Ulysses

General => Off-Topic => Topic started by: ojbristow on March 11, 2014, 04:29:32 PM

Title: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 11, 2014, 04:29:32 PM
Hello,

Currently I have renting two virtual servers running TTT and prophunt from nitrous networks. I also have forums and a teamspeak. I am thinking of renting myself a full dedicated server so I can host all of these from one place. Where I am now used to setting up TTT and prophunt with a few clicks of a button I am slightly confused now. Will I need to do a clean set up and install like it a 'home run' server?

Whilst typing this out, I thought, will I be able to just upload the existing server files that I have and just edit a few things?

And to have two servers on the same box, will I just need to do that process twice?

Thanks,

Owen

EDIT: I'm not sure what OS to rock, I'm thinking either CentOS? Any recommendations?

Also, just thought, have I posted this in the wrong place as it's not directly to do with ULX? If I have, I'm sorry D:
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: MrPresident on March 11, 2014, 06:23:49 PM
I moved it for you.

To answer your questions though:

Yes, you would just run it like a home run server. A dedicated server is nothing more than a 'home' server that is hosted in a professional (hopefully) located data-center.
It's very quite easy to set up servers this way though. You can just create a batch script that runs SteamCMD and updates your garrysmod installation.

To run more than one server off of the same box, you would either have to install them to separate directories or to the same if you wish for them to share resources. (this is what I do)
Either way, in the launch options for your server you would need to define the IP and port you are running the servers from. If running both from the same IP you will need them to be on different ports. 27015 and 27016 for example.

I would recommend Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. Most providers will provide you with Windows Server 200(3/8) Web Edition for no additional cost.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 01:43:10 AM
Thanks, thats cleared things up a bit :)

Does anyone have any suggestions for host to use, or to avoid?  I have the price in mind is £80-90 ish.

Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Decicus on March 12, 2014, 02:15:57 AM
To be honest, I haven't used very many, but one that I have used (and I am currently using) is NFOServers, also known as Nuclear Fallout.

They have really good connection and helpful support, so my personal suggestion is that you try them out.
They also provide a few different OS's for no extra charge.
 
Link: https://www.nfoservers.com/order-virtual-dedicated-server.php (https://www.nfoservers.com/order-virtual-dedicated-server.php)
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 02:29:40 AM
Hey,

Sorry, should have added that it should be an EU company/locations, sorry, thanks for the suggestion though :)

Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Decicus on March 12, 2014, 02:37:06 AM
Oh, that's alright.
They do offer one EU location, which is in Frankfurt.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 02:42:33 AM
WOW im blind :P
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 03:17:17 AM
Do you know if Windows Server 2012 R2 will work well with GMOD?
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Decicus on March 12, 2014, 04:33:22 AM
I haven't tried 2012 myself, I prefer 2008. 2008 works for fine for GMod after my experience, and I'm running a GMod server with that at the moment.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: MrPresident on March 12, 2014, 04:57:49 AM
Be warned:

Virtual Dedicated Server is another fancy way of saying Virtual Server. You're still sharing system resources with other people.
For that budget per month you could easily afford a Dedicated Server. I would recommend you look for a host that offers actual dedicated servers.

And to answer your question about 2012 R2. We use that at G4P and it works fine.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 06:00:34 AM
http://www.nfoservers.com/order-virtual-dedicated-server.php (http://www.nfoservers.com/order-virtual-dedicated-server.php)

This is what I will probably get. The six eight  core level with an upgrade of RAM to make it a total of 10GB.

I think this will be more than good enough for a couple of Game servers, web sites and Teamspeak?

Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Decicus on March 12, 2014, 06:33:04 AM
Be warned:

Virtual Dedicated Server is another fancy way of saying Virtual Server. You're still sharing system resources with other people.
For that budget per month you could easily afford a Dedicated Server. I would recommend you look for a host that offers actual dedicated servers.
I just realized he asked for a dedicated server in his first post. They do provide them, but it's a bit higher than what he set as a budget (in this case, a different host would probably be a better choice).

This is what I will probably get. The six eight  core level with an upgrade of RAM to make it a total of 10GB.

I think this will be more than good enough for a couple of Game servers, web sites and Teamspeak?
Definitely. I run two websites + one gameserver + TeamSpeak server on the two-core one, and it runs fine with that.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 12, 2014, 06:35:17 AM
I just realized he asked for a dedicated server in his first post. They do provide them, but it's a bit higher than what he set as a budget (in this case, a different host would probably be a better choice).
Definitely. I run two websites + one gameserver + TeamSpeak server on the two-core one, and it runs fine with that.

