Need assistance with getting back into hosting my own GMod server - Help

So I want to get back into hosting my own dedicated server for GMod in my house. I read about the whole SteamCMD thing and updating and installing via that. I searched the wiki and didn't really see anything about downloading addonds and maps and such. I recall a site way back when where you could download tons of maps and addons and whatnot. So I guess I need help downloading a shit ton of addons and maps. And I need help with just getting the server up with specifying a gamemode. I recall starting the server via a batch file before but I forget all the commands.

I don't advise you hosting a GMod server from your house unless you're certain you have the bandwidth / speeds to cover the needs the server will have if you should become mid-ranged in popularity (especially if you're going to go the FastDL route vs workshop downloads. GMod server hosting is extremely cheap so you could get away with a 14-30 slot server for almost next to nothing each month. As far as addons / maps - the idea is to not just dump content on your server and think that'll give you a popular server. You have to ensure mods work with each other and don't cause errors. Maps that are popular and have a decent rotation amount but not overwhelming. You also need to load some, and then test your server to ensure it's going to be stable - otherwise if something does crash you'll have a hell of a time diagnosing where the issue is coming from. As far as setting up the server - there are loads of tutorials and guides online (especially the steam workshop). But you also need to ensure you're not putting your rcon password into the config file and instead, loading it with the command-line parameters, otherwise people will be able to gain access by downloading the files. If you haven't ran one in awhile, then I'd suggest you do a lot of research first.

My internet link at home is fine. I get 80/60 down/up. As far as hosted services... Is that easier to manage than a home server? (I.E. changing maps, putting in addons, etc)?

Depends on who you chose. Each server provider has things setup differently. I'd try to go with one that has TCAdmin, because that is going to make things easier and it's included in the price of your server per month. Or you can buy a TCAdmin license for $15.00/month if you decide to host your own.

Any providers you'd recommend?

Where else would someone host a server from besides home? xD

[QUOTE=VaughnStrauss;48994486]Where else would someone host a server from besides home? xD[/QUOTE] A cloud provider?

I highly reccomend going with Serenity Servers bro if your going the dedicated host route. They arent the cheapest but they offer the most for your money and they answer response tickets within 30mins at work hours. Dont go with a cheap host cos some dont come with FastDL etc and have bare minimum features.

I have a few clients that go with Serenity - I hear mixed reviews, some like it, while others don't The ONLY place I would say stay away from is NFO servers. They are a complete joke. I had them for over a year and a half and talked to the CEO regularly about things, and he said he was actually shocked when I left, but I told him things there are not ran in a way I feel comfortable with investing money into. On top of the fact that the hardware they say you get with the purchase is not the hardware you actually get. Extremely bad lag spikes, timeouts, nothing good. One of my mates runs a hosting company that includes GMod but the datacenters are in Canada and Europe I believe, not sure how far that is from you, but the prices are good: [URL="https://gameswitchers.co.uk/"]https://gameswitchers.co.uk/[/URL] - they do TCAdmin, John and Phoenix; the two owners there, are great at what they do, and they don't overload the servers. (And no, I don't get any money for referring you to them - I just refer to places that actually are worth mentioning and have good service. On the other hand; if you feel like a dedicated machine is where you want to go for expansion and stability, then I'd have to say OVH. They have the "MC-32" dedi server for $79.99 a month, which is really dirt cheap for a fully dedicated machine. Pretty much wherever you feel comfortable, that have good reviews, and aren't NFO servers. You can try them if you want, but they are a complete rip-off.

Is there a "reasonable" slot count to have? I guess it depends on the map I'd run. I'd probably run city45 (I think that's the HL2 map with the train station) or the older hella popular RP map that needs to be run more, that isn't at all. (Can someone help me think of the name? Police station next to a central building with a mob hideout around the corner)?

Hosting from home is fine. You can run the server from the same PC you play on. The biggest issue is going to be latency but that depends on your ISP - some have really bad/congested networks and others have great networks. The only thing you have to watch out for is DDoS attacks and IP changes if you are on DHCP. If you're not stirring up drama on your RP server you probably won't be attacked, ever.

So, Serenity has no way to purchase a server for US-based customers. Their customer form is for UK only. So since hldsupdate tool and all that is dead...what's the new way to run a gmod server in-house?

[QUOTE=agentfazexx;49017775]So, Serenity has no way to purchase a server for US-based customers. Their customer form is for UK only. So since hldsupdate tool and all that is dead...what's the new way to run a gmod server in-house?[/QUOTE] Steamcmd - [url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD[/url] [url]http://wiki.garrysmod.com/page/Hosting_A_Dedicated_Server[/url] 4020 is the appid for gmod.

[QUOTE=darksoul69;49017785]Steamcmd - [url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD[/url] [url]http://wiki.garrysmod.com/page/Hosting_A_Dedicated_Server[/url] 4020 is the appid for gmod.[/QUOTE] Actually running that now. So as far as maps... Where should I download those en-mass? Also need an admin plugin. Honestly I remember a site that was stood up way back for all this that had all these downloads. Does this not exist anymore? [editline]30th October 2015[/editline] srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +map gm_construct.bsp +maxplayers 12 This won't run. Followed the guidelines. CMD just flashes and then goes away.

[QUOTE=agentfazexx;49017822]Actually running that now. So as far as maps... Where should I download those en-mass? Also need an admin plugin. Honestly I remember a site that was stood up way back for all this that had all these downloads. Does this not exist anymore? [editline]30th October 2015[/editline] srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +map gm_construct.bsp +maxplayers 12 This won't run. Followed the guidelines. CMD just flashes and then goes away.[/QUOTE] [url]http://srcds.com/[/url] contains a lot of information on how to run a server. The webpage hasn't been updated in ages but the forum is still active.

[QUOTE=agentfazexx;49017775]So, Serenity has no way to purchase a server for US-based customers. Their customer form is for UK only. [/QUOTE] No they do, they have [URL="https://gyazo.com/c3076a379b7cd617c2566c2c4fd2a543"]California[/URL], [URL="https://gyazo.com/64fc3440b2262c850f7f776ca1422894"]Florida[/URL], and [URL="https://gyazo.com/88148662885e55e51f61ced01dc2589a"]Kansas[/URL]. All of which are located in the US. [B]Edit:[/B] Lol, they offer a darkRP setup for 29.97 and yet people still post jobs on script fodder to do this.