Why Self-Host?
Over 10 years of running Minecraft servers, from shared game hosting providers, to a dedicated machine at home, to Hetzner bare metal, to the current Proxmox homelab setup. Each step gave more control over performance, networking, and configuration. At this point, the infrastructure knowledge gained from a decade of hosting game servers directly feeds into how I manage production environments professionally.
The Setup
Minecraft servers run across two environments depending on the use case — Hetzner dedicated machines for public-facing servers with consistent uptime, and the Proxmox homelab for private sessions with friends.
How it works
- Hetzner: dedicated resources for servers that need to stay up and handle more players
- Proxmox homelab: quick-spin VMs for private worlds and testing new modpacks
- Tailscale: private access for friends without exposing anything to the internet
- Cloudflare: domain and DNS management when a server needs to be publicly accessible
- Modded and vanilla: both supported, depending on what the group wants to play
Status
Active: personal and community Minecraft servers across Hetzner and homelab infrastructure.