// MC-NODE BLOG

Game & server hosting guides

Honest comparisons, server explainers and hosting guides — written by the team behind 10,000+ servers.

Installing a Minecraft server on a VPS: Ubuntu, Java 25 and systemd
VPS

Installing a Minecraft server on a VPS: Ubuntu, Java 25 and systemd

A Minecraft server on your own VPS gives you full control: multiple servers, a proxy, your own scripts. In eight steps you set up a Paper server that comes back by itself after a reboot and saves cleanly on shutdown, and learn when a game server package is the better choice.

12 Sep 2026
How to join a Minecraft server on PS5, Xbox and Switch
Bedrock

How to join a Minecraft server on PS5, Xbox and Switch

On Xbox, PlayStation and Switch you can't type a server address into Minecraft. Yet your console can join any Bedrock server (and Java servers via Geyser). The two methods that work in 2026, explained per console, with the pitfalls.

12 Sep 2026
How many players can a FiveM server handle? Slots, RAM and OneSync
FiveM

How many players can a FiveM server handle? Slots, RAM and OneSync

The number of slots in server.cfg says little about what your server can really handle. Scripts, the database and one busy processor core set the limit. These are the figures per package, the OneSync rules and the signs that it's time to upgrade.

12 Sep 2026
How to set up a FiveM whitelist: Discord roles and approval via txAdmin
FiveM

How to set up a FiveM whitelist: Discord roles and approval via txAdmin

A whitelist is the cheapest quality control for a roleplay server, and txAdmin already has one built in. Here is how to pick the right mode, link your Discord and approve players, plus the mistakes almost everyone makes the first time.

12 Sep 2026
Cheap VPS: what you really get for €2 to €10 a month
VPS

Cheap VPS: what you really get for €2 to €10 a month

A VPS for the price of a cup of coffee isn't a trick, but you need to know what you're buying: which processor, how much memory, and what's quietly missing. An honest guide along our own price list, including what you're better off not running on a cheap VPS.

12 Sep 2026
Proximity voice chat on a Bedrock server: what works (and what doesn't)
Bedrock

Proximity voice chat on a Bedrock server: what works (and what doesn't)

Proximity voice chat on Java is a matter of one mod, but Bedrock is different: there is no client mod, so you need an app and a separate voice server. These are the two options that actually work, what they ask of your players and what they cost you in server terms.

12 Sep 2026
How to run a hardcore season like the creators: rules, revive and finale
Minecraft

How to run a hardcore season like the creators: rules, revive and finale

A hardcore season that stays exciting for three weeks needs agreements up front. This is the complete set-up: how long, which rules, what happens after a death, how to build towards a finale with a shrinking world border and how to preserve the world afterwards.

7 Sep 2026
How to make a hardcore SMP server with friends: step by step (2026)
Minecraft

How to make a hardcore SMP server with friends: step by step (2026)

A hardcore SMP like the creators play is online in fifteen minutes. This guide walks you through every step: picking the right server, enabling hardcore, whitelisting your friends, agreeing what happens after a death and the three plugins that make the game better.

7 Sep 2026
How much RAM does an SMP server need? From 5 friends to 40 players
Minecraft

How much RAM does an SMP server need? From 5 friends to 40 players

Too little RAM causes lag, too much RAM is wasted money and can even cause stutters. This is how much memory an SMP server with friends really needs, by number of players, and which settings matter more than an extra gigabyte.

7 Sep 2026
The best plugins for a hardcore SMP: voice chat, revive and anti-grief
Minecraft

The best plugins for a hardcore SMP: voice chat, revive and anti-grief

A hardcore SMP only needs a handful of plugins, but they have to be the right ones: voice chat, rolling back griefing, a fair revive rule, a map and a Discord link. Plus a list of plugins you should definitely not install.

7 Sep 2026
Which Java version does your Minecraft server need? (Java 25 for 26.x)
Minecraft

Which Java version does your Minecraft server need? (Java 25 for 26.x)

"UnsupportedClassVersionError" or a server that stops right after starting: nine times out of ten the wrong Java version is running. Since 26.1 Minecraft requires Java 25, while older versions want Java 17 or 8. Here is the complete table, plus how to check and switch versions.

4 Sep 2026
Project Zomboid Build 42: setting up a server with friends
Hosting

Project Zomboid Build 42: setting up a server with friends

Since Build 42.20 reached the stable branch in July 2026, multiplayer in Project Zomboid is complete: animals, basements, new crafting and a rebuilt server backend. Here is how to set up a server with friends, choose sandbox settings and stop a Workshop mod from breaking your world.

4 Sep 2026