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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134 guides for “admin” · Clear search
Game servers · 3 min read ·

Best CS2 Server Plugins for 2026 (CounterStrikeSharp)

The best CS2 server plugins for 2026 — MatchZy, retakes, SimpleAdmin, K4-System, SharpTimer and more — all running on Metamod + CounterStrikeSharp.

Game servers · 3 min read ·

How to Install Rust Plugins (Oxide & Carbon)

A step-by-step guide to installing Rust plugins: get the .cs file from umod.org, drop it in oxide/plugins, and reload — on Oxide or Carbon.

Game servers · 4 min read ·

Best Rust Plugins for 2026 (Oxide/Carbon)

The 10 must-have Rust plugins for 2026, from Vanish and RaidableBases to Stack Size Controller, plus how Oxide (uMod) and Carbon compare.

Game servers · 3 min read ·

Best Minecraft Plugins for 2026 (Paper/Spigot)

The essential Paper and Spigot plugins for 2026: permissions, anti-grief, cross-play, Discord integration, live maps, and performance tools.

Tutorials · 6 min read ·

Essential Linux Commands Every VPS Owner Should Know

New to the command line? This is the practical toolkit — navigation, files, permissions, processes, services, networking and disk — that runs a VPS day to day.

Security · 6 min read ·

How to Set Up a Firewall for a Game Server

Game servers need specific ports open and everything else shut. Configure UFW to expose only your game's ports, protect RCON, and cut attack surface.

Tutorials · 6 min read ·

How to Create a Non-Root Sudo User on a VPS

Working as root all the time is dangerous. Create a dedicated sudo user, give it your SSH key, and adopt least-privilege as your default way of working.

Security · 5 min read ·

How to Manage Secrets and Environment Variables on a VPS

Hardcoded API keys and passwords in code are a breach waiting to happen. Learn to store secrets in env files, systemd, and vaults — the right way.

Security · 5 min read ·

How to Secure a Self-Hosted WordPress Site

WordPress powers a huge share of the web, which makes it a huge target. Harden your self-hosted install at the server, app, and login layers.

Security · 5 min read ·

How to Secure a MySQL Database

An exposed or default-configured database is a breach waiting to happen. Lock down MySQL/MariaDB: bind to localhost, strong users, least privilege and TLS.

Security · 5 min read ·

How to Protect a VPS from Brute-Force Attacks

Bots relentlessly guess logins against every public server. Here's a layered playbook — keys, firewall, rate limits and bans — to make brute-forcing pointless.

Security · 5 min read ·

How to Add Two-Factor Authentication to SSH

Add a time-based one-time code on top of your SSH key for defence in depth. Set up Google Authenticator PAM without locking yourself out.

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