DISCLAIMER: By no means is this a “complete” guide. In fact, it is quite the opposite. As of my typing this, I have just begun part #4. So, if you have any additions/suggestions/edits to make, please do so in a friendly manner down in the replies. Thanks, and enjoy!



All right guys! Are you tired of paying upwards of $15/mo for a small time server that you just use with a few friends? Or are you looking for a small Dev server for cheap? Well, if so, I think it’s time to look at the Raspberry Pi for your hosting needs!


   


   First off, What is a Raspberry Pi? For those of you that DON’T know, the Raspberry Pi (RPi or just Pi for short) is a $25 micro computer that runs Linux. It is about the size of a credit card, and has 512mb of RAM! That’s enough to run a server that is only used by you and a few friends, and maybe the odd plugin or two. With that said, let’s look at the annual cost of some popular server hosts. Just a quick note: these are SERIOUSLY cheap.

Server Host:	Monthly cost (512mb Plan)	Cost for dedicated IP	DDoS protection	Other:	Total yearly cost:
MCProHosting	$4.99	$3.99	Limited	$2 for unlimited slots	$131.76
GG Servers	$1.50	$3.00	See Other	Twice the price for DDoS protection.	$54
CreeperHost	$7.61	Included	Included	N/A	$92.70
BeastNode	$5 for 356mb	NOT OFFERED	None	None	$60

Now let’s look at the Pi: It costs $25 ($35 for the Model B+)… and thats really it. If you pay for your electrical bill you may want to read this tidbit of info from the Raspberry Pi forums:

• RasbPi uses 5W maximum (5Vx1A=5W, although in theory it shouldn't go higher than 700mA and therefore 3.5W, I'm looking for worst-case and I've read that the Pi will shut down at 1A)
  

• At this rate it would take 200 hours to use 1kWh (1000Wh/5W = 200h)
  

• There are 8766 hours in most years, 8790 in a leap year
  

• Therefore the RasbPi, at this loading, would use 43.95 kWh per year (8790h/200hours per kilowatt hour)
  

• The most expensive energy tariff in the UK I can find is just under £0.20 per kWh
  

• Therefore the maximum theoretical amount a RasbPi should ever cost in a year is (43.95kWh*£0.2) which is £8.79 (About $11.5)
  

Or with more conservative estimates using the same maths

• At 3.5W maximum
  

• 285.71 hours to use 1kWh
  

• 30.77 units per year
  

• 13.2 pence per unit (direct debit nationwide average feb 2012)
  

• £4.06 per year running costs (Or about $6.5)
  

So, you factor that in, and you only spend $36 for your first year; that’s a STEAL in the hosting world! Now you are probably tired of this lengthy intro, so let’s dive right in to the tutorial!



Tutorial



So, for the OS, we will use MCPi OS. This is a shockingly fast distro that keeps your server on its toes 24/7, so you shouldn’t run into any issues. It will even restart your server if your power goes out, you NEVER have to worry about it! The tutorial will consist of a modified version of Ryan Sigel’s post at http://everyday-tech.com/minecraftpi-a-raspberry-pi-minecraft-server-image/ . I will include what we need and exclude what we don’t. So, let’s go!






Requirements:

• 
  
  Win32DiskImager
  
  
• 
  
  Some in-depth experience with computers
  
  
• 
  
  A power supply
  
  
• 
  
  A TV with HDMI
  
  
• 
  
  A HDMI cord
  
  
• 
  
  A Micro-USB cord (Like what you charge most Android phones with)
  
  
• 
  
  A Raspberry Pi Model B or B+ from 2013 or later (Buy it here: http://bit.ly/1onWVZW )
  
  

Step 1: Download the ZIP file here:


http://bit.ly/1wxA7Zo


Step 2: Download Win32DiskImager


Step 3: Write image to SD Card. (4gb+[EDIT: it is recommended that you use a Class 10 or higher SD card])


Step 4: Connect a keyboard & Monitor to your Pi Before booting


Step 5: MineCraftPi will automatically start your MineCraft Server on boot-up. After a few minutes you should be able to login by entering your Raspberry Pi’s Ip address [In 1.6.x + you just type in “localhost:25565” without the quotes] in the MultiPlayer Section of your MineCraft client.


Step 6: After a brief test, you will want to proceed to the next section to finish setting things up






So, let’s configure our server. By default, you should only be able to connect to it if you are on the same network, but we can fix that.



This is pulled from the original guide:


1.) If you haven’t already done so, You will want to make sure that your server has a fixed [Static] IP address. [EDIT: If you do not know how to do this, search it up on Google]


2.) After you’ve set your static IP address, you will need to setup port forwarding on your router so anyone outside your network can access your server. Since this process varies based on your individual router model, your best bet is to look up a port forwarding guide on portforward.com.


3.) Essentially what you are looking to do is login to your router and setup port forwarding to your MineCraft servers IP address like so:





Make sure that:

• 
  
  Internal & External ports are set to “25565“
  
  
• 
  
  Protocol = TCP
  
  
• 
  
  IP address = Your MineCraftPi IP address!
  
  

The easiest way to tell if your MineCraft Server is accessible to the outside world is to have a friend connect. Grab your external IP address by following the directions below and have your friend try to connect.

• 
  
  Go to WhatsMyIp And grab your external IP address.
  
  
• 
  
  Open up MineCraft > Go to MultiPlayer > Add Server
  
  
• 
  
  Try to connect to: <your external IP address>:25565
  
  
• 
  
  Example: 173.89.44.120:25565
  
  

Great! You should now be able to connect to your server from <Your IP>:25565! But let’s take this to the next level.






Great! You made it to this part! So, you have your server running, you can access it from home, and your IP outside of home, but you don’t want to have to remember all those numbers. Well, here’s a free way to get around that!



Requirements:

• 
  
  A Google+ account
  
  
• 
  
  Your configured and running RPi Server
  
  

Instructions:

1. 
   
   Let’s make an account at Dot.tk and register a free domain, shall we? For this you really only need a Google+ account, so be sure that you are logged in to it.
   
   
2. 
   
   Type in a desirable domain name (Don’t put .tk at the end), and click register. For this I will use nickprogaming.tk
   
   
3. 
   
   Okay, by now you should be greeted with a page that asks you to put your website name. Click on the “Use my own DNS” tickbox. Enter your IP address in both fields
   
   
4. 
   
   Click signup, login with a Google account, and wait until it says your domain has been created.
   
   
5. 
   
   Congrats! If you have set your domain up properly, you should be able to connect to your Pi-Powered Minecraft server! Just type in your domain name (In my case nickprogaming.tk) in the “Server IP” box in Minecraft, and enjoy!
   
   

Want a faster server? Stick around! Part 4 is coming soon!