Getting Started

New to running a server? Start here to connect for the first time, find your way around the panel and get your friends playing.

ARK: Survival Ascended

All ARK: Survival Ascended guides

Getting Started

How to make an ARK: Survival Ascended server

Join your ARK: Survival Ascended server, pick a map, set the admin password and add CurseForge mods, plus which plan Lost Colony and Astraeos need.

Updated 10 Oct 20267 min read

ARK: Survival Evolved

All ARK: Survival Evolved guides

Getting Started

How to make an ARK: Survival Evolved server

Join your ARK: Survival Evolved server, fix it greyed out or missing from the list, size RAM per map and load Workshop mods.

Updated 27 Sept 20266 min read

Garry's Mod

All Garry's Mod guides

Getting Started

How to make a Garry's Mod (GMod) server

Host a Garry's Mod server for your friends: join by address, set the name and password in server.cfg, mount a Workshop collection and switch gamemodes.

Updated 27 Sept 20266 min read

Minecraft

All Minecraft guides

Getting Started

Join your Minecraft server (and fix errors)

Copy your Minecraft server address, join from Multiplayer, and fix Connection refused, Connection timed out and Incompatible client errors.

Updated 17 Sept 20267 min read

Palworld

All Palworld guides

Getting Started

How to make a Palworld server for friends

Get friends on Steam, Xbox and PS5 into your Palworld server and fix the version mismatch that blocks joining after a Palworld 1.0 update.

Updated 27 Sept 20268 min read

Project Zomboid

All Project Zomboid guides

Getting Started

Project Zomboid server: getting started

Get friends into your Project Zomboid server, log in with the admin account, add Workshop mods and set the sandbox rules from your panel.

Updated 26 Sept 20265 min read

RuneScape: Dragonwilds

All RuneScape: Dragonwilds guides

Getting Started

How to make a RuneScape: Dragonwilds server

Add your Player ID, start your RuneScape: Dragonwilds server, share the world name and join password, and see who's online.

Updated 5 Oct 20268 min read

Rust

All Rust guides

Getting Started

How to make a Rust server: admin and wipes

Join your Rust server, make yourself admin with ownerid, edit server.cfg, run your first wipe and load Oxide or Carbon, all from the panel.

Updated 27 Sept 20267 min read

Terraria

All Terraria guides

Getting Started

Terraria server: tModLoader, tShock and joining by IP

Join your new server, upload your own world, claim tShock admin and switch to tModLoader - all from the panel.

Updated 9 Oct 20266 min read

Valheim

All Valheim guides

Getting Started

How to make a Valheim dedicated server

Set up your Valheim 1.0 server: share the join code so friends on Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 can crossplay, bring your world across and add mods.

Updated 2 Oct 202611 min read

General guides

Getting Started

Game server hosting for New Zealand players

Hosting a Minecraft or Palworld server for NZ players? The ping from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to Sydney, AUD prices and which plan to pick.

Updated 26 Sept 20266 min read

Getting Started

Home server vs rented game server

Hosting a game server for free on your own PC: what it costs in power, upload speed and uptime, why port forwarding fails behind CGNAT, and when to rent.

Updated 26 Sept 20268 min read

Getting Started

How to choose an Australian game server host

Twelve things to check before you pay any game server host: location and ping, CPU speed, RAM headroom, backups, the panel, refunds and support.

Updated 7 Sept 20264 min read

Getting Started

Use your server console and send commands

Read your server's live log, send commands without joining the game, download the last hour of output and know which power button to press.

Updated 26 Sept 20267 min read