Author: Nathi

Yes, you can install a GUI on your KVM server if you are prepared to handle some technical challenges. Before you proceed, we recommend that you do not use a GUI for the best performance. If having a graphical interface is important to you, consider using our Windows Servers.

KVM Server

You are free to install a GUI on KVM servers because they use full virtualization and have guaranteed resources. However, please note that our host systems do not have graphics cards, so you will not have hardware acceleration. Whenever possible, you should use the VNC console.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

• Install a desktop environment, such as KDE.
• Install a VNC server.
• Configure the VNC server so it runs the correct X server.
• Connect to your VNC server using a VNC client.

Disadvantages of GUI on KVM Servers

We recommend once again to avoid using a GUI. Here are the reasons:

Resource Consumption: A GUI uses more resources. A vServer without a GUI uses much less RAM when idle.

No Graphics Cards: Our host systems don’t have graphics cards, so there is no hardware acceleration. The CPU has to handle graphic rendering, which can make the GUI feel slow.

Most of the time, there are better and less demanding ways to run programs. The Linux console might seem intimidating at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll find that the commands are quite straightforward.

In this article we will explain in a few steps how you can easily activate TUN/TAP.

The activation is done with a few clicks.

Step by step to activation:

• Open the vServer Administration in Vionity.com.
• Select the administration of the desired vServer.
• Click on “VPS Settings”.
• Check the box “TUN/TAP”.
• Click on the green “Save” button.
• Restart your server so that the changes are applied at the network level.

Immediately after restarting your vServer, the change will be online and usable. If there are any problems, inform us immediately so that we can help you as soon as possible. If you have any questions, of course.

Please note that according to the product terms and our general terms and conditions, you are obligated not to overload your services. Therefore, it is important to use your server properly and adjust your usage behavior accordingly. This topic is particularly relevant for virtual and dedicated servers.

To evaluate the load, we generally consider the server’s so-called load. The load is a comprehensive indicator of the server’s usage and includes CPU, I/O, and RAM usage, among others. As a general rule, the load should roughly be 1.25 per core. This is also the maximum limit allowed by us. Of course, it is possible that the server’s usage may temporarily exceed this limit. As long as it stays within reasonable limits, you don’t need to worry.

If, however, we determine that your server has a significantly high usage or it remains overloaded for a prolonged period of time (~one hour), we will unfortunately have to suspend your server. We use an automated system that constantly monitors the load of all servers and assigns points to each server, similar to the driving record in Flensburg. We have no influence on this system.

If your server has been overloaded and subsequently suspended, you need to contact our support. We will explain the product terms and the next steps to you again. After that, we will reactivate your server if you agree to comply with our general terms and conditions. In case of repeated suspensions, we reserve the right to terminate the contract.

P.S.: While this limit does not generally apply to KVM servers, they can still be suspended due to overload. This usually happens when mining software or continuous usage of 100% is detected over an extended period of time. Windows servers, in particular, are susceptible to this. So please make sure not to continuously use the full performance of your server.

Debian 12 has been released. As a result, the repositories for Debian 11 changed from “stable” to “oldstable.”

If you try to run apt-get update on the server, you will encounter an error:

root@vps:/# apt-get update
Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian buster InRelease [122 kB]
Reading package lists... Done      
N: Repository 'http://deb.debian.org/debian buster InRelease' changed its 'Version' value from '10.9' to '10.10'
E: Repository 'http://deb.debian.org/debian buster InRelease' changed its 'Suite' value from 'stable' to 'oldstable'
N: This must be accepted explicitly before updates for this repository can be applied. See apt-secure(8) manpage for details.

The change in the suite value must be explicitly confirmed. You can do this with a single command:

apt-get --allow-releaseinfo-change update

Using this command, we tell apt that the change has been accepted.

Now, you can use apt-get update, upgrade, and install as usual.

Have you ordered a KVM server from Prepaid-Hoster and want to install Windows on it? No problem! In this guide, we’ll show you step by step how to set up Windows on your server.

