Setting up a NS2 Dedicated Server on Windows Server, version 1709 (server core)
FuhrerDarqueSyde
Join Date: 2004-10-04 Member: 32076Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2004-10-04 Member: 32076Members, Constellation
With the release of 1709 Fall Creators Update, Windows Server released it's first iteration of Windows Server with no option to install a GUI during install.
Windows Server, version 1709 will drop you into a command-line shell the same as if you'd install Windows Server 2012-2016 as a Server Core install. As a result, getting NS2 dedicated server installed can be a little trickier due to the lack of easy tools to work with Windows Server in the command line.
As a result, I have compiled the steps I took to get the server running for me.
One pre-requisite you'll need to do is zip the following files from a Windows installation (preferably Windows 10 version 1709 since it matches the server version):
SysWOW64\avifil32.dll
SysWOW64\msacm32.dll
SysWOW64\msvfw32.dll
System32\avifil32.dll
System32\msacm32.dll
System32\msvfw32.dll
I acquired the versions in both System32 AND SysWOW64 as I was not sure if both were needed or not. I zipped them up and transferred them over Remote Desktop (shared drives) to the C:\Steam\ folder as MSvideo.zip where I extracted them into the C:\Windows\ folder via powershell below. You'll need to make the C:\Steam\ folder for the process below.
You can enable Remote Desktop by using the 'sconfig' command-line tool.
Below is the list of commands and tools I used after I has the MSvideo.zip file in place. The user will be in the C:\Users\Administrator\ folder by default upon logging in.
By default, the server logs and config files will be stored in C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Natural Selection 2\.
A side note, Windows Firewall is enabled by default. As a result, you may have difficulty reaching port 8080 for the Web UI or the game ports. If you're feeling dangerous and trust your router to block evil intruders, you can disable the Windows Firewall for all profiles by issuing the following command: netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off
Windows Server, version 1709 will drop you into a command-line shell the same as if you'd install Windows Server 2012-2016 as a Server Core install. As a result, getting NS2 dedicated server installed can be a little trickier due to the lack of easy tools to work with Windows Server in the command line.
As a result, I have compiled the steps I took to get the server running for me.
One pre-requisite you'll need to do is zip the following files from a Windows installation (preferably Windows 10 version 1709 since it matches the server version):
SysWOW64\avifil32.dll
SysWOW64\msacm32.dll
SysWOW64\msvfw32.dll
System32\avifil32.dll
System32\msacm32.dll
System32\msvfw32.dll
I acquired the versions in both System32 AND SysWOW64 as I was not sure if both were needed or not. I zipped them up and transferred them over Remote Desktop (shared drives) to the C:\Steam\ folder as MSvideo.zip where I extracted them into the C:\Windows\ folder via powershell below. You'll need to make the C:\Steam\ folder for the process below.
You can enable Remote Desktop by using the 'sconfig' command-line tool.
Below is the list of commands and tools I used after I has the MSvideo.zip file in place. The user will be in the C:\Users\Administrator\ folder by default upon logging in.
cd ..
cd ..
cd Steam
powershell
wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip -UseBasicParsing -OutFile steamcmd.zip
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('System.IO.Compression.FileSystem')
[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::ExtractToDirectory(".\steamcmd.zip", ".")
[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::ExtractToDirectory(".\MSvideo.zip", "C:\Windows\")
steamcmd.exe
login <username> <password>
force_install_dir C:\Steam\ns2\
app_update 4940
exit
ns2\_CommonRedist\vcredist\2013\vcredist_x64.exe
ns2\_CommonRedist\vcredist\2013\vcredist_x86.exe
ns2\server.exe -name "Server Name Here" -port 27015 -webadmin -webdomain "192.168.0.101" -webuser myUsername -webpassword myPassword -webport 8080 -map ns2_tram -limit 24
By default, the server logs and config files will be stored in C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Natural Selection 2\.
A side note, Windows Firewall is enabled by default. As a result, you may have difficulty reaching port 8080 for the Web UI or the game ports. If you're feeling dangerous and trust your router to block evil intruders, you can disable the Windows Firewall for all profiles by issuing the following command: netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off
Comments
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2017-10-22 20:34 Central (U.S.)
Added note about Windows Firewall.
2017-10-22 20:22 Central (U.S.)
Removed avicap32.dll as a dll required to be transferred. It does not appear to be required.