By Daniel D Dwase

A game server is a server that is used by game clients either remotely or locally. Most multi-player online games such as the Battlefield Series, Counter Strike, Call of Duty, and Unreal Tournament require dedicated servers.

A dedicated game server is a server that is leased out by an individual, a gaming clan or a company from a game server provider (GSP).

GSPs will provide web tools for the configuration and control of the servers and most of them allow you to modify the particular game.

Facts About Dedicated Game Rental Servers

Online games such as Call of Duty and Counter Strike use a dedicated game server. This is an application or a program that collects data from the different players and distributes it to other players in the network.

When you use a dedicated game server, you will get a better deal than using a peer-to-peer arrangement. However, with the dedicated server, you will need a separate computer for hosting the server application and there are cost consequences for this.

In the not-so-distant past, you would buy a game and since most households had only one computer, you will use your computer as a server and for playing on simultaneously.

There was however enormous stress to the machine and so game performance was poor. Even in places where the bandwidth was above what was required, as is the case in most developed countries, the data to be processed was too much and there would be massive delays.

This is because the computer had to process data for 3D graphics, sort and distribute network data to others, etc. The computers were not the fast machines we have today and gamers had a bad time playing online games.

However, this is not a problem with a dedicated game rental server. These servers read a lot of data and transmit it on a click of a mouse. The first dedicated game rental servers charged between $200 and $700 a month which was too much for many teams.

Over the years, online gaming grew in popularity and as the subscriber base increased 1000 fold and the competition increased, prices went down drastically.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dedicated Game Servers

The advantages of dedicated game servers greatly outweigh the disadvantages, but the disadvantages are also significant and you should weigh the two carefully before making a decision.

The greatest advantage of a dedicated game rental server is that you get a better gaming experience than you would with shared servers. You get the operating systems you want and the server is configured in the way you want it.

The hosting company gives services such as administrative services - these are not available with shared servers.

With a shared server, you do not get to decide the players you will be up against. This can present a major challenge because you may not get the gaming experience you want.

The cost of a dedicated game rental server has come down due to the intense competition in the industry and because a lot more people are gaming. This means you enjoy high quality services for an amount that is close to what you would pay in a shared server.

However, this depends on how many people are on your gaming clan and how cost is shared.

With shared servers, there is regular server downtimes and speeds decrease as more and more people get onto the server, especially after people have gotten home from work and during the weekends and holidays. With a dedicated game rental server, you will never experience this problem.

There are no problems with hackers. Hackers are a major problem with shared servers. Although hackers cannot do as much damage as they would do with bank servers and similar servers, there is still a risk of problems such as identity theft.

Hacking can also reduce speeds and corrupt the data. With a shared server, all a hacker needs to do is log on to one of the stations and he/she can access the other computers in the network.

With a dedicated game rental server, everybody knows everybody and additional security measures such as firewalls can be taken to prevent hacking.

The major disadvantage is that you pay more than with a shared server. There is a high startup cost since you have to pay for the hardware, for the software and for the labor.

There is also a high maintenance cost since you need someone to man the server every day and the people who share this cost are few.

Using Dedicated Game Rental Servers

Only serious gamers should consider using a rented dedicated game server because of the high cost. The rental charges have to be paid at the end of each month, whether you were playing the game or not.

You therefore need to be a dedicated gamer to get this server since you will end up paying hundreds of dollars for the server. You should consider forming a gaming clan with your colleagues, friends, neighbors, and/or family members so that you can share the charges.

When using a dedicated game server, you need to determine the game/s you will be playing because some dedicated servers are only meant for one game while others can be used for different games. You should therefore ask about this before making a purchase.

There is need for a systems administrator when you have a dedicated game rental server. The administrator will do regular maintenance and will code as requested by the users.

You need to do research on the game server provider before settling for one. This is because some promise more than they can offer while others are just out to steal your money.

Go for companies that have been recommended by friends, colleagues, or neighbors or get a customer testimonial.

You should seriously consider the larger game server providers because they have a reputation to protect. You should ask for a free trial period, but not all game server providers will give you this.

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