Gamer expectations are high when it comes to server speed and the support crew that helps keep it running smoothly. That’s perfectly OK.
After all, you’re looking for a gaming server host who’s dependable. There is nothing worse than playing a game and having to deal with latency issues or having to compete with other players for resources.
But how do you go about finding the best game server for you? Choosing the best game server hosting provider might be difficult since the industry has developed substantially over the previous five years.
Thankfully, the basics are still the same. Read on for our full breakdown of picking the right game server for your needs, all wrapped up in eight simple tips.
1. You Need a Low Latency Game Server
Physical distance, network distance, and bandwidth capacity all have an effect on network latency between the game server host and its players.
The best bandwidth in the world doesn’t matter much if your gaming server host isn’t nearby. An increase in latency is caused by a widening gap between the host and the player.
Network distance, which measures the number of hops data must take to get to its ultimate destination, is analogous to physical distance. The number of data hops will be reduced as a result of a network path that has been well optimized.
The closer you are to the host of your gaming server, the less likely you are to experience latency. When searching for a game hosting service, look for one with numerous locations throughout the globe.
As a result, your game server host should likewise have a low-latency network that includes many providers. In order to provide near-real-time data access, they’ll be designed to handle a huge stream of data packets with the least amount of latency feasible. As long as you choose the right hosting company, your server will not be swamped by network traffic.
2. Security Against DDOS
While the speed of your connection and the simplicity of use of your server are both crucial, you need also ensure that the gaming server hosting business you choose to deal with has your back when it comes to those two factors.
A DDoS assault might happen while you’re playing your favorite online game. When a botnet (a collection of compromised computers) attempts to flood your server with bogus requests, it is known as a DDoS attack, or Distributed Denial-of-Service assault.
An overburdened botnet prevents legitimate users from contacting the site and submitting their own requests as a result.
3. Customer Support
Only as excellent as the customer service of a gaming server host can you expect to get minimal latency.
It is important to pick a gaming server host that you feel comfortable with when you are searching for one. Having a bad encounter with a customer service person may spoil your whole day, not just your gaming experience.
4. Solid and High-Performing Hardware
To host a game, it’s often not up to you what kind of hardware is utilized. As a result, you should opt for a business that runs its gaming servers on strong hardware in advance.
To operate its gaming servers, your game hosting business will require a lot of strong hardware. This reduces the amount of time it takes for a game to load, so you don’t have to be annoyed by a sluggish experience.
5. Avoid Overselling
Overselling occurs when a gaming server hosting provider crams too many clients into the system, resulting in a scramble for server resources among all parties.
This is something a game hosting business may do if they think their customers won’t utilize all of their resources. Of course, this creates an issue if users really use all of the resources they’ve been given. Too many players on the same server result in a sluggish and sluggish gameplay experience.
6. Go for Dedicated IPS and Free Sub-Domains
To access your server as a Minecraft server gamer (for example), you’ll most likely utilize a dedicated IP address or a subdomain.
The IP address you use for your server is unique to your server, and you are not sharing it with other Minecraft server users when you utilize a dedicated IP. Because they don’t have to provide a port number to connect, many people choose to utilize a dedicated IP address.
Others who run their own Minecraft servers link to them using a subdomain. Unfortunately, players that need to get into their games right away may find it inconvenient to write down their IP addresses.
7. Straightforward Control Panels
When it comes to hosting, control panels are a lifesaver. With them, users may administer their dedicated servers, shared hosting accounts, and virtual private servers (VPS) without having to understand their underlying technology.
You should seek a game server host that provides a current gaming control panel with a lot of help when you’re looking for a gaming server.
After all, you don’t want to waste time tinkering with your server’s settings. Look for a gaming server host that’s tailored for your game, like this Factorio server hosting. It’ll employ an easy-to-use, feature-rich control panel.
8. Automatic Backups
Your game is something you’ve worked on for a long time, therefore it’s important to preserve your investment.
In the blink of an eye, a misconfiguration, corruption of worlds, inadvertent loss of data, and even faulty mod/game updates may lead you to lose everything. Backups, both internal and external, should be performed on a regular basis to avoid losing too much work.
In the unlikely event that anything were to go wrong and you were to lose all of your data, having a backup would enable you to resume playing right away with little or no loss.
Picking the Right Game Server Host: Cracking the Code
We know how overwhelming it can be to find the right game server among the hundreds available on the market.
It’s important to seek a gaming server host that provides excellent customer service, fast speeds, and security. So, we hope that our guide has put you on the right path toward the gaming server of your dreams.
Next, you’ll want to take a look at our technology section for our other guides and explainers tackling hardware and software solutions for gamers.
