Planning on hosting from home - questions

[Darksoul]

Well, I used to host a server from home two or so years back but stopped doing it for a while and moved to dedicated servers. I however have recently gotten fed up with the outrages prices for anything over a P4 (seventy dollars a month if you go with a place that provides good quality bandwidth). Since I'm not exactly hosting more then one or two servers at a time, I decided to host from home again.

I would be doing it right this second but comcast recently put up a 250GB a month cap. So I'm just waiting for verizon fios to get their service up and running. Current ETA is three weeks to two months.

I figure I could host two 64 slots comfortably on 2.0MB/s upload. But for the time being I'm looking at perhaps one 48 slot server and one 16 slot server.

That being said, let me start with my questions:

What kind of networking should I install for the server?. Currently I have a netbook, personal PC, a few gaming consoles and one or two other small servers setup. Should I go with a router + switch or ditch the router and go for a pure switch setup?.

Second, in the event of a power outage would this UPS and backup generator be up to the job?.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101225&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-UPS+(Back+Up+Power+Supply)-_-Belkin-_-42101225


http://cgi.ebay.com/New-MegaPower-1000-Watt-1KW-Portable-Gasoline-Generator_W0QQitemZ330256554946QQcmdZViewItem

They would be powering the servers - not the netbook, since it has its own battery - and my personal computer. My personal computer has a 585 watt PSU. The server currently has a 425 watt PSU and I'm not to sure about the other computers. My question: will the computers only draw the amount of power they need or the entire amount the PSU can draw.

We have few power outages so the generator would likely not be needed, still it's great just in case.

What is the amount of ram per player SRCDS uses?. about 4MB?. I ran a 8 slot css server with 84MB ram and a 400Mhz celeron processor.

I might just setup the UPS and generator for the server alone.

Well, thats about it for my questions. I contacted Verizon before and talked to BOTH the guys installing the barebone network and the guys splitting in the fios. So far they have said it would be fine to host servers on it. The sales rep on the phone didn't know however. I'll take my chances.

Has anyone here done this and been successful?. I'm guessing a good amount of people have tried this here. Any advice or suggestions?.

[CGS|Todd]

Darksoul Wrote:I figure I could host two 64 slots comfortably on 2.0MB/s upload.

see this site for worst-case scenario bandwidth requirements

Darksoul Wrote:Should I go with a router + switch or ditch the router and go for a pure switch setup?.

use a router.

Darksoul Wrote:My question: will the computers only draw the amount of power they need or the entire amount the PSU can draw.

the amount they need. you will also need to plug your network equipment into the ups. make sure any necessary fios equipment has power back up as well -- it should.

Darksoul Wrote:What is the amount of ram per player SRCDS uses?. about 4MB?. I ran a 8 slot css server with 84MB ram and a 400Mhz celeron processor.

what game are you going be running, css again?

[Mooga]

2mbps upload is low for running servers.
Do you know if that is dedicated bandwidth? If so, you are in a little more luck.

As for switches and routers: Does your ISP give you multiple external IP addresses? And does your IP give you a static IP?

If you have multiple external IPs, you might want to put the server on a DMZ with external IPs. (In this case: Internet --> Modem --> Switch ---> (Servers and Router) With the non-servers behind the router)

[Darksoul]

CGS|Todd Wrote:

Darksoul Wrote:I figure I could host two 64 slots comfortably on 2.0MB/s upload.

see this site for worst-case scenario bandwidth requirements

Darksoul Wrote:Should I go with a router + switch or ditch the router and go for a pure switch setup?.

use a router.

Darksoul Wrote:My question: will the computers only draw the amount of power they need or the entire amount the PSU can draw.

the amount they need. you will also need to plug your network equipment into the ups. make sure any necessary fios equipment has power back up as well -- it should.

Darksoul Wrote:What is the amount of ram per player SRCDS uses?. about 4MB?. I ran a 8 slot css server with 84MB ram and a 400Mhz celeron processor.

what game are you going be running, css again?

Perhaps later I will be hosting CSS. Currently I'm planning on Empiresmod and some Garrysmod.

You sure about the router?. Because according to the people on overclock.net it wont support DD-WRT. And they seem to believe without it I need a new router... so why not a switch?.

Mooga:

You got your information wrong. I said 2MB/s, not 2Mbps. That would be 20Mbps. It's a 20/20Mbps fios connection and according to everyone I have talked to so far - its dedicated. Infact I do recall them saying they were installing 1Gbps lines into this neighbourhood. That's not the main roads.

No idea on the first (multiple ip's), and no on the second. At least I was told no for residential connections... but since my equipment is all going to be on UPS and I have no intention of ever resetting the modem there should be no IP changes (I have comcast currently and as long as I don't reset the modem there is never a IP change.)

[CGS|Todd]

Darksoul Wrote:Perhaps later I will be hosting CSS. Currently I'm planning on Empiresmod and some Garrysmod.

i'm not very familiar with those, but i suspect at garrysmod will use more than 4mb per player.

Darksoul Wrote:You sure about the router?. Because according to the people on overclock.net it wont support DD-WRT. And they seem to believe without it I need a new router... so why not a switch?.

unless you are security savvy, i would recommend using a router. any router that can do port forwarding should work. at a minimum, what mooga suggested.

[Mooga]

I did miss the bandwidth
I think you should be ok...

As far as I know, Comcast does NOT dedicate bandwidth. They also have a really funky throttling system now which might be an issue

[CGS|Todd]

Darksoul Wrote:according to everyone I have talked to so far - its dedicated . . . .
Infact I do recall them saying they were installing 1Gbps lines into this neighbourhood. That's not the main roads.

if this is a new fios installation, they are probably using g-pon, meaning you have a potential 1Gbps symetrical connection. however, keep in mind that when verizon says dedicated, that is between you and the co/pop. you are not getting 20mbps dedicated all the way out to the internet. beyond the co/pop, its a shared connection.

[Darksoul]

Comcast bandwidth is not the issue, nor do I give much of a crap about it. They have a 250GB cap per month so I am going to wait for verizon. Then dump comcast.

Todd: What exactly is a 1Gbps symetrical connection?. Never heard of it.

[Mooga]

1Gbps both ways (up and down).