10 Best Dedicated Game Server Hosting Providers

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In today’s world, gaming is no longer only something you do on your own in your living room on a console or pc. Where once the only way to play with someone or against them was to invite some friends over and go multiplayer, now that is not the case. Not only can you connect with any player around the world, whole games are designed on the premise of a large worldwide community.



MMRPGs, massively multiplayer role playing games are hugely popular and they come in all forms of content, genre and style. Lots of different kinds of people game together, women, professionals, seniors, teens. It is not just nerds and geeks who like to game to relax and have fun. Instead of sitting in front of the television, many of us chose to connect and play together.



To host such games though servers are needed. But for some there are limits to connecting to servers and in that case, there is the option of dedicated gaming servers. A dedicated gaming server is one or a cluster of servers. It allows the person running them to customize a game more, play a different version of a well-known game, play with just friends.



In some cases you can charge for that though care should be taken with the company that developed the game. Check their rules first. Good examples of a massive online game are Minecraft or World of Warcraft.



So forget that stereotype you think of when I talk about gamers. They are everyone and anyone. I am a gamer. If you are looking for the best dedicated game server hosting you are likely a gamer too!



Multiplayer Gaming on the Rise



Increasingly gaming as a way to socialize is becoming more normal and accepted. I enjoy the banter you can have with others, choosing whether to voice chat or not, and meeting people as well as the actual game play. I am not male, I am not living with my parents, and I am not unemployable!



It has even moved beyond that into a profession, there are people who successfully make money from gaming. That can happen from live streaming, endorsements and so on. Back in the 1970s the first games appeared for universities but they soon spread. Games like first person shooter Doom had an important impact on multiplayer gaming as did the 1996 release of Quake.



Popular Online Multiplayer Games



There are a growing number of games that people are setting up dedicated game servers for today. These include but are no way limited to;



Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - A very popular first person shooter game where the players can be either counter terrorists or the terrorists.Minecraft - Who would have thought blocks would prove so successful?! Get creative and build your own villages, towns, cities and continents. Currently the most popular sandbox multiplayer game you can buy. Starbound - Another creative sandbox game, more adventure like and you are in space. You need to gather resources to make repairs and explore the planets. There are also quests to undertake and a storyline to follow.Rust - Survival, first person shooter, exploration. Rust is a popular multiplayer sandbox game where is it boasts there is an awful lot of things that can kill you!Killing Floor - With the huge wave of zombie TV, games and movies it is no surprise one of the popular multiplayer games is a zombie one.DayZ - Another survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world.Space Engineers - A sandbox game set in space. You can explore planets, build space stations and space ships, fly space ships and gather resources.Arma - First person shooter game with lots of simulation, tactical decision making and a mix of small scale and large scale fighting.Ark - An action adventure survival game…with dinosaurs!



What do Game Servers Do?



Before I move on to the best dedicated game server hosting platforms let me give a quick outline on what servers do. In multiplayer games there is the game client, what you handle at home, and what the server handles. Your game client deals with things like;



1. the graphics2. the controls3. and the sound



On the server end it or they deal with things like;



1. the action itself in the game2. the player’s positions3. the rules of the game and making sure they are followed



You can in principal have your computer act as a game server online but problems can happen and it works a lot better of you have a dedicated game server. At home you might run into issues with your router blocking ports, not being able to handle a lot of players and security issues. It takes a certain level of competence and knowledge that you might not really have. It also takes up some time which you might want to save for actual gaming.



Advantages of Using a Dedicated Game Server



- A dedicated server should run 24 hours a day 7 days a week, all 365 days a year- Able to handle high traffic- No issues with overheating- Better performance- Dedicated servers give more flexibility than shared plans as you are not completing for bandwidth and uptime- Using a game focused dedicated server host rather than doing it yourself means you can spend more time actually gaming- Less lag issues which really can ruin a game when that gets bad - Easy voice chat both as a group or to chat one to one with someone- Support for when it is needed, looking for good response times as well as solving times- Pre-installed on many are the most popular game servers some of which I mentioned above- Space to put in a website of some kind with a website builder to make it easy- Ability to integrate that site with the game so you can do extra things like display player rankings- Software to have a forum, these are an important part of the gaming community where players can discuss quests, events, strategy and chat- Systems of achievements to encourage players further- Control panel like Mint panel



Choosing a Dedicated Game Server



1. Does the server match the technical requirements of the game you want to host? 2. Is the hardware top of the line? You should lean towards a tier 1 provider with SSDs and excellent processors.3. What is the uptime guarantee? You need to know the servers will be reliable. Game crashes all the time will make players angry and some will leave.4. How much is it going to cost?5. Is customization available?6. Are there voice servers, are they pre-installed?7. Is there DDoS protection?8. Are the gaming modules included with the price of the plan?9. Are the modules one click or pre-installed? This would save you a lot of time.10. Is there support available at any time? Check what existing customers have to say about this.11. Can you have a trial period to see how it goes without committing to a longer contract? 12. Does it have high level security?



