New server options

[Megiddo]

Here's a quick table of some server options we have...

Dedicated server:

Company	CoreNetworks	CoreNetworks	ServerPronto
IPs	2	2	1
CPU	Intel Celeron 2.6 GHz	Intel Celeron 2.8 GHz	AMD 2600+
Hard drive	80 GB	120 GB	80 GB
RAM	2 GB DDR 533 MHz	2 GB DDR 533 MHz	2 GB DDR (speed unknown)
Bandwidth	1000 GB or 3 Mbps	1000 GB or 3 Mbps	400 GB
Notes	Setup fee below includes $190 to get 2 GB RAM	Setup fee below includes $115 to get 2 GB RAM	Have to prepay for 6 months to get RAM upgrade free
Setup	$259	$184	Free!
Monthly	$24.95	$49.95	$69.95

Collocated server:

Company	CoreNetworks	CoreNetworks	ColoPronto	ColoPronto
IPs	(unknown)	(unknown)	3	3
Bandwidth	1000 GB or 3 Mbps	1000 GB or 3 Mbps	500 GB	500 GB
Size	1U	2U	1U	2U
Setup	Free!	Free!	$69.95	$69.95
Monthly	$17.95	$27.95	$24.95	$34.95

Global notes on ServerPronto/ColoPronto: It's who we currently have hosting through, so I know they're good, and they offer an uptime guarantee. They also give you a 100 Mbps connection for free. The collocation prices used to be $5 less, so I might have success in begging them back down.

Global notes on CoreNetworks: No uptime guarantee! Scary. However, this link claims they have 99.98% uptime. They also offer free KVM over IP and remote reboot services, which is very nice. In order to reboot through ServerPronto, I have to put in a ticket and wait 10-30 mins.  You can get either 1000 GB/mo with 10 Mbps connection or an uncapped 3 Mbps connection. (Is the former GB or Gb? I calc the most you can get off a 3 Mbps connection in a month is 949 GB... so it's pointless if former is GB)

A quick example of collocated servers we can get:
1U IBM xSeries 305 P4 2.66GHz 256MB 40GB -- $314 w/shipping
2U Pentium 4 2.8GHz 256MB  160GB -- Faster memory than above, $353 w/shipping
I figure add on about $100 to each for 2 GB memory. Probably around $40 to mail our server to collo facility too.

[JamminR]

More I look, more I like the Colo idea at corenetworks.
Big first outlay (server + memory), but nice rates from there on out.
I'm willing and able to drop a Franklin for you for startup. (Happy Birthday(s), Merry Christmas(es))
Go fastest possible server for money you can buy. This way, 10 years from now, you might still be able to use/sell it as a small DB or web server.

 , at those monthly rates, you're on your own after that

Will's Beast server runs decently at 10 players on 2mbps cable line.
Of course, that's a cable company 'best effort'. I'm betting CoreNetworks 3mbps is more pure.
 I'm not sure of his hardware, nor that Will has configs tweaked very well.
I personally drop to ~20-25 fps when a lot of wire mod is used with 9 other players.
Pretty sure its server side limiting. (I can play SP with same amount of wire and not get the lag)

[Megiddo]

How do these two look?
Dual Xeon 2.4 Ghz 1GB RAM 1U -- Need to get an HD and an extra GB RAM for it -- $350 w/shipping
Dual Xeon 2.4Ghz 2GBRAM 2U Server -- Nice that is already has 2 GB RAM and a good HD. $520 w/shipping

I'd say if we can get a good HD and stick of RAM for 1U for <$200 then the 1U's probably the way to go to save on monthly costs.

[WildWill]

Are you still considering all this or did you figure out what you wanted there? Also same as Jammin said, if you need a bit of help $$ with the start-up lemme know.

@ Jammin, your right about the wire to some degree, It does put a workout on the cpu for the server and will lower the fps if it gets too far for it. But it also tanks all the clients too due to some of the models. I should be getting in the new server today and I am working on a map to fix the vis problems.  I was thinking about it when you were making a clock sorta thing about 2 weeks ago on freespace06. Every time I looked in that direction, no matter where I was on that map, I was getting 9 fps. I want the best of all kinds of builders to be able to build on the server so I am working on a new map just for that. It will have many different Vis zones to correct that problem. I might not have it all ironed out but I am working on it as much as I can.  I'm gonna get the server server up and running right now to see if that helps at all.

Oh, I could add a bit more bandwidth (boost), but I think that the 1.5 mb is enough for the ten players, I never really see it go over that and due to the map vis issues, most of the clients couldn't handle it if I went much over ten anyways.

Hmm, just checked boost and I might go for that anyways.

EDIT: Sorry guys I think I just posted where I probably wasn't supposed to. "Team Forum". Whoops

[JamminR]

Hi Will,
 We've got the server up and running already. We started it up the same day we released ULX 3.1 (something Megiddo vowed under his breath to never do again, a dual project release )
Now we're just discussing, in the 'Donations' topic, the best way to go about asking/requiring/begging for donations for upkeep.
Team Ulysses HQ - Click to play, anytime.