server Building a server for Minecraft, File sharing and , to run a firewall on.

[Pog Bob]

My dad and I are wanting to build a server, I would like the server to be able to run Minecraft with at least 8 players and mods. My dad would like to use it for use to share files and also use it as a firewall as we are getting alot of attacks. I was wondering if first if is possible to do all 3 things on one server. Second what parts do we need or what prebuild server (if there are any) we could buy. He has set a budget of $1000 Dollars or less. I have also heard to not waste money on a GPU for this type of server as RAM and CPU are more important and that the integrated graphics would be fine for using a monitor, is this true? Any and all help is appreciated and Thank You for taking your time to help.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

Spot on with the graphics. Minecraft servers are 100% CPU based, and work best on fewer more powerful cores. As for file sharing? How much data? How many computers need to access it at once? This should be very possible for $1000 USD.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

As for prebuilt, you might want to look into used server parts. Server grade tech that doesn't have the latest and greatest features of modern computers are often significantly discounted as used parts, and would be plenty adequate for your needs. But most of the server-grade stuff is in server-rack format. Not really what you are looking for probably.

[Pog Bob]

2 minutes ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

Spot on with the graphics. Minecraft servers are 100% CPU based, and work best on fewer more powerful cores. As for file sharing? How much data? How many computers need to access it at once? This should be very possible for $1000 USD.

At least 4-6 computers will be moving files around but not at the same time, and I am planning to add a SSD of at least 2-4 TB.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

1 minute ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

At least 4-6 computers will be moving files around but not at the same time, and I am planning to add a SSD of at least 2-4 TB.

What kinds of files are you looking to store? Are they mission critical (speed or redundancy important?)

[Pog Bob]

1 minute ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

As for prebuilt, you might want to look into used server parts. Server grade tech that doesn't have the latest and greatest features of modern computers are often significantly discounted as used parts, and would be plenty adequate for your needs. But most of the server-grade stuff is in server-rack format. Not really what you are looking for probably.

Would you happen to know where I could find parts and other stuff, as I looked at a lot of places and found nothing. Yes I am looking for a server tower, but if that is not possible then a rack is fine too. As I want to upgrade thing in a few years, and feel like a rack would be better and easier to upgraded parts on then a case tower would be.

[Pog Bob]

Just now, TheNuzziNuzz said:

What kinds of files are you looking to store? Are they mission critical (speed or redundancy important?)

Important files, which I am going to need raid for, but if raid is not possible then that is fine as we will have them stored in multiple places for safely. 

[TheNuzziNuzz]

2 minutes ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Important files, which I am going to need raid for, but if raid is not possible then that is fine as we will have them stored in multiple places for safely. 

Do you have 10gig network setup or just gigabit?

 

You will want raid.

4 minutes ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Would you happen to know where I could find parts and other stuff, as I looked at a lot of places and found nothing. Yes I am looking for a server tower, but if that is not possible then a rack is fine too. As I want to upgrade thing in a few years, and feel like a rack would be better and easier to upgraded parts on then a case tower would be.

You have this inverted. Server rack is much more difficult to upgrade. Go with a regular tower for this.

[Electronics Wizardy]

7 minutes ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Would you happen to know where I could find parts and other stuff, as I looked at a lot of places and found nothing. Yes I am looking for a server tower, but if that is not possible then a rack is fine too. As I want to upgrade thing in a few years, and feel like a rack would be better and easier to upgraded parts on then a case tower would be.

Id just built a desktop. Id probably go with something like a i5 10400 here. Pretty cheap, and has a igpu. Then put a hypervisor on it and run whatever vms you want to on it.

 

Id get some hdds for storage and a smallish ssd for vms.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

What operating system are the computers that will be accessing this server?

[TheNuzziNuzz]

Just now, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id just built a desktop. Id probably go with something like a i5 10400 here. Pretty cheap, and has a igpu. Then put a hypervisor on it and run whatever vms you want to on it.

 

Id get some hdds for storage and a smallish ssd for vms.

I'd spend a little extra and get an i5 10600.

[Pog Bob]

Just now, TheNuzziNuzz said:

Do you have 10gig network setup or just gigabit?

 

You will want raid.

You have this inverted. Server rack is much more difficult to upgrade. Go with a regular tower for this.

Right now I have 50 MBPS but am waiting for gigabit to come to my area, so just a gig. Then in that case I will take the tower and raid for now. Add for networking I am not that bright in the area, so I think your talking about internet.

[Pog Bob]

2 minutes ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

What operating system are the computers that will be accessing this server?

Windows 10 maybe mac os if it works

[TheNuzziNuzz]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id just built a desktop. Id probably go with something like a i5 10400 here. Pretty cheap, and has a igpu. Then put a hypervisor on it and run whatever vms you want to on it.

 

Id get some hdds for storage and a smallish ssd for vms.

Your're going to rack up cost with SSDs very quickly here.