Best Dedicated Game Server Hosting Providers



HostGatorBlueHostInMotionGoDaddyKnownHostGameServers.comA2HostingLiquidWeb OVH.com1&1 IONOSAll of these hosting sites offer other types of hosting services as well as dedicated. Focusing on dedicated server hosting, at a glance with each of these hosts’ cheapest plans you get;



phone, live chat, email



email



1. HostGator



A great option for the best dedicated game server hosting is HostGator. They are a well known company in the hosting world and have proven to be reliable though prices are at the higher end compared to the other options. It has an uptime guarantee of 99.9% and a nice unmetered bandwidth. There are three plans available for dedicated game server hosting, Value the cheapest at $189 a month, Power at $249 a month and Enterprise at $289 a month. Here is an outline of what each plan from HostGator offers you;



Value Server



- RAM is at 8GB- Bandwidth is unmetered- 4 Core and 8 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs- 1TB HDD- Price starts at $189 a month but with the current offer if you buy now and opt for the maximum amount of 36 months it works out at $119 a month- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers- Account activation is instant- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows PleskPower Server - recommended by HostGator



- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers- Account activation is instant- 2TB HDD or 512 GB SSD- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows Plesk- Price starts at $249 a month but with current special offer and if you opt for 36 months now you pay $138.99 a month- 8 Core and 16 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU- RAM is 16GB- Bandwidth is unmetered- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs



Enterprise Server



- 8 Core and 16 Thread Intel Xeon-D CPU- RAM is 30GB- 1 TB SSD- Bandwidth is unmetered- Can choose between managed or semi-managed servers- Price starts at $289 a month but with current special offer and if you opt for 36 months now you pay $149.01 a month- Account activation is instant- Operating system can be CentOS cPanel or Windows Plesk- 24/7 support in various forms to suit anybody’s needs



The best dedicated game server hosting at HostGator in the basic plan does not offer a choice between SSD and HDD, that starts with the next priced plan. But it has a lot to offer in the form of great customer support, the servers are secure with DDoS protection and it comes with Raid-1 configuration. The number of databases offered are unlimited and then 3 to 5 IP addresses.



This company has been around for over 10 years and is a respected hosting service. The dedicated servers are hosted in the US in a Tier 3 data center and you can opt for managed or semi-managed in all the plans. Their price is a little higher for this hosting service than some other options that I will look at, but I am offering you a guide on the best dedicated game server hosts not the cheapest!



2. BlueHost



BlueHost is a hosting platform or service that I regularly recommend when questioned about a good hosting option. As well as offering the dedicated server hosting it also has VPS hosting from $29.99 to $119.99 a month, Cloud hosting for $9.99 to $25.99 a month and Shared hosting for $3.95 to $23.99 a month. I will focus here though on their Dedicated hosting plans for the best dedicated game server hosting options.



Dedicated game server hosting with BlueHost falls into 3 fairly priced plans:



Standard plan - $79.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $119.99 a month.Enhanced plan (recommended by BlueHost) - $99.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $159.99 a month.Premium plan - $119.99 a month with the new user offer or normally $209.99 a month.Standard plan (the cheapest) offers users;



- 4 core and 8 threads- 3 GHz CPU- 500GB storage mirrored- 4GB RAM- 5TB bandwidth- 1 free domain- 3 free IP addresses- 24/7 support- Free SSL



Enhanced plan (recommended by BlueHost) offers users;



- 24/7 support- Free SSL- 4 free IP addresses- 1 free domain included- 10TB bandwidth- RAM is 8GB- 1TB mirrored storage- 5 GHz CPU- 4 cores and 8 threads



Premium plan offers users;



- 3.3 GHz CPU- 4 cores and 8 threads



- 1TB mirrored storage- RAM is 16GB- 15TB bandwidth- 1 free domain included- 5 free IP addresses- 24/7 support- Free SSL



It is worth noting that at the moment you can get the standard plan but get a free upgrade to more CPU and more storage. BlueHost also promises fast speeds, technology that is kept up to date, a server ready for you within 24 to 72 hours and RAID level 1 configuration.



