS Boost. You can download FPS Boost as an attachment to this post.

All you need to do, is extract it, click it to start it and let it run. Once you start it, you should also see your FPS boost.

There is one more added problem, you will not be able to boost the serverside FPS any higher than about 512 on a windows server 2003 server, if you are wanting to hit 1000FPS you will need to be running Windows Server 2008 and have a motherboard to support it. We will have another guide coming later that will touch specifically on 1000FPS servers.

-The End

This wraps up our tutorial on how to get Counter-Strike: Source up and running on non-default tickrate & serverside FPS.

Lane on How To Install IIS - Server 2003

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:47:15 +0000

One of the many questions we see here is how to install IIS onto your Microsoft Windows based server. I am pleased to say, the installation process is very easy! Microsoft Windows Server 2003 What you will need:

A server/workstation running Microsoft Windows Server 2003
The Server 2003 installation disk OR a copy of the I386 folder

Now onto the fun and easy stuff!

You will first need to navigate to the "Add/Remove Windows Components" – You will locate this here: Control Panel –> Add or Remove Programs –> Add/Remove Windows Components
Once you have the "Add/Remove Windows Components" window open, you will see a series of options:
You will need to place a check mark next to "Application Server"
- If you double-click on "Application Server" you will have additional options. You will need to be sure you have the following checked off:
  - Application Server Console
  - ASP.NET
  - Enable network COM+ access
  - Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Now double-clicking on "Internet Information Services (IIS)" you will be presented with additional options. There are many options however for the security of your server I would start with only having the following selected:
  - Common Files
  - Internet Information Services Manager
  - World Wide Web Services
- After choosing the above options, you will need only to select "Ok" on the additional windows.
Now that you have the above options selected, you can choose "Next" on the "Windows Components Wizard"
Your server will begin to install IIS, during the install you will be prompted for the CD (Usually 2 times).
When you are prompted you will need to do one of two things:
- Have the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 install CD/DVD in your CD/DVD drive.
- Point the installer to a copy of the "I386″ folder on the server. NOTE: The I386 folder is located on the CD/DVD that you installed your copy of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 from. If you are renting a dedicated server, there is most likely a copy of this folder on your server's hard drive, if you not your host should be able to provide it.
Once the wizard completes you are all done!

After running through the above 7 steps you should be able to install IIS to your machine and have it fully operational. Once installed you will need to configure and that is where the real fun begins. We will have a guide shortly for confguring IIS, however until then our forums is the place to ask any questions.

Lane on Connecting To Console Session - Windows Server

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:07:14 +0000

When you begin to work on a server that is running Windows Server 2003 remotely via Windows Remote Desktop, more commonly referred to as RDP, you will quickly run into an issue that will plague all new comers. You will soon find that that server 2003 allows up to three (3) remote desktop sessions.

What does this mean? This means that you can all up to three (3) people logged into remote desktop at the same time, all running their own desktop session (You will not see what each other is doing, running, etc.). This is great if you have multiple people needing to work on the same server at the same time, however this feature also causes agony.

When you disconnect from RDP (without logging off) your session on the server will continue to run. Just like at home, if you get and walk away from your PC, it will continue to sit there doing whatever you left running on it.

When you go to log back into RDP next time you may or may not get the same session, allot of times you will end up starting an all new session on the server and in turn anything you had running on your other session you will not be able to see or interact with.

The easiest solution to this issue is, is to connect to the console session on the server. The console session on the server is unique in the sense you can force remote desktop to connect to it every time you connect via RDP. So each time you log in, you will be right where you were when you disconnected earlier.

Later down on this article we will go through the steps on how to connect to the console session, however before we do we are going to discuss a few more important things about the console session.

Beyond the console session being able to be accessed via RDP each time, it also plays another very important role. It is the session where all services you have running on your server will run.

So if you install a service and check off "Interact with Desktop", the console session is where you will be able to see them.

This little tidbit is very important if you are running game servers or various other software that is set to interect with the server desktop. In turn, when the service is running, you will be able to see the application up and running and interact with it as you would any other time.

The console session like all server session has a limitation on how many people can be connected to it at any one time. You can only have one person connected to an RDP session at any given time, if someone else needs on the console session, you will need to disconnect first.

Now that we know the basics and some additional help details on how the console session works, we can now look into how exactly we connect to it using our windows home or workstation computer.

Depending on the operating system you are running, there are different ways to invoke the console session when connecting with the RDP client, so please choose your local operating system before going into how to connect (very important).

