Question 1

What is a proxy server?

Accepted Answer

A proxy sits in front of your other servers and gives them all one address. Players connect to the proxy and it forwards them to whichever server you choose, so they can move between servers without disconnecting. A proxy does not run a world of its own, so you need at least one regular server behind it. Buy a proxy from us and it arrives configured, and adding a server behind it is a drag-and-drop in your dashboard with no config files to edit. Order two or more servers at once and our entry proxy comes free with them, a larger one paying only the difference. You are also free to run your own proxy in front of a regular server. Aquila-managed proxies are currently available for Minecraft only. A proxy gives you one address for multiple servers, lets you restart or update one server while the rest stay up, covers every server behind it with Geyser for Bedrock crossplay, carries voice chat across servers, and supports network-wide chat, bans and whitelisting. Restarting the proxy itself does drop connections.

Question 2

What address do players connect to?

Accepted Answer

Every server gets an address on our domain the moment it is created, and picking that address yourself is free. Take the random one we generate or choose your own while configuring the server, and rename it later if you like. The custom domain add-on is for pointing a domain you already own at your servers. Add the domain under Domains in your dashboard, publish the TXT record we show you, and hit verify. A domain is verified once for your whole account, after which you can point any subdomain of it at any server from that server's Ports page. Running several servers on one address is simplest with a proxy, and since the address belongs to the proxy you only pay for the add-on once.

Question 3

Can my server restart on a schedule?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every server has a restart schedule on its Startup page in the dashboard. Choose a time of day, and which days of the week it runs on, or an interval such as every six hours, read in whatever timezone you pick so the hour survives a daylight saving change. The panel shows when the next restart falls. Players can be warned in game chat ahead of it, at up to five points you choose between one and 120 minutes before, with another message as the restart begins. Warnings need a console we can reach, which today means Minecraft, Factorio and Project Zomboid. On other games and on proxies the restart happens without announcement. A long-running server drifts: memory fills up, and mods that leak keep the tick rate down until something clears it. A restart also loads anything written to the server since it last booted, so mod updates come in with it.

Question 4

Do mods and plugins update themselves?

Accepted Answer

If you want them to. Each server has a mod update setting on its Startup page with three choices: off, never check; notify only, where the Mods page shows what is available and nothing moves without you; and install automatically, where new builds are downloaded as they appear. It is opt-in per mod on top of that, so flip Auto-update on the ones you want followed and leave the rest alone, and pin a mod to a build to freeze it there. An installed update is written to the server's files and read the next time it starts, so nothing restarts on its own. Pair it with a restart schedule and the server keeps itself current. Automatic updates suit server-side mods and plugins. On a modded server your players load the same mods and the versions have to match, so those are worth updating when you are around to tell people.

Question 5

Do you have a partner program?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Modpack authors, video and stream creators, and community admins who send players to Aquila earn hosting credit for it. Credit is spent on servers with us and is not paid out in cash, which is what lets us be more generous with it than a commission percentage would be. You get a referral link plus codes you can publish per video, per pack or per community, and anything bought through one is attributed to you. Modpack authors can also claim their pack. Apply from the partner page and we read every application by hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions