The Nxeon Blog

Guides for people who run their own servers.

Straight-talking tutorials and comparisons on VPS hosting, game servers, Linux and security. No fluff, just what actually works. 346 guides from the team that runs the servers.

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132 guides for “firewall” · Clear search
Networking · 4 min read ·

How to point a domain at your VPS

Bought a domain and spun up a server? The last step is connecting them. Here's exactly how to point a domain at your VPS with A records — and verify it worked.

Networking · 3 min read ·

Common ports every developer should know (22, 80, 443, 3306…)

You don't need to memorise all 65,535 ports — just the ones that come up daily. Here's the working developer's reference to the ports you'll actually use.

Security · 3 min read ·

How to set up fail2ban to stop brute-force attacks

fail2ban watches your logs and bans IPs that keep failing logins. Learn to install it, protect SSH, tune ban times, and add jails for web services.

Security · 3 min read ·

How to harden a Linux server: a practical checklist

A public server is probed within minutes of going online. This hardening checklist covers users, SSH, firewalls, updates, fail2ban and monitoring — step by step.

Networking · 4 min read ·

Subnetting made simple: CIDR, netmasks, and host counts

CIDR and subnet masks stop being scary once you see the pattern. Here's a clear, math-light guide to /24s, netmasks, host counts and splitting a network.

Tutorials · 3 min read ·

How to run Docker on a VPS

Docker packages apps into portable containers. Learn to install Docker and Compose on a VPS, run your first container, and deploy a multi-service app.

Game servers · 3 min read ·

VPS vs Dedicated Game Server Hosting: Which Should You Pick?

One-click game panels are easy but limited; a VPS gives you root and flexibility. Here's how to choose between a dedicated game host and a VPS.

Tutorials · 3 min read ·

How to host WordPress on a VPS

Run WordPress on your own VPS for speed and control. This LEMP-stack guide covers Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, the WordPress install, and free HTTPS.

Tutorials · 3 min read ·

How to deploy a Next.js app on a VPS

Self-host Next.js on your own server for full control and predictable cost. Learn to build, run with PM2, reverse-proxy with Nginx, and add HTTPS.

Networking · 4 min read ·

How to check if a port is open (and what to do if it's not)

A service only works if its port is reachable. Learn how to test whether a port is open from your machine and from the internet, and how to fix a closed one.

Tutorials · 3 min read ·

How to deploy a Node.js app on a VPS

Take a Node.js app from your laptop to a live server. This guide covers installing Node, running the app with PM2, and fronting it with Nginx and HTTPS.

Game servers · 3 min read ·

DDoS Protection for Game Servers: What You Need to Know

Game servers are prime DDoS targets. Learn how attacks work, what network-level filtering does, and practical steps to keep your server online.

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