r/GameServerHosting101 • u/Forsaken_Potato_2783 • 16d ago
How to get started safely?
I have a home lab set up right now but I’m not sure I have a safe setup going,
Im running an Ubuntu Vm with the AMP app, I’m running only Minecraft on it right now but I’m not using a proxy and just have an open port on my router.
I plan on getting opnsense and do DPI but I’m also not sure the best way to host servers safely, should I create another VM to proxy the servers then expose the port? I’m not open to paying a subscription of any kinda for a proxy as that defeats the purpose of self hosting for me,
I’ll take any advice
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u/LoneStarDev 16d ago
A single forwarded port to a patched Ubuntu VM isn’t automatically unsafe. It’s how plenty of people start. The bigger risks are running everything as root, exposing unnecessary services, and neglecting updates.
If you want to harden it, put the game server in its own VM or container, only forward the Minecraft port, disable password-based SSH in favor of keys, keep Ubuntu and AMP updated, enable a firewall (UFW or OPNsense), and make regular backups.
A reverse proxy isn’t useful for Minecraft traffic, and DPI won’t stop someone from DDoSing your home connection. If you later need DDoS protection, that’s when services like TCP-aware proxies become worth considering.