Guide to Installing Windows

Login to the Web Interface

First, log in to the Prepaid-Hoster web interface. You can find the login page at this link.

• Open Server Management Click on your server in the navigation and select the server where you want to install Windows. Open the Cloud Manager.
• Install Operating System In the server dashboard, you will see a large “Install Operating System” button. Click it to start the installation.
• Select Operating System Choose “Windows Server 2019/2022 (Eval)” from the list of available operating systems. This version is free for testing.
• Start Installation Confirm your choice and click “Start Installation.” The installation process will begin and may take a few minutes.
• Establish Connection Once the installation is complete, you can connect to your new Windows server via Remote Desktop (RDP) using the credentials displayed in the web interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to install Windows myself? Our KVM servers come with a Linux operating system by default. Installing Windows takes only about 5 minutes.

What can I do if the installation fails? If the installation fails, first try again. If the problem persists, contact our support for further assistance.

Can I install a different version of Windows? Yes, you can also upload and install your own ISO file.

Support If you have any other questions or issues, our support team is always available. Simply contact us through the support ticket system in the web interface.

If you forget the password for your Sinusbot, it’s frustrating but not a big deal. You can easily reset it to a new password with just a few steps. Here’s how to successfully reset your password.

If you haven’t forgotten the password and just want to change it, go directly to the Password Reset page.

Activate Override Mode

Connect via SSH

First, you need to log in to your server via SSH. Once logged in, navigate to the Sinusbot directory. Usually, this is /opt/sinusbot.

Stop Running Instances

Next, you need to stop all running Sinusbot instances. We’ll use a method to stop all processes named “sinusbot”:

pkill -f ".sinusbot"

Log in as Sinusbot User

To start the Sinusbot, you need a separate user, usually named sinusbot. Log in as this user in your SSH console.

Use the following command, replacing “sinusbot” with the username you chose during installation if needed:

su sinusbot

Start Rescue Mode

Now that you are logged in as the Sinusbot user, you can start the Sinusbot in password override mode. Warning: This mode is only for resetting the password and is not secure for general use. It overrides the admin password for the current session.

Use the following command to start the PW Reset mode:

./sinusbot -override-password=temppassword123

The Sinusbot is now in Rescue Mode. Important: Keep the SSH session open; do not close it.

Open the Sinusbot web interface at Server-IP:8087 in your browser. You can log in with the user “admin” and the temporary password “temppassword123”.

Reset Sinusbot Password

After logging into the web interface, you need to set a new password for the admin user. Navigate to “Settings” > “User Accounts” and click the “Edit” icon next to the admin user. In the dialog that opens, set a new password for the admin user and save the changes.

You will be automatically logged out. Do not log in with the new details yet.

Go back to the SSH session and press CTRL+C to exit Rescue Mode. Then log out from the Sinusbot user and switch back to the root user.

exit

You should now be logged in as the root user. Start the Sinusbot normally with:

service sinusbot start

Go back to your browser and refresh the page. Now log in with the new admin credentials. The username is “admin” and the password is the one you just set. If you forget the password, start over.

No, unfortunately, it is not possible. Our vServer host systems are hosted at our partner Synlinq near Frankfurt. This allows us to provide top-notch DDoS protection and low latencies.

All KVM and OpenVZ host systems are located at this Frankfurt location.

Do you still have servers at OVH?

In May 2022, we moved our entire infrastructure that we had at OVH to the modern Maincubes Data Center. We no longer offer servers at OVH.

Do you still have servers at Hetzner?

No, our virtual servers are exclusively delivered in our own infrastructure. Only dedicated servers are sourced from our hosting partner Hetzner.

Do you still have servers in France?

No, all servers have been stationed in Germany since mid-2022.

Can I move my server to a different location?

A location move is not possible as all customer servers are located at the same location.

Image source: https://www.maincubes.com/rechenzentrum/rechenzentrum-frankfurt/housing-frankfurt/

If you have a domain and a vServer at Prepaid-Hoster, you can easily connect the domain to your server with our AutoConnect feature or take over the settings yourself.