BlueHost are a lot more affordable than HostGator for example, even if they did not have a special offer of their own to reduce the plans prices even further. It is easy to use, secure and there is a 30 day money back guarantee. So you can give them a try and if you are not satisfied within 30 days you can get your money back.



There are a couple of other cheaper alternatives that I will spell out for you, if your need is specifically about cost, but BlueHost is good for a mix of affordability and decent offers in their plans. You can also nearly always get some kind of new account holder saving.



They also boast an enhanced cPanel that allows you more control and from where you can increase storage without having to contact support. You get root access to your server and it will be completely isolated from all other servers. You will not be impacted by other server’s performances.



Choosing BlueHost as the best dedicated game server hosting service really does make sense, to me and to a lot of other people.



3. InMotion Hosting



The interesting thing about the dedicated servers with InMotion Hosting is that all of them are SSD at no extra cost. It is also a more affordable option than some other platforms with plans starting at $115.69 a month currently with a special offer. However regular prices are higher by quite a bit with the first plan’s regular price going up to $169.99.



There are 6 plans they offer to people shopping for the best dedicated game server hosting options. These are the Essential plan, their cheapest offering at $115.69 usually, then the Advanced which is their best value plan, the Elite, the CC-500, the CC-1000 and the CC-2000. Let’s take a closer look at the first 3 options;



Essential - best price at $115.69 a month



4 core and 8 threads$115.69 a month with the new user special offer but usually $169.99 a month9GHz clock speed4 GB RAM DDR3 ECC usually but promo currently offers Double RAM for no cost1TB 7.2K HDD or 500GB SSD disk space6TB data transfer a month5 IPs for free2 hours of managed hosting for freeCPU cache 8MB Free SSDsFree setup for now but usually there is a charge of $99RAID software (not hardware)Intel® Xeon® E3-1220 v2



Advanced - best value



Intel® Xeon® E3-1270 v6$176.59 a month with special offer for new users but usually $209.99 a month4 Core and 8 threads2GHz clock speed8GB RAM DDR4 ECC but offering double RAM for free promo2TB 7.2K HDD or 500GB SSD disk space RAID software (not hardware)2 hours of managed hosting for free10TB data transfer a month10 IPs for freeYour choice of data centerCPU cache 8MBFree SSDsFree set up currently but usually a $99 fee



Elite



Intel® Xeon® E3-1270 v6$248.99 a month with special offer for new users but usually $289.99 a month 4 Core and 8 threads2GHz clock speed16GB RAM DDR4 ECC but offering double RAM for free promo2TB 7.2K HDD x 2 or 500GB SSD x 2 disk spaceRAID hardware2 hours of managed hosting for free10TB data transfer a month15 IPs for freeYour choice of data centerCPU cache 8MBFree SSDsFree set up currently but usually a $99 fee



Briefly the CC options start at $350.99 a month with the special offer or $399.99 usually a month and go up to $529.49 a month with special offer or $569.99 usually. In a nutshell they offer;



6 to 16 cores and 12 to 32 threads7 to 3.0 GHz16 to 64 GB RAM DDR3 or 42 x 500 GB SSD up to 3 x 1 TB SSDRAID hardware included in all of them4 hours of managed hosting for free in all of them15TB data transfer a month15 IPs for freeFree set up currently but usually a $99 fee



InMotion Hosting also offer clients on these higher plans a lifetime discount, so you save money the longer you stay with them. However you pay more for things like secondary drives, backup hard drives, hardware firewall, remote KVM, power supply, more memory, better primary drives.



They do have 24/7 support and promise security, reliability and speed. They also promise 99.999% uptime along with DDoS protection.



4. GoDaddy



GoDaddy is another hosting platform where as well as getting dedicated servers, as with other companies you can also get VPS, Cloud and Shared hosting. They offer full root access so you can customize as much as you want, more control and more flexibility. There are 4 plans to choose from, Economy being the most affordable, then Value, Deluxe and Ultimate.



