Your GuavaHost server goes live within seconds of ordering, so this guide walks you through the handful of things worth doing on day one to get it set up the way you want.
Open your control panel
- Go to guavahost.com/account and sign in. This is your client area, where your services, invoices and upgrades live.
- Click the Game Panel button (or the panel link on your service) to open the control panel. The panel is built on Pterodactyl and is where you actually run the server.
- You will land on your server with the Console tab already open.
Start the server and watch it boot
Your server is installed and ready, but it may not be running yet. On the Console tab, press Start and watch the live log scroll. The very first boot can take a little longer than a normal restart because the game files finish setting themselves up. When the log settles and reports that the world or level is ready, you are live and players can join.
Note your connect address
At the top of the server view you will see your server IP and port. That pair is your connect address, the thing you and your friends type into the game to join. Copy it somewhere handy so you are not hunting for it later.
Set your game options on Startup
Open the Startup tab. This is where the server variables live, things like the game version, the server type or jar, and core game settings. If you want a specific version or game mode, set it here before you invite anyone, because some of these changes only take effect on a fresh boot.
Take your first backup
Before you start tinkering, open the Backups tab and create a snapshot. A backup is a saved copy of your server at that exact moment. Restoring one overwrites the current files, so having a clean starting point means you can always roll back if an experiment goes sideways.
Good things to know
- Every plan includes free DDoS protection, NVMe SSD storage and instant setup, so none of that needs configuring by you.
- You can change your server location or add more RAM at any time from guavahost.com/account, and billing is prorated.
- There is a 48-hour money-back guarantee if the server is not what you expected.
Day one really is that short. Open the panel, start the server, grab your IP and port, set your version on Startup, and take a backup. Everything else, plugins, mods, schedules and sub-users, can wait until you know exactly what you want to build.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.