NFO Server Questions

[Hikaru Zero]

Hi there! =)

I'm experiencing a few problems with my current CS:Source server host (counter-strike.com), so I'd like to explain my situation a bit first ...

Currently, I have an adjustable 100 tick 12 player public server, that I'm renting for about $23 per month. With it, we have a lot of features, including complete control over every part of the game install.

Recently, we were experiencing major lag (not due to ping; our pings were steady but we still recieved lag) and crashing. It was just a few hours ago determined that the machine had one or more hardware problems, and that a replacement machine was going to be assembled within the next few days. They say the new machine is coming with a ping booster, at no additional charge.

Now, I'm no fool; I read all about ping boosters and the NFO ping accellerator, as well as about the tickrates and such.

So here are my questions to you, NFO, about your servers:

(1) I noticed in the FAQ that your CSS servers, without accelleration, come with a tickrate set at 33 that can't be adjusted unless you pay the additional fee to have the ping accellerator installed. Did I read this wrong, or is this the case?

(2) I also read that the core files of the game are shared amongst multiple servers on the same machine -- while that makes a lot of sense in theory (and quite probably in practice), which files exactly are shared?

(3) On my current host, I am unable to upload files with a .DLL extension (most mods). However, for mods that aren't already available for immediate install, I can e-mail the files to a support administrator and that person can install the file for me. Do you also disallow uploading .DLL files?

(4) I think it is a very honourable thing that you post your testemonials along with your flames, and that your support is as good as it is. What kind of system do you have set up for getting support (forums, support tickets, etc.)?

(5) After weighing the pros and cons of NFO and my current host, I am going to wait and see what this new server is like (either way, the paid month does not expire for three weeks yet). I have a very limited funding available for server rental, and unless there is a very significant reason to choose the more expensive option, I need to stick with the cheaper. In your opinion, why are NFO's servers better than counter-strike.com's?

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this; I do appreciate it muchly. =)

Balance && Harmony,
Hikky Z
hayabusashinta@gmail.com

[Edge100x]

Hi there! =)

Hi!

(1) I noticed in the FAQ that your CSS servers, without accelleration, come with a tickrate set at 33 that can't be adjusted unless you pay the additional fee to have the ping accellerator installed. Did I read this wrong, or is this the case?

That is correct.

(2) I also read that the core files of the game are shared amongst multiple servers on the same machine -- while that makes a lot of sense in theory (and quite probably in practice), which files exactly are shared?

Any default files are hidden and linked, with the exception of .dll, .exe, and user-configurable configuration files (the mapcycle, etc). New files can be added and removed normally, and if necessary we can unlink the original files so that they can be modified, although we discourage it for performance reasons.

(3) On my current host, I am unable to upload files with a .DLL extension (most mods). However, for mods that aren't already available for immediate install, I can e-mail the files to a support administrator and that person can install the file for me. Do you also disallow uploading .DLL files?

You can upload any additional files you'd like to the server, including .dll files, directly through the server FTP.

(4) I think it is a very honourable thing that you post your testemonials along with your flames, and that your support is as good as it is. What kind of system do you have set up for getting support (forums, support tickets, etc.)?

Our primary method of support is Live chat, available through our Control panel. With Live chat, we have the most information and tools at our disposal, and these allow us to help with problems more quickly than other methods. We also offer help through email, IRC, and forums.

(5) After weighing the pros and cons of NFO and my current host, I am going to wait and see what this new server is like (either way, the paid month does not expire for three weeks yet). I have a very limited funding available for server rental, and unless there is a very significant reason to choose the more expensive option, I need to stick with the cheaper. In your opinion, why are NFO's servers better than counter-strike.com's?

I can't directly compare us to this other provider because I am not very familiar with them. I haven't heard many of our customers say they are coming from or leaving to this provider, which tells me that it may be fairly small.

With game servers, as with so many other things, you get what you pay for, to some extent. We are generally preferred by competitive clans and players because our midrange pricing allows us to offer higher levels of support than bargain competitors, to invest in faster hardware, to use higher quality bandwidth, to have better redundancy, and so on. In addition, our sophisticated automated systems keep things running smoothly and save us money -- savings that we pass on to our customers, and use to set ourselves apart from competitors that offer similar benefits but at a much higher cost. This is what makes us such a good value.