Their prices are in Canadian dollars. I will exchange them to US dollars for you here as that is what the other options are priced with. Be aware that as exchange rates change, these conversions may be more a guide than a precise price. Here is a closer look at those plans.



Economy - cheapest option Linux option is $172.73 a month usually and windows option is $206.24 a month usually



- 4 Core and 8 threads- 1GHz clock speed- 4GB RAM- 1TB disk space- RAID-1- Unmetered bandwidth- 3 IPs for free- Free 1 year SSL certificate- Processor type 1x Xeon E3-1220-v3



Value - Linux option is$202.45 a month usually and windows option is $235.94 a month usually



- 4 Core and 8 threads- 1GHz clock speed- 8GB RAM- 5 TB disk space- RAID-1- Unmetered bandwidth- 3 IPs for free- Free 1 year SSL certificate- Processor type 1x Xeon E3-1220-v3



Deluxe - Linux option is $252.70 a month usually and windows option is $286.18 a month usually



- 4 Core and 8 threads- 1GHz clock speed- 16 GB RAM- 2 TB disk space- RAID-1- Unmetered bandwidth- 3 IPs for free- Free 1 year SSL certificate- Processor type 1x Xeon E3-1220-v3



Ultimate - Linux option is$353.16 a month usually and windows option is $386.67 a month usually



- 4 Core and 8 threads- 1GHz clock speed- 32 GB RAM- 2 TB disk space- RAID-1- Unmetered bandwidth- 3 IPs for free- Free 1 year SSL certificate- Processor type 1x Xeon E3-1220-v3



There is currently a 30% discount on some plans so it may be possible to get a plan for less right now. GoDaddy offer file backups but charge a fee for that. You can have managed or fully managed options and their servers are based in US but with some presence worldwide.



There is an uptime guarantee of 99.9% and they offer 24/7 support in the form of phone, live chat and email. There is less server RAM in their basic package though compared to some other options, despite being at the higher end of the pricing.



5. KnownHost



KnownHost are a privately-owned hosting company set in the US, that focus especially on managed dedicated hosting and managed VPS hosting. It has been around for about 15 years and it has a sister company, RocketVPS who offers unmanaged VPS hosting and then a recent acquisition Uberhost that deals more with the Shared hosting. So rather than one brand offering all types of hosting as is the usual with online hosting platforms, they have spread it out between the three of them.



The Linux only 4 hosting plans they offer for dedicated servers are KH-MD1, the lowest priced, then KH-MD2, KH-MD3 and lastly KH-MD4. Here is a closer look;



KH-MD1 - cheapest plan $159.00 a month



- i7-6700 CPU- 4GHz 8MB- 8 GB RAM DDR4- HDD1 256GB SSD- 6TB of bandwidth- Max drives 2- No RAID hardware available at this level



KH-MD2 - $179.00 a month



- Xeon E3-1270v5 CPU- 6GHz 8MB- 8 GB RAM DDR4- HDD1 256GB SSD- 6TB of bandwidth- Max drives 4- RAID hardware optional for additional cost



KH-MD3 - $249.00 a month



- 2 Xeon E5-2430v2 CPU- 5GHz 15MB - 8 GB RAM DDR3- HDD1 256GB SSD- 8TB bandwidth- Max drives 4- RAID hardware optional for additional cost



KH-MD4 - $339.00 a month



- 2 Xeon E5-2620v3 CPU- 4GHz 15MB- 16 GB RAM DDR4- HDD1 256GB SSD- 12 TB bandwidth- Max drives 4- RAID hardware optional for additional cost



KnownHost’s main data center is in Texas, US and servers are managed fully. This makes this an ideal option for users wanting dedicated game server hosting services who are new to it, or not technically proficient. They have a 99.995% uptime guarantee which means you can basically expect to only have half an hour of server downtime each year. Uptime is a really important part of who you want to go with for your dedicated server.



You can upgrade your server with more RAM, drive space or bandwidth at additional costs. There is no money back guarantee offered to dedicated server users though and no phone support. However their email support is fast and helpful. Also their ticket support is good with users reporting it taking as little as as ten to fifteen minutes for someone to respond when there is a problem.



KnownHost do not do the usual enticement of new buyers by putting the first month or three at a special offer. It is focused on dedicated server users so it has the expertise to deal with any queries. It is not one of the more popular or well-known options for dedicated servers, but those who do try are positive in general about their experiences.



