The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hosting a Game Server

Hosting a game server can be an exciting way to build a gaming community, introduce custom game modes, and even generate revenue. However, many server owners make critical mistakes that impact their server’s performance, security, and player experience.

At PineRiver, we provide high-performance game hosting for FiveM, Minecraft, Rust, ARK, and more. This guide will highlight the top five mistakes server owners make and how to avoid them for a smooth, lag-free gaming experience.

🎯 Mistake #1: Choosing the Wrong Hosting Plan

One of the biggest pitfalls is selecting underpowered hosting, leading to lag, crashes, and low player capacity. The right hosting plan depends on:

Game Type: Some games (like Minecraft and Rust) demand higher CPU and RAM.
Number of Players: More players mean greater resource usage.
Mods & Plugins: Adding modpacks and scripts significantly increases CPU and RAM consumption.

🔥 How to Avoid It:

Choose VPS or dedicated servers over shared hosting.
Opt for high-clock-speed CPUs (Ryzen/Intel) for game servers.
Ensure at least 8GB RAM for modded servers.
Use NVMe SSD storage for faster loading speeds.

🔗 Check out PineRiver’s VPS and Dedicated Servers for high-performance hosting.

🛡️ Mistake #2: Ignoring Security & DDoS Protection

DDoS attacks are one of the biggest threats to game servers. Without proper security, your server could suffer from:

DDoS attacks causing downtime and lag.
Unauthorized access leading to hacked accounts.
Data breaches exposing player information.

🔒 How to Avoid It:

Use a hosting provider with built-in DDoS protection.
Enable firewall rules to block malicious traffic.
Keep software updated to patch vulnerabilities.
Use strong passwords and disable root SSH logins.

🔗 PineRiver includes free DDoS protection to keep your server secure.

⚙️ Mistake #3: Poor Server Optimization

A badly optimized server leads to lag spikes, performance drops, and low tick rates. Common issues include:

Too many entities (mobs, objects, vehicles).
Unoptimized plugins or scripts.
Poor RAM allocation settings.

🚀 How to Avoid It:

Reduce unnecessary entities (e.g., limit NPC spawns in FiveM or use ClearLag for Minecraft).
Use lightweight plugins and remove unused mods.
Adjust server configuration settings for better performance.
Use a high-GHz CPU VPS or dedicated server.

🔗 PineRiver’s Ryzen-powered hosting ensures low-latency and high-tick-rate servers.

📢 Mistake #4: Not Having a Backup & Recovery Plan

Many server owners overlook regular backups, which can result in catastrophic data loss due to:

Game crashes corrupting world files.
Server hacks deleting important data.
Hardware failures causing complete data loss.

🔄 How to Avoid It:

Use automatic backup tools (e.g., rclone for Linux servers).
Store backups off-site to prevent loss during attacks.
Schedule daily or weekly backups for peace of mind.

🔗 PineRiver offers automatic backup solutions to protect your game server data.

🏗️ Mistake #5: Overloading the Server with Mods & Plugins

While mods and plugins enhance gameplay, excessive additions can lead to instability. Common issues include:

Heavy resource usage from unoptimized mods.
Plugin conflicts causing server crashes.
Large modpacks requiring excessive RAM.

🛠️ How to Avoid It:

Keep essential plugins only (e.g., admin tools, anti-cheat).
Regularly test and remove unused plugins.
Allocate sufficient RAM and CPU resources.
Use a dedicated mod-friendly server plan.

🔗 PineRiver’s game hosting plans support custom mods and plugin-friendly configurations.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Create a Stable, Profitable Game Server

Avoiding these five common mistakes will help you: ✅ Minimize lag and crashes.
✅ Secure your server from DDoS attacks and hacks.
✅ Provide a smooth gaming experience for your players.
✅ Grow your community and even monetize your server.

🔗 Start your game server today with PineRiver and experience high-performance hosting with DDoS protection, NVMe SSDs, and Ryzen CPUs! 🚀