If you want to connect the server manually with the IP address of the server, enter the IP address in all fields with the type “A“.

Connect automatically

Click on your domain in the web interface and go to the DNS settings. There you will find a button with the label “Connect to PPH Server“.

If you click on it, a dialog opens. There are all services listed, which you can use to connect to your domain. Select the desired server and then press Apply. Now all settings will be set automatically as they are needed for the DNS. Your previous settings will be overwritten, connections to MC or TS3 servers will be preserved. Provided you don’t want to reset all entries before.

Please note that the change in DNS can take up to 24 hours.

Domain at another provider

If you have a domain with another provider, please check the FAQ there. Basically: You have to set the IP address of your vServer as A-Record “@” and “*”. Since the DNS administration is different for each provider, we can’t provide detailed instructions. Please contact our support if you have any questions. Feel free to send us screenshots of your configuration, so we can tell you where there might be problems,

Please note that the change in DNS can take up to 24 hours.

You have the option to increase the memory of a virtual server at any time, as long as you have not yet reached the largest level. With OpenVZ servers, the memory is available immediately and without rebooting. With KVM servers, however, there are a few small things to keep in mind.

There are usually 3 reasons why the memory is not yet available to you after an upgrade.

The server must be restarted

If you change the storage capacity of a KVM server, you must stop and restart your server in the web interface. At startup, the change of the virtual hard disk is then carried out. In Linux-based servers, the new space is then assigned to /dev/sda1.

A snapshot is available

If a restart via the web interface did not cause any change, you may have snapshots active. Remove all snapshots and restart the server afterwards. Sometimes you have to contact the support to get them to restart the change process for you for free.

The freed space must be allocated (Windows)

When your hard disk is expanded, the freed disk space is not allocated to a hard disk drive (e.g. C:). You have to do that yourself. We explain how to do this in the article Extending Windows Hard Disk Space.

All this did not help

Feel free to contact us in support. We can then check what did not work. You will get your hard drive space in any case.

In this article, we will explain how to open a specific port in the Windows Firewall.

By default, a Windows Server does not allow any external connections. Ports need to be explicitly opened.

Imagine you are running a Minecraft server on your Windows Server. Your colleagues can only connect through port 25565 once this port is opened in the Windows Firewall.

Common Standard Ports

You can open more than just your Minecraft server in the Firewall. A variety of standard ports are available to ensure you are well-prepared.

Application	Protocols & Port(s)
Minecraft Server	TCP 25565
Teamspeak	UDP 9987 TCP 30033
Webserver	TCP 80, 443
CS2 Server	TCP 27015-27030, 27036-27037 UDP 4380, 27000-27031, 27036
RDP	TCP 3389

Connecting to Windows Server

First, connect to your Windows Server. You must act as an Administrator.

Open Windows Firewall

Search for “Firewall” in the Start menu.

Open the entry named “Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security”. A new program will open.

Add a Rule

In the new window, you will see an entry named “Inbound Rules” on the left. Right-click on it and select “New Rule” from the context menu.

An assistant will open to help you create the rule.

In the first step, you will be asked what kind of rule you want to create. Since we want to open a port, choose Port as the rule type. Click Next.

Now, identify which port and protocol your application uses.

Choose the correct protocol TCP or UDP and then enter the ports that apply to your program in the “Specific local ports” field. Then click Next.

In the next step, choose the action. Since we want to allow the connection, select “Allow the connection”. Click Next.

In the second-to-last step, choose which connections this rule should apply to. By default, all connections are already selected. You can leave it as is and click Next.

The final step is easy: Give the rule a name. We recommend you use the name of the application you are allowing, such as “Minecraft Server”. You can also add a description if you like.

With a click on “Finish”, you have successfully created the rule! The port is now open in the Windows Firewall and can be accessed from outside.

If you have any questions, please contact our support team. We are happy to help.