|
|
Dedicated Server Basics
.You do not need to be a technical expert!
What do I need to get started and
how many players can I have?
What is a Dedicated Server? Click Here
Though this guide speaks of Medal of Honor, this can be applied to many
other games that run on the Quake engine, including Call of Duty
What do I need to get started?
If you wish to have a server where others are going to connect through the internet, you have to consider the internet connection (bandwidth) and also then the computer equipment. I receive many emails asking if the PC they have is sufficient to run a server, but much more important is being sure that your internet connection will be able to satisfy what you want as a server (number of players before it starts to lag!)
If you are planning to put up a server for LAN parties alone, you just need to consider the hardware, such as the machine running as the server and the network itself.
Internet Connection:
Bandwidth is the most important factor in the success of any dedicated server on the internet (from home or remote). If you have a "high speed" internet connection at home such as Cable or DSL, this is the first step. You then need to understand what bandwidth your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is offering you.
Your ISP should tell you what speeds they offer, and they should inform you of the bandwidth for download and also for upload. The download rate is for passing data from the internet into your PC. This is usually set very high for Cable/DSL providers in order to get the high performance in browsing the Web. However, the upload rate is extremely important for running a server, where this is the data being sent from your server out to each player (client) on the internet. Most ISP's will limit the upload rates to discourage servers, and allow them to utilize the bulk of their bandwidth for the most common users, which are browsing the internet.
Many cable providers will offer 1.5 Meg download rates, but only 128k upload. From the emails I received, this seems to be normal. However, I have found that my cable provider offers more bandwidth where I get 256k for upload, and 3 Meg download. The higher upload rate really makes the difference for the server and the number of players before it starts to lag. I would like to have 1.5 meg upload!!! :)
If you have 128k upload, you can still have a server, but you may be somewhat limited in number of players you can handle. I would guess between 6 and 10.
The computer (Server)
It is not necessary to purchase a true "server" if you are just hosting a multi-player computer game like MOHAA. A standard PC is sufficient for a home server. I use one of my older computers as the "server" and it has worked great. A dedicated server (PC) does not require all of the same hardware as a computer you play the game on either!
In the manual, for playing MOHAA, the recommend system would be a 700 mhz or faster CPU (Pentium III or Athlon processor), and I would agree with this for a server. My oldest machine is running an 850mhz Athlon and it works great. The minimum CPU is 450 mhz, so this size may still work fine for a small server.
My recommendation for memory would be 256 meg. My machines have much more memory, but normal memory usage is around 128m or just a little higher. I also recommend a fast hard drive. The access speed of the drive is important for good performance, so I would recommend you have a drive that runs at 7200.
Since this is a "dedicated server", the video card is not at all important, and a sound card is not required. Use a cheap video card, just sufficient to operate the computer (run windows and to launch the game server). You will need a CD rom drive to load the game, but this is only required for the initial install. The game CD is not required to run the game on the dedicated server. Of course, you do need a network card in the machine to connect to the internet or LAN.
You do not need to have a Monitor, Keyboard, or mouse if you are going to have your server at home, next to another computer. Instead, I suggest that you get a KVM Switch (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) which will allow you to connect one Monitor, Keyboard, and mouse to multiple computers. With such a switch, you can change between computers with ease while they are running.... and save space on your desk too!. It is recommended that you get an electronic switch, and not a mechanical switch.
I use a KVM from IOGEAR http://www.iogear.com |
|
I only have one Cable Modem or DSL Modem!
How do I hook up the server?
If you only have one computer hooked up to the internet today, but you have another computer you want to connect as a dedicated server, it is time to get into Networking. You can connect one computer to the other, or install equipment to better split up the connections internally such as with a switch or router.
The simplest solution is to contact your Cable/DSL provider and purchase a second IP Address. For cable, this will cost about $7.00 extra per month. You will also need a switch or hub to split the line from the modem to the two different machines. I recommend a Switch instead of a Hub for best performance. You can get a good switch for under $35.00, and each machine will then have its own IP address. |
|
I use Linksys equipment - pictured here. Linksys.com
However, there are better options available and easy to install.
See my Home Networking page for the basics and hooking up a Router.
HOME NETWORKING PAGE
How many players can I have?
It all depends on your internet connection speed, the performance of the machine used as the server, the settings in the game itself, and of course.... how much lag you are willing to put up with during the games!
With a standard home connection with Cable or DSL, do not expect to have a server running well with 16 or more players. You may be able to run a good server with 12 to 14 players, but if you have an upload rate of 128k, you may be limited to 8, possibly 10 players. A server with 8 players still allows for some very good games in Allied Assault!
I have run my server with 12 and 14 players, with 256k upload, and I do start experiencing lag when the server if full, especially if a few players have pings over 200. If all of the players have pings under 100, the game runs very well with 12 and 14 players, but one player with a ping of 200 or more will suddenly pull the performance on everyone else and lag will set in.
I try to monitor the server as much as possible, and when it is empty or a slow night of gaming, I will allow for just about any ping and players will join with 300 even 400 pings. However, once people start joining, the game may have difficulty once I get to 10 players and a few high ping players. I must either limit the number of players joining or ask the high ping players to leave.
Lag is the killer for all servers and games.... if too much lag, people will leave the game thinking the server is too weak (and may not return). Setting the maximum ping to low limits the number of people that could join your server, and may give up trying. The result in either case is an empty server. Finding the best balance is the challenge you will face. You want to attract players to your server, and you want them to keep returning. This requires that the administrator monitor games and keep the game running at the best possible performance, but if you do this, over time, you will get a good group of regular players.
Turn off all unnecessary applications!
If you are running a dedicated server, you should shut off ALL other applications on this machine that are not critical to running the computer. Do not launch other internet applications such as MSN or it will greatly impact the performance.
If you are using Windows XP, go into "Services" and shut down everything that is not required for running the server. Here is a good site that tells what each service is and what can be shut down for Windows XP - BlackViper.com
Configure the Game
You will have to experiment with settings yourself, but two key elements are maximum ping settings and rate settings, both are maintained in the server configuration file (server.cfg). For more information on this, see my dedicated server setup page.
Maximum Ping: Many people depend on max-ping settings, allowing only those with the lowest ping to join the server. If you have several friends in the local area that want to join, have them join and take note of their pings. If their pings are all low, say under 100 or lower, you could set the maximum ping to 100 and this will ensure they can join the server and others on the internet with low pings could join also. The killer on a small server is having several players with high pings, it will drag everyone else down. If you want to have an open server, you will have to determine what max ping you can live with, and monitor the lag. Finding the correct combination of max-players and max-ping for your server is more of a trial and error effort.
Rate Setting. The rate of information passed to the client from the server. A rate of 8000 or 9000 is very good for a 12 to 14 player server, but this will eat up your bandwidth more quickly. You can drop the rate lower, but some players may notice slowing or choppy play when dropped down to 3000 or lower. This is something you just have to experiment with also, but you can change this setting from the console while the game is running and determine the impact.
Copyright 2002-2006 TMMworld.com
All Rights Reserved (read more)
|
|
|
|