Windows XP (32-bit, SP1 – SP2 | 64-bit, SP1 – SP3) & Original Vista (Before any updates)

1. On your home computer, go to "Start" –> "All Programs" –> "Accessories"
2. Choose "Remote Desktop Connection"
3. When the Remote Desktop Connection window appears, you will need to enter your server IP where it asks for your "Computer"
4. Once you have your server IP entered you will need to make a space and then enter "/console" – Without the quotes.
5. Once you have the above information entered, you window should look like that below (Only with your server IP):

6. Once you have the above, just click "Connect"
7. The next window will prompt you for a userame and password, it is the same username and password you would use when connecting without the /console switch.

Windows Vista (After intial updates), Windows 7, & Windows XP (32-bit, SP3)

1. On your home computer, go to "Start" –> "All Programs" –> "Accessories"
2. Choose "Remote Desktop Connection"
3. When the Remote Desktop Connection window appears, you will need to enter your server IP where it asks for your "Computer"
4. Once you have your server IP entered you will need to make a space and then enter "/admin" – Without the quotes.
5. Once you have the above information entered, you window should look like that below (Only with your server IP):

6. Once you have the above, just click "Connect"
7. If it is the first time you are connecting to this remote server, you will get a yellow window pop-up. This window is to tell you that the server you are connecting to is running an OS that came out before windows Vista or Windows 7. You will need to click "Yes" in order to continue connecting.

8. The next window will prompt you for a userame and password, it is the same username and password you would use when connecting without the /admin switch.

9. Once you have connected, you should be all set to go. You are now connected to the all important console session on a windows server 2003. If you run into any issues while trying to connect, post up in our forums and we will get you setup!

Lane on Colocation OR Dedicated Server?

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:55:07 +0000

There comes a time in every hostler's life when they need to decide which route they will pursue. Deciding to do Colocation or a Dedicated server is a decision that needs to make wisely, as it can greatly determine your success in the hosting industry.

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Lets go into detail of what each is: Colocation:

Colocation is where you purchase a server (Dell, HP, IBM, SuperMicro, Home Build, etc.) and ship it to a data center of your choice. The data center in turn places your server in a rack and attaches it to their network. Once the datacenter has your server all setup, you will then be able to remotely access your server. This option you will also need to own your own operating system license and be very familiar with computer hardware.

Dedicated Server:

A dedicated server is very similar to colocation, however instead of having to purchase a server and ship it to a data center, you merely rent the server from the data center. This option you will not need to have your own OS license or intimate knowledge of server hardware. You will have the same remote access to the server box as with your colocated server.

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Now that we have the basic idea of what the two are, we can begin to dive into the positives and negatives of each. Colocation, The Good & Bad:

Positive Notes:

Cheaper monthly cost, as you only need to rent space, power and bandwidth.

You own your server hardware, you don't have to rent it.

You can have any server brand and hardware specification you desire.

When done hosting, you can have the server shipped back to be resold.

Negative Notes:

If your server has hardware issues, you will need to pay someone to troubleshoot (remote hands fees).

You will need to ship replacement hardware to the DC or buy it from the DC.

You are responsible for your server, the DC is only responsible for the network, power and space.

Large upfront cost, as you have to buy the server box.

You will have to own your OS license.

Dedicated Servers, Positives & Negatives

Positive Notes:

You do not have any large upfront fee to buy a server, you only have to rent it.

If the server has any hardware issues, it is up to the data center to fix it.

You wont have to pay for replacement hardware, ship anything, etc. as it is up to the DC to repair any hardware issues.

Widely available and hundreds of providers to choose from.

You don't have to own OS licenses.

Negative Notes:

You are limited on the server hardware you can use (Each provider only offers so many options).

Your monthly price will be higher, as you are renting the server, power, space and bandwidth.

Upgrades can be more expensive than the going rate of hardware.

May get locked into a lease period.

The above gives us a good idea on the good and bad of each, now onto the hard question, "Which one is right for me?" Everyone's answer is going to be different as it will greatly depend on your finances, hardware knowledge, and how much control you want to have over your server. Many people choose to go with a dedicated server everyday as you can easily purchase and it is on the provider to do all the hard work, however this is not the best option for everyone. With dedicated servers, the "bigger" the server you buy, the more expensive your monthly payment will become. In many cases, it can be cheaper to purchase the server and colocate, however it will all depend how long you plan on keeping the server machine. That brings on a all new question:

What is the life expectancy of a server? - Check our other blog posts for a in depth look!

That pretty much wraps up this look into the differences of Colocation and Dedicated servers, however I am sure many questions are still lingering. So post them up in the forums and we will get you answers!

