I′ve tried hosting a game server for my friends a few months ago, and let me tell you, it was a complete disaster! I underestimated the technical requirements and ended up with constant lag and crashes. I didn′t account for bandwidth limitations or how to properly configure the settings. After many frustrating sessions, we eventually gave up on it. Now I′m curious: what are the essential steps to host a game server effectively? How can I avoid the mistakes I made last time and ensure a smooth gaming experience for everyone?