6. GameServers.com



GameServers.com have dedicated and VPS hosting options and also have specific games targeted including Rust, Minecraft and Conan Exiles. It has voice servers too and is currently offering 20% off of some plans. It boasts instant activations, 24/7 support and a large gaming network. There really seems to be a mixed bag of reviews for GameServers.com as an option to host your dedicated game servers. Some praise the support they offer and the server responses, and some are critical.



If you like the look of this platform for hosting your dedicated servers perhaps because of the higher server RAM, be aware there is no uptime promise that I could find. They are though certainly a more affordable option so perhaps worth trying out.



There are 4 plans for dedicated game servers, E3-1220 the cheapest, E3-1240v3, E31270v5 and E5-1650v3. Here is a closer look at those plans;



E3-1220 - cheapest option, $69.99 a month



- 4 Cores x 3.0Ghz CPU- 16 GB RAM- HDD 1TB- Bandwidth is 10TB- DDoS Mitigation 10Gbps



E3-1240v3 - $99.99 a month



- 4 Cores x 3.4Ghz w/ HT CPU- 32 GB RAM- 120 GB SSD- Bandwidth is10TB- DDoS Mitigation 10Gbps



E3-1270v5 - $109.99 a month



- 4 Cores x 3.6-4.0Ghz w/ HT CPU- 32 GB RAM- 240 GB SSD- Bandwidth is 10TB- DDoS Mitigation 10Gbps



E5-1650v3 - $179.99 a month



- 6 Cores x 3.5Ghz w/ HT CPU- 64 GB RAM- 240 GB SSD- Bandwidth is 10TB - DDoS Mitigation 10Gbps



GameServers.com has over 300,000 users and seem to focus more specifically on gamers to bring in clients. There is a mixed bag of reviews though and I could find no uptime guarantee. It is the most affordable option for dedicated game server hosting but unclear whether that necessarily makes it the best dedicated game server hosting service.



Something I do like about them though is that you can see the different games they offer, they have a clear map of where their worldwide locations are and the choice of voice servers, Teamspeak, Mumble and Ventrilo are very clear to see and learn more about. Whereas other companies feel more like hosting services in general, this one feels like it knows what gamers want.



7. A2Hosting



A2Hosting are a lesser known hosting platform that have something to offer people looking for dedicated game servers. There are actually four plans and three management levels with their high performance servers. This is to meet the needs of the two different types of users that want dedicated servers. There are those with some technical know-how who are confident in their abilities and want the control for unmanaged options. There are then those who want managed servers where the worry is taken care of and there is no work, or very little work, to be done.



The plans are Unmanaged Flex server, the cheapest option, Discount SSD server, the most popular option, Managed Flex server and Core Flex server. Within each option are three plans called Sprint, Exceed and Mach. When you click on each one, they then each have those more specific plans. Basically giving you a choice between 12 options. Here is a closer look;



Unmanaged Flex Server - three plans, Sprint, Exceed and Mach all of which are great for developers as they are customizable prices range from $119.99 to $299.99;



- Root access given to you- 2 to 8 cores- 8 to 16 GB RAM- 2×500 to 2 x 1000 GB storage- Bandwidth 10TB to 20TB- SSL optional



Discount SSD Server from $192.99 to $372.99 all 3 plans are fully managed with;



- Root access given to you- Free cPanel control panel - Full hostguard management- 2 x 128 GB SSD- 10 to 20 TB transfer- 8 to 16 GB RAM- 2 to 8 cores- Free SSL



Managed Flex Server from $169.99 to $349.99 a month with 3 plans that offer;



- No root access given- Free cPanel control panel- Full hostguard management- 2 x 500 to 2 x 1000 GB storage- 10 to 20 TB transfer- 8 to 16 GB RAM- 2 to 8 cores- Free SSL



Core Flex Server from $169.99 a month to $349.99 with 3 plans that offer;



- Root access given to you- Free cPanel control panel- Full hostguard management- 2 x 500 to 2 x 1000 GB Storage- 10 to 20 TB transfer- 8 to 16 GB RAM- 2 to 8 cores- Free SSL



They also offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee and are fast and secure. They include cPanel in their price (that can sometimes come with an extra fee) and have an anytime money back guarantee. Be sure you really do know what you are doing if you opt for a plan that gives you control. Also be sure you have the time to spend on those things, it will after all take up some of your gaming time.



