How To Host a Minecraft Server
Last modified on Nov 29, 2022 in general
The greatest feature of the increasingly popular game Minecraft is that anyone is able to create and own their own server. This is incredible is it allows for complete customization of the game with basically limitless options. You can do this from your computer with a basic understanding but are generally limited by computer resources and bandwidth. This is why thousands have chosen to use us for Minecraft server hosting as we provide the fastest hardware at the lowest prices with excellent support. This guide will help you learn how to host a Minecraft server.
Step 1. Acquiring the hardware
You first need to obtain hardware that will be able to run a Minecraft server. Aspects of the computer that will be utilized are CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. The server will set aside a defined amount of RAM so you need to make sure that there is enough available to allow the server to operate. The amount required varies greatly as a Vanilla server can run on 512MB of RAM while a FTB server may require 2GB at a minimum depending on the number of plugins attached. Many individual server owners choose to host their Minecraft server on their computer while they are developing it to not have to spend money on a remote server, but this makes it difficult and slow for multiple users to work on it. If you plan on developing a server with a team you should take a look at our minecraft server hosting packages and purchase something small to at least get started. This will allow for a faster server allowing you and your team to work quicker and more efficiently, not to mention our servers use dual Xeon E5 processors and have very fast internet connections.
Step 2. Connecting to your server
Whether you purchased a server from us or are working locally on your computer you will need to gain access to the file system that the server is operating from. This will basically be a folder that contains all of the files that the server is loading each time it runs, and where it saves all of the configuration files. This is easy to do on a local PC as you only have to open up the folder to see all of the files and not much more difficult to do on a remote server. You will use a FTP Client, we recommend FileZilla Client, to connect to your server and access the files. Once connected you will see a jar folder where the main server jar will be placed. If you are using a server that implements plugins you will want to create a plugins folder and place each plugin jar you want to use inside of this folder. When you run the server it will execute all of the jar files and create all of the files and folders necessary for each of the components to work. This is where you will find all of the configuration settings for the server.
Step 3. Choosing what server version to run
There are many different variations of Minecraft servers ranging from Vanilla to complete mod packs such as FTB Unleashed. Vanilla minecraft will be the easiest to work with the default commands and will give you all of the tools necessary to start building your virtual world. Server versions such as Bukkit allow for plugins to easily be added allowing for more simplified customization of your games. We recommend starting with Vanilla to get familiar with hosting a Minecraft server than moving up to Bukkit as you want to expand its capabilities.
Step 4. Developing your server
Once you have started up your server for the first time it will now have all of the correct files created. You will want to edit the ops.txt file to add your player name as an operator thus giving you access to the game as an administrator. You can also do the same for friends and others that will help you build the server.
Step 5. Advertising your server
Upon completing the world and configuring roles for the public appropriately you can start advertising your server to the world. There are millions of Minecraft players who are looking for a place to go, so make sure that you offer them something unique and fun and you will have a dedicated community of players.
If you have any questions please contact us and we will point you in the right direction to help you get started on hosting a minecraft server.