 

Look here: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=i5+8600&_sop=13

 

This CPU is little older but still very comparable. Its single core performance is excellent making it awesome for a minecraft server, and still leaving plenty of power for disk transfers at the same time.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

1 minute ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Right now I have 50 MBPS but am waiting for gigabit to come to my area, so just a gig. Then in that case I will take the tower and raid for now. Add for networking I am not that bright in the area, so I think your talking about internet.

I'm talking about your internal network. One SSD on it's own is likely to saturate 1000 megabits per second. If your internal internet infrastructure between computers isn't more than 1 gig (not talking about internet here) multiple SSDs in a striped raid won't give you any benefit.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Right now I have 50 MBPS but am waiting for gigabit to come to my area, so just a gig. Then in that case I will take the tower and raid for now. Add for networking I am not that bright in the area, so I think your talking about internet.

So thats your wan speed, lan speed is probalby gigabit currently. Your isp doesn't limit your lan speeds.

 

1 minute ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

I'd spend a little extra and get an i5 10600.

There is a pretty small performance difference, its probably not worth the extra, and it uses more power.

 

Just now, TheNuzziNuzz said:

Look here: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=i5+8600&_sop=13

 

This CPU is little older but still very comparable. Its single core performance is excellent making it awesome for a minecraft server, and still leaving plenty of power for disk transfers at the same time.

THe i5 10400 is faster, about about 170 new, so id just get the 10400 here. Your not saving much going with a 8600 and boards are a simmilar price aswell 

[Pog Bob]

1 minute ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

Your're going to rack up cost with SSDs very quickly here.

 

Look here: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=i5+8600&_sop=13

 

This CPU is little older but still very comparable. Its single core performance is excellent making it awesome for a minecraft server, and still leaving plenty of power for disk transfers at the same time.

Ya just thought about that I might go an HDDs now. I am planning to get 3-4 of these to use.

The HDD I want to use: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-Internal-Drive-3-5-Inch/dp/B07H2RR55Q/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FOZGFX2L6K0N&dchild=1&keywords=seagate+barracuda+2tb&qid=1610514154&sprefix=seagate+%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-3 

[TheNuzziNuzz]

Another idea here, look for $1000 used gamming PCs in your area. Buy a fully working computer with enough upgradability to maybe get some more RAM. It will likely have a GPU worth $200-$600. Sell the GPU and use the extra money to buy your SSDs. Probably best bang for the buck option and the least work.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

Just now, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

Ya just thought about that I might go an HDDs now. I am planning to get 3-4 of these to use.

The HDD I want to use: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-Internal-Drive-3-5-Inch/dp/B07H2RR55Q/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FOZGFX2L6K0N&dchild=1&keywords=seagate+barracuda+2tb&qid=1610514154&sprefix=seagate+%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-3 

Given the use case of the computer, I'd really suggest you look into getting all the other parts used so you can get SSDs instead.

[Pog Bob]

3 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

So thats your wan speed, lan speed is probalby gigabit currently. Your isp doesn't limit your lan speeds.

 

There is a pretty small performance difference, its probably not worth the extra, and it uses more power.

 

THe i5 10400 is faster, about about 170 new, so id just get the 10400 here. Your not saving much going with a 8600 and boards are a simmilar price aswell 

I have at&t I am not sure if they have lan where I am and they just started rolling out fiber in my area.

[TheNuzziNuzz]

Just now, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

I have at&t I am not sure if they have lan where I am and they just started rolling out fiber in my area.

LAN is "Local Area Network" 

That means everything downstream of your wifi router (in this case from AT&T). When computers inside your home share file data, they do not go into the wide open internet to do so. Instead they stay within your local area network. That gives you much better speed and latency, not to mention security. Your local in home system's speed is independent of whatever you pay at&t for outside your walls.

[Pog Bob]

1 minute ago, TheNuzziNuzz said:

Given the use case of the computer, I'd really suggest you look into getting all the other parts used so you can get SSDs instead.

Ok, I am attempting to find used pc and part but so far I have found nothing after about 10 days of looking, if you have any suggestions to where i should look that would be great.

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, ITZSELLABGAMING said:

I have at&t I am not sure if they have lan where I am and they just started rolling out fiber in my area.

A Lan is the network between the isp modem and your computers, so you have one, everyhouse is its own lan network.

 

What do you mean by firewall? Do you plan to have all you rnetwork traffic go though this system?

[Pog Bob]

Just now, TheNuzziNuzz said:

LAN is "Local Area Network" 

That means everything downstream of your wifi router (in this case from AT&T). When computers inside your home share file data, they do not go into the wide open internet to do so. Instead they stay within your local area network. That gives you much better speed and latency, not to mention security. Your local in home system's speed is independent of whatever you pay at&t for outside your walls.

Oh ok, In that case the do not have gig lan I am pretty sure that is what they are rolling out.

[Pog Bob]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

A Lan is the network between the isp modem and your computers, so you have one, everyhouse is its own lan network.

 

What do you mean by firewall? Do you plan to have all you rnetwork traffic go though this system?

I mean firewall as in a secondary firewall system, like a physicals firewall system as we have alot of ip attacks

Edited January 13, 2021 by ITZSELLABGAMING
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