8. LiquidWeb



LiquidWeb is on my list of the best dedicated game server hosting services because of its speed, reliability and affordability. It is a good hosting provider and is especially suited to those with no time or skill with managing the servers, it is all done for you. Those servers are secure, able to use Windows or Linux and they actually do offer 100% network and uptime guarantee.



This service provider splits their plans between single processor servers and dual processor servers. There are 4 plans for single processor servers and 3 for dual processors. The cheapest plan is $199 a month on the single processor and then it runs up to the top end of the dual processor options which is $599 a month.



Single Processor plans run from $199 to $389 a month and offer;



- Between 4 to 6 cores- 5 GHz to 4.0 GHz- 16 GB RAM to 32 GB RAM- 2 x 250 GB to 2 x 500 GB- SSD primary storage- 1 TB SATA Backup drive- 5 TB bandwidth to 10 TB bandwidth- DDOS protection included- Guardian backups- Hardware Firewall



Dual Processor plans run from $399 to $599 a month and offer;



- Between 16 to 24 cores- 1 GHz to 2.2 GHz- 32 GB RAM to 64 GB RAM- 2 x 480 GB- Enterprise SSD primary drive- 1 TB to 4 TB SATA Backup drive- 8 TB Bandwidth to 15 TB- DDOS protection included- Guardian backups- Hardware Firewall



Other promising things about this server host are they do not charge setup fees and their high RAM means they can easily handle the popular multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike, WOW or Minecraft. They do offer savings with a discount for new users on their first 3 months.



They also have great support promises with a 59 second guarantee on live chat or the phone, or half an hour via email or ticket. However their usual prices are one of the higher in this 10 best of list. If you do not know how to cover the costs for your server, this is not the best option.



9. OVH.com



OVH.com may not be as common in the world of giant dedicated game server hosting services, but it does have something interesting to offer. A million users agree with me. Its data centers can be found around the world, including Singapore, Australia, the UK, Europe and North America.



Their dedicated servers are designed specifically for gaming mean you can have access to voice chat, host the most popular games and do it securely with DDoS protection. The three plans specific to game hosting are Game 32 the cheapest at $83.99 a month, Game 64 and Game 64 OC.



Here is a closer look at those 3 plans;



Game 32 the cheapest starting at $83.99 a month



- 4 core and 8 threads- 4 GHz to 4.2 GHz- 32 GB RAM- 2 x 480 GB + 1x4TB SATA- DDOS protection included- Soft Raid (not hardware)- 500 GB storage- Root access given- Control panel



Game 64 starting at $118.99 a month



- 4 core and 8 threads - 2 GHz to 4.5 GHz- 64 GB RAM- 2 x 450 GB NVme + 1x4TB SATA- DDOS protection included- Soft Raid (not hardware)- 500 GB storage- Root access given- Control panel



Game 64 OC starting at $118.99 a month



- Intel i7-7700K OC- 4 cores and 8 threads - 7 GHz to 5 GHz- 64 GB RAM- 2 x 450 GB NVMe + 1x4TB SATA- DDOS protection included- Soft Raid (not hardware)- 500 GB storage- Root access given- Control panel



This is certainly on the more affordable end of what other host providers offer, though there are extras and configurations that come with extra fees to look out for. OVH.com are good for users who have experience as there are a lot of advanced options you can play around with. However the more than 50 configurations might make this hosting platform a bit too complicated for anyone with just basic knowledge.



10. 1&1 IONOS



1&1Hosting have recently merged with another company and they have renamed themselves 1&1 IONOS but they have promised nothing drastic will change for existing server holders. They stand by what they offer still. They have other types of hosting options as well as the dedicated gamer server hosting like shared and VPS and are committed to offering powerful and user friendly dedicated hardware.