Lane on What Is TCAdmin?

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:00:54 +0000

Hi Guys, There have been allot of questions floating around since we opened the TCAdmin section of our forums. To explain, TCAdmin is a web control panel designed and developed specifically for the game and voice hosting industry. TCAdmin is a web control panel that has much deeper roots that allow you to completely automate your game and voice server installs while giving your clients a great web panel access to do just about anything they need to for their service. One of the biggest notes however is that TCAdmin only runs on Windows, so if you plan on hosting game servers on a Linux based server, you will need to look to a different control panel, but for many of us Window's geeks it is the perfect affordable way to begin ones game hosting business. TCAdmin is available starting at $15.95/Month USD per dedicated server. You will need one Remote TCAdmin for each dedicated server beyond your first, so if you have multiple dedicated servers you plan on using you will need one license for each. Information: Web Site: http://tcadmin.com/ Price: $15.95+ Demo: http://tcadmin.com/ (Middle, Right) Check out the TCAdmin web site for more in depth information on this amazing system!

Lane on Which Billing System

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:52:55 +0000

I would check out:

http://www.clientexec.com

http://www.whmcs.com

Both are pretty nice, WHMCS is more of a all in solution, whereas CE is more of just abilling system.

JohnK on Which Billing System

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:26:36 +0000

I have used a few different ones, they all have a strong point.

What kind of services will you be offering to your clients?

Spiffer on Which Billing System

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:24:37 +0000

Hi Guys,

Anyone have some suggestions as to what billing systems I should be looking at using. I see there are quite a few on the market, but not sure which is best.

Lane on Anti-Virus For Your Server - Free!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:59:37 +0000

Hi Guys, Today we are going to take a peak at what kinda of Anti-Virus scanners we should be running on a dedicated server. It will all depend on what you are using your dedicated server for, but in almost any case it would be foolish to not run a Anti-Virus software on it. As there are tons of Anti-Virus software options on the market it can be very hard to choose the version right for your needs. It is suggested you stay away from the all in one security suites like you may be running on your home PC as they are very infectious and will most likely cause allot of issues in the long run, including locking you out of your server when you install it . You will want to stick to a straight Anti-Virus, such as Norton Corporate or ClamAV. Norton Corporate is a great solution if you are able to spend some money on it, it can be quite expensive if you have more than one server, however you will be receiveing a paid software which comes with support that you may need if you every run into issues. Norton also releases many updates to it AV software which will greatly help in keeping your server safe. The downside, Norton is pretty much only good for Windows, if you are running a Linux server you will want look to ClamAV. ClamAV (http://www.clamav.net) is a free Anti-Virus system that is specifically aimed to be used in a server environment and is perfect for your Linux based server. There is a Windows version of ClamAV, however they are no longer developing it, however you are still able to receive virus definition updates for it. ClamAV is the perfect solution for any server host as it is very "light" and non-intrusive on the dedicated server. There are tons of AV softwares on the market and using Google you will be able to easily locate one that is perfect for your needs. For this article we are giving Norton and ClamAV our choice award as they have long been the industry standard for anti-virus security. Moving a little more forward as far as Anti-Spyware and additonal software you would find in a security suite. In most cases you should have no need for them as you should not be opening emails and surfing the web on your dedicated server. Keep it smart and use your dedicated server for what it is designed for, hosting. Cheers!

Lane on Free Firewall For CPanel/WHM

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:34:43 +0000

One of the most important things you can do to your web server, is adding security to it in order to keep someone from hijacking it. Allot of us have learned this the hard way, having our web servers hacked opened our eyes to the requirement, that secuirty is very important.

One of the most important things in the security of your web server, is a firewall. Software firewalls are in most cases the best solution, as they are both cheap/free and a great defense against unwanted people and traffic. Most linux distros already have a firewall built into the OS, but using the commandline each time you need to make changes is always a hassle and not very user-friendly. I have great news! There is a free firewall solution that can be easily installed to your linux CPanel/WHM web server and it is the best one out there. I am speaking of ConfigServer's "CSF" (http://www.configserver.com/cp/csf.html) CSF is everything you could want in a gui front-end that directly incorporates into your WHM control panel. Out of all the solutions I have used through the years, this is by far the best one out there. It is extremely easy to use, it incorporates many other modules for extra security and best of all, its FREE! So why wait, secure your CPanel web server today with the best software firwall.

