8 Important Things to Look for in a Game Server Host

It's no secret that gamers demand a lot when it comes to their server's performance and the support team behind it. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, you want a game server host that can really deliver. You don't want to deal with lag during your game or have to fight for resources with other gamers.

But how exactly do you find the right game server host? The global game hosting market has grown steadily over the last five years, and it can be challenging to determine which game hosting service is the right one for you. Here, we'll dive into the top eight most important factors to look for when you're searching for game server solutions so you can find the right server host to take your game to the next level.

1. Low Latency

Network latency between the game server host and its gamers is impacted by three factors in particular: physical distance, network distance, and bandwidth capacity. Even if your game server host has the strongest bandwidth, it won't mean much if they're not close by. When the distance between the host and the gamer is too far, you create a larger latency. Similar to physical distance is network distance, which is the number of jumps that data needs to make to reach its final destination. A highly-optimized network route will reduce the number of data jumps, which will reduce latency.

You want to be as close to your game server host as possible for lag-free gameplay. Look for a game server host that has multiple worldwide locations to make your gameplay as seamless as possible. Your game server host should also have a low latency network with multiple providers. That means they'll be optimized specifically to process a high volume of data messages with as little delay as possible, delivering near-real-time access to data. You don't have to worry about your server host operating with an overloaded network interface when you choose a quality game server host.

2. Customer Support

A game server host with a fast server response time is great, but low latency is only as good as the customer service. When you're looking for a game server host, you want to be sure to find a host that you feel comfortable with. A poor experience with a representative can not only keep you from enjoying your game but it can also ruin your entire day.

BisectHosting understands that you need fast, efficient, and quality customer service to provide you with gaming or network solutions. That's why BisectHosting provides 24/7 customer support with an average ticket response time of only 20 minutes. With 17 locations around the world, BisectHosting has support representatives in many time zones to deliver the support you need when you need it.

3. Powerful Hardware

When you choose from game hosting services, you won't typically have a say in what hardware is used. That's why it's a good idea to look in advance for a service that uses powerful hardware to run its game servers.

Your game hosting service needs powerful hardware to run its game servers. This helps to cut down on I/O time and helps with quicker loading so you don't need to get frustrated with a lagging game. Look for a game hosting service that uses Enterprise, NVMe Drives, DDR4, and Xeon CPUs running at high frequencies for optimal performance and interoperability. 

4. No Overselling

Overselling is when a game server hosting company will overload the system with customers causing everyone to fight for the server resources. A game hosting service may choose to do this because they assume their users aren't going to use all of their allocated resources. Of course, this becomes a problem when users do use all of their allocated resources. If you have too many users on the same server, the server becomes slow and begins to lag, creating a poor gaming experience.

That said, when you're outsourcing server hosting, you want to be sure that you're choosing a game hosting service that doesn't oversell their server resources. Opt for a game server host that has nodes that are never oversold. Each node should be monitored 24/7 to ensure there are adequate server resources and support as needed.

5. Easy-to-Use Control Panels

Control panels are great for hosting users. They allow each user to manage their dedicated servers, shared accounts, and VPS without having to know the ins and outs of their system. For gaming, in particular, it's a good idea to look for a game server host that offers a modern gaming control panel that gives you a lot of support. After all, you don't want to spend time messing around and configuring your server. You want to play your game.

Look for a game server host that uses an easy-to-use, feature-rich control panel that's completely customized from Multicraft for each Minecraft server. Multicraft allows you to manage your server easily and efficiently without any frustration. With Multicraft, there's no need for complex configurations because every Minecraft server is controlled from a single control panel for optimal flexibility and scalability. What's more, Multicraft also comes with unique, built-in database provisioning, scripting functionality, backups, and more.

Some Minecraft server users prefer to run a custom JAR on their server to keep all their resources in one place. BisectHosting allows that, too. Each Minecraft server with BisectHosting supports custom JARs for your convenience.

6. DDoS Protection

While the speed of your connection and the ease-of-use of your server experience are both important, it's also important to make sure that the game server hosting service you choose to work with has your back. While you're gaming, there's the very real chance that you could be hit with a DDoS attack. A DDoS attack, or Distributed Denial-of-Service attack, is when a botnet (a network of infected machines) tries to overwhelm your server with fraudulent requests. When a botnet makes too many fake requests, it keeps real users from reaching the server to make their own requests.

DDoS attacks are more common than you think. Approximately 35% of surveyed companies say they've experienced a DDoS attack in the last year. Additionally, cyberattacks have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic has increased remote work and server usage. It's a good idea to look for a game server host that will help to protect you against a DDoS attack. Choose a game server host that offers DDoS protection free of charge to help keep botnets off your server.

7. Free Sub-Domains and Dedicated IPs

As a Minecraft server customer, you'll typically use a dedicated IP or a sub-domain to connect to your server. When you use a dedicated IP, you're using an IP address that's unique to your server and you're not sharing that IP with other Minecraft server users. Many users like to use a dedicated IP because they don't need to enter a port to join. Other Minecraft server users use a sub-domain to connect to their server IP and play their game through it. Unfortunately, writing down IPs can sometimes be annoying for users who want to access their games ASAP.

That's why it's a good idea to look for a game hosting service that provides free sub-domains and dedicated IPs. BisectHosting provides free sub-domains to all java Minecraft server customers, and Premium Minecraft servers each come with the default 25565 port so you don't need to enter any additional numbers after your IP to access your game.

8. Backups

When it comes to your game, you spend hours, days or years building something, so you want to make sure you protect your time spent. Misconfiguration, corruption of worlds, accidental deletion of files, and even bad mod/game updates can cause you to lose it all in the blink of an eye. Regular, consistent internal and external backups can protect you so you don’t lose too much progress.

In the unfortunate event that something does happen causing you to lose your data, backups allow you to get back to playing as soon as possible with minimal to no loss of your progress.

Make sure to choose a game server host that offers regular and consistent backups of your server. They should keep both internal and external backups; internal backups are lighting quick and keep 7 days worth of data, while external backups are kept for up to a year (even if you decide to terminate your hosting) so you have peace of mind knowing that you can always jump right back in to where you left off.

Choose a Quality Game Server Host That Has Your Back

When you're looking for a game server host, you want to find a service that has you covered when it comes to customer support, speed, and protection. That's where BisectHosting comes in. BisectHosting offers 24/7 customer support, powerful hardware for optimal connection speeds, multiple locations for low latency, and DDoS protection to keep your server secure. BisectHosting is dedicated to keeping your server hosting experience simple, affordable, and efficient. To learn more about why BisectHosting is the best possible game server host for you, contact us today.