[schlafen]

Take it from me, an NFo server owner for well over 1 year, NFo offers the highest performance, support, and hardware imaginable. I have stuck with them for this long because they have proved themselves to me. With my computer background, their hardware specifications overwhelm me; while most Game Server Providers (GSP) use Dual Xeon, NFo usually use Dual Opterons which are FAR better in performance. GSPs rarely care about the customer even near as much as NFo does. Tom and John (the owners) have put up with my, for lack of a better word, shit for over a year now. That is what you call dedication. The NFo staff runs NFo like a swiss watch, they never miss a beat and neither will you when you switch to NFo!

schlafen (Sleeper)

P.S when you order, use bnd as your referrer!

[Vampire Hunter X]

NO! Use vh3!!! Durka durka

[Hikaru Zero]

Sorry I haven't replied for a while ...

Yeah, it looks like this host I'm using now just lost the decision. I'm going to get a different server host.

The only thing that bothers me a bit about NuclearFallout.net is the tickrate of 33 ... and I suppose that's another question I have -- why 33? Why not 66, or 100? For performance reasons, or bandwidth reasons, or ... ?

Certainly a small 12-player server should want a higher tickrate than, say, a 32-player server.

Isn't there any way I could get a higher tickrate (at least 66) without buying the ping accellerator? I really can't afford an extra $20 per month.

Oh, and schlafen -- will do.

[Edge100x]

The only thing that bothers me a bit about NuclearFallout.net is the tickrate of 33 ... and I suppose that's another question I have -- why 33?

33 is the default set by Valve.

Why not 66, or 100? For performance reasons, or bandwidth reasons, or ... ?

A server running 66 tick also uses several times the CPU usage of one running 33 tick. Unfortunately, CPU usage is not directly proportional to tickrate (it's more of a logarithmic scale).

Isn't there any way I could get a higher tickrate (at least 66) without buying the ping accellerator? I really can't afford an extra $20 per month.

We will likely be running a sale within the next month at a couple of our locations to lower the price of the accelerator. I don't know if this will affect you or not.

[Hikaru Zero]

How much of a sale is it going to be? Are you planning on starting it the 1st of the month?

Also -- just as a suggestion -- perhaps it's a good idea to give tick-rate boosts without charging customers for the ping accellerator at the same time? For the 10ms, the ping accellerator is just too costly ... but the tick-rate boost I might be interested in.

[bOoya]

Last time we had a sale on the ping accelerator it was a $5 break.
Increasing tickrate without increasing FPS isn't going to help, the server could be pumping 100ticks/sec but if there isnt any data for it to send, there will be problems.

[Vampire Hunter X]

Hikaru Zero even if you did go to other host you would risk not setting up a server correct and having them charge you a fee to setup up for you which could be set by the employee there possibly letting you have the same price charge for the ping accelerator here.You probably wouldn't get as fast support as NFo has several ways of contacting them.You also take the risk of getting another server with no support or if you get a booster on another server it could cause the server to lag more than one without it depending if the other company's machine can even run it.Not only that ,but counter-strike source is a fairly new game with more configurations are taking place while running the game + extra mods you want to install thus enabling any system to be slowed down despite other users that could be running on the same machine.Here they will make sure that you have a good experience in the game that I know I have been looking for and I know other people have also.If you take a look at their highest machine specs you can tell that these peoples up in here aren't kidding around with there little "Xeons" pffft squirrel please.Or there "desktop" servers pffft whatever.NO!They have the best of the best and the newest machines around.Opterons.NFo have been around since 2001 so you'd also want to look for experience for the company to have in running game servers you don't want a company that they don't even know how to restart the server or not monitor the server so it doesn't overload with all the extra data and the overusage of game servers on a single machine.The marketing technique that most game server providers use is to buy the cheapest things that people will settle for.That could be the cheapest oldest servers with the worst bandwidth and maybe the 1 or 2 people that work there that now have different jobs and lives to live than monitor their business.Take a good look at what you can recieve from NFo and the testimonals and flame sections of the forums and their website.The only people that can match NFo with the best quality in machines,bandwidth,technicians,control panel,and in support that you build a smooth relationship with for gaming is either NFo themselves or someone else with outragously high prices that can leave you frowning when you decide you are now in debt up to your neck and about to lose several things because you just couldn't settle for NFo and you went with the more expensive choice now you are lost in a pool of debt instead of money from your savings.I am very interested in you finding another host that is better than NFo let me know how that goes.