Lane on How Many Game Servers Can My Dedicated Server Hold?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:01:07 +0000

This is one of the day old questions that every first time dedicated server renter asks. Unfortunately, it is a question that has no real answer, as every game server uses a different amount of resources and demands different resources from the server box. The best rule of thumb when buying your first server, it to purchase one that is well rounded, making sure it offers a nice CPU, RAM and HDD's. Now with that, your next question would be, "What is a well rounded server?" In most cases there are three basic well rounded server specs: 1.

Single Dual-Core CPU 2GB RAM 250GB HDD

Single Quad-Core CPU 4GB RAM 250GB HDD

Dual Quad-Core CPU's 8GB RAM 250GB HDD

Each of the rough specifications above offer a "rounded" solution, making it so that when you max out the CPU resources, you will most likely be out of RAM. Therefore, allowing you to use the maxium of both before running out of one or the early. However, it still comes down to the resource usage of the games you plan on running. As an example, if you run all Call Of Duty game titles, then you will be able to stay with a low-end CPU and double the RAM. As COD game titles tend to use allot more RAM than CPU. On the other hand, if you plan to host Counter-Strike: Source game servers, you may end up needing more CPU than RAM, as that game tends to use more CPU at peak than RAM. So the final word is, stick to a well rounded server unless you know that you plan on only hosting X game title and when it comes to that. I would suggest popping a thread in our forums and we can assist you in getting the best server for you.

Lane on Shared, VPS, Dedicated Server - Which Do I Need?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:59:16 +0000

With the design of our great web site comes allot of questions about what you need in order to host it and not have any issues. With today's market there are multiple solutions to choose from

Lane on What is a VPS/VDS?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:58:00 +0000

As many users have experienced, after a while your growing web site will outgrow the standard shared web hosting environment provided by many of the web hosts in today's industry. This leaves many people wondering what their next step is, a dedicated server? A dedicated is a excellent next step, but does come at a much higher cost than your standard shared web hosting package and in many cases is not a feasible upgrade due to just the cost of the server itself. With that comes Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDS) or Virtual Private Servers (VPS) which are usually much more affordable for many users, starting at around $20/Month. So now you have found your upgrade path, but what is a VPS/VDS? Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) are much the same thing, just a different name for the same end result. They are a virtual server that is housed on a larger dedicated server box. You will have your own operating system and runs much like a normal dedicated server, however with just less power. You do not share your operating system with anyone else, but you do share the dedicated server box on which your VPS/VDS is housed with other clients who are also renting their own VPS/DVS servers. A VPS/VDS will normally give you more resources than a standard web hosting package and should meet your needs for you growing web site, atleast till you can afford your own dedicated server, but there is a downside! The downside to having your own VPS/VDS is that you will now need to learn how to setup and manage your own web server, which for most people is a challenge to say the least. There is allot to understand and learn when trying to figure out how to setup your VPS/VDS to host your web site. You may need to install MYSQL, Apache, Python or one of many different pieces of software that are required to host your web site. Do not worry! There are many VPS/VDS hosts that offer a fully "managed" virtual server, where they will worry about maintaning your virtual server for you and all you will need to worry about is keeping your web site running the way you want it! There are many VPS/VDS hosts around the world and in many cases the shared web hosting you are already with offer VPS/VDS servers and can easily migrate you to one without too much work or hiccups on your web site. If you are happy with your current web host, than it is probably a good idea to stick with them for your VPS/VDS. If they do not offer them, you may want to look at the below hosts:

FDCServers - www.FDCServers.net
Surf Speedy - www.SurfSpeedy.com

There is allot more questions you will most likely have, so shoot a post up in our forums and we will get you all setup!

Lane on Can I Host Game Servers & Web Hosting On The Same Machine?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:57:42 +0000

Being part of the game hosting industry I am asked this question on a daily basis as it is one of the age old questions. In short, Yes! You can host them both on the same server box, but No it is not advised. It is completely possible to mix and match web hosting and game servers on the same physical machine, but it is not something I would advise doing. Game servers are something that can easily "freak" out when you begin to mix and match them with other things, even with other game servers. The rule of thumb is always to run the least amount of items on the server box you are running your game servers on, as you never know what may or may not cause issues with your game servers. As shared web hosting account is only a few dollars a month with many web hosts, it is well worth it as to not mix web hosting and your game servers. Now if you can't truely afford to get an extra web hosting account, than it would be better to host it on your dedicated server than not have one at all - Web hosting in general takes quite allot of work to setup and can be very confusing, especially if it is your first time. When you are forced to mix web hosting and game servers, always install the least amount of services in order to get your web site online. I would not suggest going all out installing all components and software that you might use down the road, add it as you NEED it.