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Dedicated Minecraft Server Hosting
Minecraft dedicated server hosting is an option any serious Minecraft gamer needs to explore. It is possible to set up one of your own home PCs as a server for hosting Minecraft gameplay online. The technical requirements to run the server software are well within the capacities of many current PC configurations. The requirements are well documented -- you'll be able to find detailed instructions at the Minecraft Wiki (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Setting_up_a_server) -- and there are options for running the server software on Windows, Linux and even Mac OS X. But setting up a viable and playable game server requires more than simply complying with minimum tech requirements. Setting up the game server and getting it to run properly is just the beginning. Beyond this awaits an entire landscape of technical and operational challenges you won't want to have to deal with.
The first challenging bottleneck for you if you go via this route is your Internet connection. Unless you have access to high bandwidth resources, you can expect your network to slow down to a virtual standstill once the number of gamers who log in to your server begin to use up what little bandwidth you have allotted to you by your provider. This is where Minecraft dedicated server hosting providers come into the picture. These service providers are often equipped with enough bandwidth to handle large numbers of online players.
Availability is another issue that you will face sooner than later if you attempt to run your own Minecraft server. Murphy's law almost guarantees that something somewhere will break down and need fixing. In the meantime, your entire game network grinds to a halt and disappears off the grid while you're fixing the problem. Part of the service level agreement Minecraft dedicated server hosting companies get into with their customers is providing 24/7 availability so the passionate Minecraft players don't have to be interrupted in the middle of their game.
The good news is there are many capable Minecraft dedicated server hosting providers that can take the burden of maintaining your game network off your shoulders so you and your mates can concentrate on building that perfect Minecraft world.
* Redstone Host (http://redstonehost.com/) offers premium Minecraft hosting on high end Linux servers starting from USD 9.95 a month.
* Servercraft (http://servercraft.co/) serves more than 12,000 customers using enterprise-grade AMD Opteron machines at rock bottom rates starting from USD 8.00 per month.
* MPServ (http://www.mpserv.net/) has technical support staff spread out over a large geographic area, and claims this as an advantage in providing its highly rated customer support. Rates start at USD USD 3.59 per month for a 192 MB server, and you can upgrade this up to 4 GB anytime (with a corresponding increase in the monthly rate).
* Minecraft dedicated server hosting from Kerplunc Gaming (http://kerpluncgaming.com/) starts at USD 5.00 per month. Kerplunc was formerly a team of gamers who decided to put up their own servers and offer these commercially to game Minecraft enthusiasts and other gamers.
* Minecraft Servers (http://minecraft-servers.com/) guarantees 100 MB dedicated RAM per player slot. For a minimum of 6 slots (USD 1.19 per slot), they charge a base fee of USD 7.74 per month.
There are some things you need to keep in mind when choosing your Minecraft dedicated server hosting provider.
* Make sure the provider has a proven track record of being able to give top notch technical support.
* MyMcAdmin is available. This is a control panel for Minecraft servers.
* Make sure that the Minecraft dedicated hosting server's physical location is in the same geographic area as the bulk of your players. This will help reduce lag times and keep the quality of the gaming experience high.