Hosting a Game Server Safely

[Mr.Swiss0364]

Hi everyone,

I'm part of a gaming community, and unfortunately, our current servers might shut down soon due to hosting issues. I'd like to step in and host the servers on my own hardware to keep things going.

That said, I want to do it in a way that's a bit safer. I trust the people in the community, but I’d prefer not to hand out my public IP to everyone just to join the server.

Here are my goals:

1. Provide secure access to a server panel or system so that trusted developers or admins can start/stop the server, check logs, etc., without me needing to handle everything manually.
2. Mask or route my public IP so it’s accessible via a domain or something similar, rather than exposing the raw IP.

I’m considering using a Windows VM, Pterodactyl, or similar tools. I’m open to other suggestions as well if they fit the purpose.

I know this setup isn’t perfect, but it’s a close-knit community, and I’m trying to strike a balance between security and functionality. Any advice, tools, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!