There are two types of packages, HDD or SSD/NVMe. In each type there are 4 plans. For HDD those plans are A8i HDD, the cheapest option at $70 a month , L-16 HDD at $80 a month, XL-32 HDD at $110 a month and XL-64 HDD at $140 a month. These prices seem amazingly low but I will add here there is a setup fee of $50 for each one. It is worth checking for additional costs when you look into them. In these HDD plans you get;



- 4 to 8 cores- 4 GHz to 3.8 GHz- $70 to $140 a month cost- $50 setup fee- 8 to 64 GB RAM- Software or Hardware RAID 1 - 1000 GB to 2000 GB storage- Unlimited traffic- Free domain- SiteLock malware protection included- RailGun content delivery network



In the SSD/NVMe plans you get;



- 4 to 8 cores- 4 GHz to 3.8 GHz- $75 to $170 a month cost- $50 setup fee- 8 to 64 GB RAM- Software or Hardware RAID 1- 240 GB SSD storage to 480 GB SSD storage or 1000 GB NVMe SSD storage- Unlimited traffic- Free domain- SiteLock malware protection included- RailGun content delivery network



1&1 in the past has always been one of the best dedicated game server hosting options because of their affordability. It is a European company and servers are found there but there are some worldwide. It is easy to host games such as WOW or Minecraft on them and you can have Windows servers or Linux.



1&1 have a lot to offer. There are automatic backups going back 6 days should you need it and they promise faster loading times. They offer a control panel for managing but you do not have to administrator the server itself. They also have DDoS protection in place for top security. They do also offer a discount on the first 3 months for new users.



7 Tips for Choosing a Dedicated Game Server



The old adage you get what you pay for is true sometimes. That is why it became such a well known saying! When it comes to dedicated game server hosting it can be true, but there are actually good deals out there to be found with reliable hosts. Dedicated servers are the top in terms of performance and power in the hosting options and they are the most private. You should not have to worry about someone eating up your storage or about lag. So here are 7 tips to consider as you look at the top ten hosts above.



1) Your first time does not have to be with the newest or best technology dedicated game server hosting service can offer. Look at things like type of storage, bandwidth, operating system, memory, CPU and disk space, make an estimate on the growth you think you will see over the next couple of years and choose something that can meet those needs. Also keep in mind that some things with some providers will come with extra costs.



2) Consider taking on more of the management yourself and you could save money. Some hosts offer a choice between fully managed, or not managed, some even offer partially managed plans. Some of those premium things providers might offer you are;



- Optimization of performance- Malware and antivirus scans- Monitoring the system- Automated backups- Recovery- Rule and regulation compliance- Updates to the operating system and to the software- Load balancing- SysAdmin dedicated time - Automatic scaling configuration



Some providers charge a larger fee for offering those services as part of their plans. If you have the knowledge and experience you can opt for plans and hosts that allow you to take all that on. It is more work for you but it could mean you make significant savings over the long term.



3) Downtime can be costly so you need to choose a host that is reliable with great uptime guarantees, and excellent methods of communication should you need to contact them. Just 3 hours of being down for Amazon Web Services meant companies lost around $150 million. The standard promise is 99.9%, which would equate to about 45 minutes of downtime monthly, an acceptable number.



4) Look closely at the security offered and if you have to pay extra for it, do it. Hacking is a real problem even with dedicated game servers. Gaming is a big business nowadays. If you are trying to save money because you are on a budget this is not the place to cut corners. Look for firewalls, SSL certificates and DDoS protection.



5) Costs can quickly add up so give yourself some space to grow and be flexible.



6) Support from the host should not be something they charge you for. It should be 24/7 and there should a range of forms so you can use whatever method you prefer, and they should have great response times. Running dedicated game servers makes you one of their premium clients and you should be treated as such. You should also be able to find plenty of resources on websites and forums that offer tutorials, FAQs and other useful information.



7) Opt for upgrades over customization. If you pay for just what is need when it comes to customization you will have more money to focus on improving the performance and security of your server. Your first priorities should be things like;



- Firewalls - Security- Caching tools- Disaster recovery- High availability- Supercharged DNS- DDoS protection- Load balancing- Dedicated IP address- Content delivery network



Dedicated Game Servers Hosting FAQ



What is an online dedicated game server?This basically refers to a computer that runs a server code that enables more than one gamer to play the same game at the same time and be in the same instance.



How does a dedicated game server actually work?There are different ways to set up a server depending usually on what game is being played. They are always exist even if a player is not yet connected to it. Once a session has been started all players have to leave for that session to end.



Who runs dedicated game servers?For most console games the servers tend to be managed by the game distributor or developer. There are some though that can be set up by a group of gamers and there are more PC games you can do this with too. If you opt to run a game server you can set your own rules, create a deeper experience and have more control. You decide what player level caps are for example, what punishments are given to cheaters or what the latency requirements will be.