I was asking in pounds, NFO seems perfect for me :D
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: sabo on March 13, 2014, 12:24:33 PM
Youre wasting money if you get 8 cores with 10GB of RAM for a couple gmod servers.

I personally have 5 Servers, currently only 3 are running because the other 2 are not being managed due to time missing. How ever, I was perfectly able to run 5 Servers with 4 Cores and 6GB of RAM. Using an average of  70% of CPU and 90% of RAM.

A Gmod server does not take that much resources, around 300MB of RAM, not sure about CPU tho.

And I am running Windows Server 2012 myself, works more than fine for me.


Good luck.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 24, 2014, 08:59:15 AM
Me again,

Everything is coming along nicely now, everything apart from the FastDL - I cant seem to get it to work and make it actually download.

I have got the Files hosted on the dedicated server: http://31.186.251.155:84/ (http://31.186.251.155:84/)

The server cfg has the following included:

Code: [Select]
sv_allowupload "1"
sv_allowdownload "1"
sv_downloadurl "http://31.186.251.155:84/"

Im not sure if the sv_download/upload is correct as I have seen many different places say different things.

Any tips are greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks,
Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: MrPresident on March 24, 2014, 12:11:19 PM
Personally my allowdownload and allowupload are set to 0.

Your sv_downloadurl looks correct and the structure of your fastdl folder is correct as far as I can tell as well.

Are you sure that the content you want your clients to download are properly being added to the resource list?
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: sabo on March 24, 2014, 03:15:38 PM
Code: [Select]
sv_allowdownload 0
sv_allowupload 0

+ you have to add a lua file in your garrysmod/lua/autorun/server/.. folder which "forces" clients to download the stuff.

The file for 1 of my Models looks like this:
Code: [Select]
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/grimbody.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/mouth.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/skelface.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/skelface2.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/stimer.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "materials/models/grim/sythe.vmt" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.dx80.vtx" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.dx90.vtx" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.mdl" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.phy" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.sw.vtx" )
resource.AddFile( "models/grim.vvd" )

You have to add all the files to the list above except for *.vtf files.

Hope I was of any help, if not let me know ;)
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 24, 2014, 04:22:03 PM
Thanks,

So I haven't got to the player models yet. But with the custom weapons, do you need to do that?

Thanks,
Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: sabo on March 26, 2014, 04:35:40 AM
Thanks,

So I haven't got to the player models yet. But with the custom weapons, do you need to do that?

Thanks,
Owen

I suppose the custom weapons are custom and not just an AK47 with a changed fire rate and more damage... then yes, you need to add all the models/materials into the lua file with resource.AddFile( "" )
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 28, 2014, 08:46:21 AM
Ok, so I've done that for each of the player models and you can see when trying to connect that it is downloading the files.  Once connected the player models are errors, I think I know why but I do not know if that is the problem.  Windows OS uses backslashes \ with directories and file paths, gmod seems to want to use forward slashes /.  Would this be a problem?

Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Bytewave on March 28, 2014, 03:32:45 PM
Ok, so I've done that for each of the player models and you can see when trying to connect that it is downloading the files.  Once connected the player models are errors, I think I know why but I do not know if that is the problem.  Windows OS uses backslashes \ with directories and file paths, gmod seems to want to use forward slashes /.  Would this be a problem?

Owen
No.
GMod will read /'s as \'s on a Windows OS.
In fact, a \ marks a character escape, so... yeah, you would definitely not want to use a \ in file paths.
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 29, 2014, 06:13:26 AM
Ok thanks :)

Still cant get that working though :( all the player models now come up as the big red flashing errors.

Im not sure if I have missed something but Im fairly sure that everything on my end is setup properly, unless you cant host the fastdl on the same gameserver IP?

Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: ojbristow on March 29, 2014, 01:39:04 PM
I think I've got a hint at what it is.  I was having a look on the fastdl site http://31.186.251.155:91/ (http://31.186.251.155:91/) for just any clue of what is wrong and I noticed that some files do not want to download, it shows an error.  The file type are .mdl and .vvd (not sure if that are any others or not.)

I've tried to add these extensions to the MIME Types in the IIS manager but didnt seem to have any effect.

Any guidance?

Thanks,
Owen
Title: Re: Questions about getting a dedicated server
Post by: Decicus on March 29, 2014, 01:45:45 PM
When I've used IIS, I usually do extension "*" (only using the asterix, as it's pretty much "anything") and then setting the MIME-type to application/octet-stream.

Try removing the ones you've set and just do that, as that seems to work for me.