[Vampire Hunter X]

Oh yeah and one last note.FINE don't take me over someone else's referrer name I see how it is.BE THAT WAY!One day I will look upon my referrer status and see no one that and it will pain me to see that one person could have made a difference in my life.You have killed me starting with the inside where my heart is out.

[Vampire Hunter X]

ALSO my kitty is sitting on my lap he likes it when I go to NFo .

[Hikaru Zero]

Hikaru Zero even if you did go to other host you would risk not setting up a server correct and having them charge you a fee to setup up for you which could be set by the employee there possibly letting you have the same price charge for the ping accelerator here.

Well firstly, that's not a risk. I can set up a server myself. And secondly, even if I couldn't, I would learn how to do so before I'd pay someone else to do it.

Also -- other hosts offer ping boosters and higher tickrates for less than here -- and a 33 tickrate, despite being the default, is rather low quality. If the server only updates at 33 times per second, but most of the players get 60 FPS or more (I get 75, that's my desktop's refresh rate), that means half of the frames that players are seeing are not registering until the next frame on the server ...

Regardless, I may just end up going with NuclearFallout.net without the ping accellerator. A low-quality tickrate is better than the half-server I have now. =\

You probably wouldn't get as fast support as NFo has several ways of contacting them.

Our current host has surprisingly fast support -- most often within an hour or less. The exception, of course, is anything having to do with moving hardware and servers, and no host (even NFo) can boast ultra-fast support times for such problems.

You also take the risk of getting another server with no support or if you get a booster on another server it could cause the server to lag more than one without it depending if the other company's machine can even run it.

Which is a good point -- that's why I would rather end up switching to NFo rather than going to another host.

The only people that can match NFo with the best quality in machines,bandwidth,technicians,control panel,and in support that you build a smooth relationship with for gaming is either NFo themselves or someone else with outragously high prices that can leave you frowning when you decide you are now in debt up to your neck and about to lose several things because you just couldn't settle for NFo and you went with the more expensive choice now you are lost in a pool of debt instead of money from your savings.I am very interested in you finding another host that is better than NFo let me know how that goes.

Listen, I don't have anything against you, but you need to take the knot out of your underwear. I'm not posting here to "threaten" NFo with some snobbish "I'll take my business elsewhere" demand, that's just silly. I'm only looking for the best price.

NFo says they offer high-quality services and support, for a mid-range price.

Unfortunately for us, we can barely afford mid-range and would prefer something low-range with a medium quality (The equivalent of "NFO Lite".)

Secondly, I wouldn't be up to my neck in debt, because I don't use credit cards and I make sure that I have money to pay for something I use before I get it. With automatic billing, I set aside money for every month, and if I can't get the money before the month, I cancel the subscription.

Oh yeah and one last note.FINE don't take me over someone else's referrer name I see how it is.BE THAT WAY!One day I will look upon my referrer status and see no one that and it will pain me to see that one person could have made a difference in my life.You have killed me starting with the inside where my heart is out.

You snoozed, you lost -- he posted first, and if that's what your previous post was about, I'd rather leave the referral entry blank than put vh3 in it, lol ...

-----

Anyway -- manythanks to you guys -- Edge and b0oya, for answering my questions with speed and precision. =) Towards the end of the month, we will probably end up moving to NFo. And if by some odd chance that we don't, you guys are still running a good operation, fighting the good fight, and that is respectable.

[Hikaru Zero]

Oh yeah, speaking of which ...

As a general question to anyone viewing this thread, is there any detailed guide as to setting proper cvars such as cl_updaterate and cl_cmdrate, rate, sv_maxrate, etc?

[bOoya]

We've got a little guide over in the tutorials section on client rates and just rates in general.
Direct link: http://rentalforums.nuclearfallout.net/ ... php?t=2028

It's really just meant to inform you about the settings, what they do... etc. It shows the common problems people get by setting their rates incorrectly and such and gives some guidelines.

edit: There's also this guide that one of our oldest customers wrote that basically conglomerates a lot of different guides into one, taking quotes from VALVe and other official sources. http://www.xngserver.com/ And it's fairly well written to boot.

edit2: I don't think Vampire was taking a personal jab at you, just trying to emphasise his point with a little harshness, albeit satirical. He's.. erm... odd <3 VH

[Hikaru Zero]

Yep.

Despite the 33 tickrate, we're'a gonna mosey on over to NFo.

Again manythanks to you for answering my questions. =) With this kind of support, and all of the great stories I have heard about you, I am hoping that we will be pleasantly surprised.