Can a person with a decent home computer set up a dedicated game server on it?Some games can allow this. Player one can set up their computer as the server, connect to localhost and then players 2 and on can login to their IP address and join them and play. However this can be difficult with hings like blocked IP ports and firewalls. Also you will not be able to host a lot of players this way. Another problem you are likely to run into is that it is hard to run a game like this persistently. Most home internet providers too will either not allow it or expect you to pay for a dedicated IP address.



When would a dedicated server be needed?If you are going to be hosting games and expect to have 12 or more players regularly playing that is a good time to get a dedicated server. It also a good idea if you plan on having a game that never turns off, called a persistent state or if the game involves match making from a lobby. If the cost is a problem some ask for donations from players but check with the game being played.



What does it mean to be a game developer?You will basically have to do a lot of managing, setting up, thinking about things like CPU, memory, bandwidth.



What are the most popular games that are used on dedicated gamer servers?It changes from year to year and from one country to another slightly. But right now popular multiplayer games include Minecraft, League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike, MMORPGS like WOW and many more.



Dedicated server providers all seem to be the same, how do I choose the right one for the game I want to set up?Look at the game and think about what is more important for that game to be successful. For example something like Minecraft needs a lot of storage and memory and are far more important than for FPS games so look at plans that have better numbers for those area.



If you are hosting a first person shooter more important is the network latency for example. Outline what your game needs and list the providers that offer those better than others. Also think about where the servers are based and then consider their prices.



How do I set up a specific game once I have my server?That changes depending on the game so I cannot really offer a guide here for every game. In some cases there is an easy one click step to follow, but if you are having problems look up online a tutorial specific to your game and I am sure you will find a great guide.



What is DDoS protection and why is it important to have it?Basically it is protection against your server being hacked or attacked by someone. DDoS stands for distributed denial of service. It is an important part of your server’s security.



What is Soft RAID and Hard RAID?It is another way of protecting the data on your server. It stands for redundant array of independent disks and basically puts the same data in different places so that should there be a drive failure of some kind, the data can still be found elsewhere. Soft Raid is software, and Hard RAID is hardware with the latter being more effective and therefore usually a part of higher priced plans or an additional fee.



Private or Public?A public server can be seen by everyone and played by anyone too. If you are happy to meet new people and have a more varied number of players you are hosting that is fine.



A private server is password protected and is just for you and however many friends you want to join you.



What are voice chat servers?These are a place where you can join other players to play a multiplayer game and they also have the added feature of being able to voice or talk to others. it's all about games and game servers here Common voice chat options are Mumble, Teamspeak and Ventrilo.



How to choose between specialized game servers or normal server hosting? it's all about games and game servers here If you are tech savvy and have experience then go for an unmanaged server and do the set up yourself. You can get everything how you want it, it is cheaper and to install the games find an online tutorial.



If you have not had experience with servers but know how to install and configure the games and run the server opt for a managed option



If you have no experience at all use a specialized hosting service that have 1 click installation options and pre-configured servers.



Can I create a dedicated game server to make a profit?Basically no. There are some games that have specific rules about charging for playing when you have it on a private server. If you want to create a server do it for the love of the game!



What is Uptime?This is how much time the service provider are promising your server will be available online to use. This does not include any schedule downtime for upgrades or maintenance though. Most promise 99% or better, why pay for a server that is down all the time when there are other more reliable services.



Conclusion



When it comes to choosing the best dedicated game server hosting service for you, there is a lot to think about and understand. Basically you need to bring it down what do you need your server to do best, memory, speed, bandwidth? Different games have different requirements. Then you need to think about what prices you can afford.



A lot of service providers entice users with lower prices for the first so many months. That is great as it saves you some money but make sure you know what that regular monthly price is going to be. Also check what you are getting included with your plan. Some will charge for set up, some will charge for extra security, and so on. Know where those extra costs are coming from and whether they are worth it.



Take advantage of the money back offers. You do not have to stay with the provider you go with first. Maybe there is something better out there, maybe something better comes alone after. Make the change to something better if you want to.



I like BlueHost in general. It is one of the lower priced options though not the cheapest. It also has good support, good plans and a good reputation. But the other options written about above all have something of merit with them. If you do not find the answers you need here, check out each of their websites for more information just remember they are going to tell you that they are great!



Running a dedicated game hosting server will need patience, money, time and commitment. You do not necessarily need to have technical skill though that can help. But there is still time to be spent doing it. You should expect fast and secure servers, great customer support and able to handle different volumes of traffic.