๐ฅ๏ธSetting up a VPS
Why to use a VPS?
Main advantages of a VPS are:
Dedicated Server so you don't have to run your own computer all day
Managing NFT Butler from your phone if you can connect to your VPS Server from your phone
Perfect internet connection (low latency) which can slightly improve bid throughput
The biggest advantage of using a VPS Server is that it's fast and running 24/7 and you don't have to keep your PC online all day.
Recommended Providers
We suggest to use on of the following VPS providers:
https://www.kamatera.com/ (very good feedback from Butler users)
https://www.strato.de/server/windows-vserver/ (cheapest option and works well, but they only speak german)
System Requirements
at least 4 vCPUs
8GB Memory
20GB Disk
Here are the recommended requirements for kamatera.com
How to set-up a VPS
The following chapter walks through every configuration step for setting up a VPS. The tutorial is valid for the VPS provider exoscale with whom we have an official partnership.
Register your account
Register a new account on: https://portal.exoscale.com/register
Click on the link in the confirmation email you received
Complete your registration
Create a security group
A security group allows you to access your Virtual Machine (VM) using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
On the left navigation bar, select compute --> security groups
Click the "add security group" button on the top right corner
Give it a name, for example "RDP access". The description can be left empty
Click on "create group"
Click on the name of the newly created security group
On the top right corner, select add rule --> RDP
You should now see that a new rule was created:
Create a Virtual Machine
After you have set up the security group you can create a new Virtual Machine
On the left navigation bar, select compute --> instances
Click the "add" button on the top right corner
Select "Windows Server 2022" as a template
Select you preferred zone, we suggest to use one from Switzerland
For best performance we suggest to use the "Large" instance type
For Disk space select 50GB
Under security groups, select your previously created security group
The configuration of the VM should look like this:
If everything looks good, click "create"
The VM should start automatically
Prepare to connect to your VM using RDP
On the left navigation bar, select compute --> instances
Click on the name of your previously created VM
Save the ip address, username (usually administrator) and your administrator password, ideally in a password safe like KeePass or 1Password
Connect to your VM using RDP
Make sure to use a Windows RDP server and not linux server.
For windows users:
Go to Start, search for "remotedesktop" and open the first result.
Insert the IP address which will be given to you after setup of the VPS and click connect.
Now it will ask you for the username & password of the RDP server. Simply fill it out and check the checkmark to save the details so you don't have to fill it out everytime.
The first time you connect to your server you will get a warning, press the check mark and click Ok. That's it...
For Mac users:
For mac users we suggest to install the following app from the official App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id1295203466?mt=12
After you installed "Microsoft Remote Desktop", open the application
On the navigation bar, select "Add PC"
PC name is the IP address you have obtained from your VPS provider
For user account, click on "add user account" and enter the credentials you have obtained from your VPS provider
Enter a friendly name to remember the purpose of this VM
Click on "Add"
Connect to your VM by double-clicking on the created PC
Accept the certificate warning
You should now be connected to your VM
Security best-practices
The following sections specifies some enhancements for extra security of your VM:
Enable MFA for your Exoscale account
Login to you account on https://www.exoscale.com/
On the top right corner click on your name and select "Account Details"
Switch to the tab
password and security
You can enable Two-Factor Authentication at the bottom of the page
Only use a trusted VPS provider
We suggest to use one of the following VPS providers: Recommended Providers
Use a strong password and store it in a Password manager
Use a strong password with capital letters, numbers and special characters for your Virtual Machine and your VPS account.
Use a Password manager like KeePass
Use an AntiVirus Software
Make sure that Windows Defender is installed and enabled on your VM. If anything is suspicious on your Virrtual Machine, download and install Malwarebytes and run a scan.
Keep your system up-to-date
Make sure to enable auto updates for your Virtual Machine. Further information can be found here.
Disable the standard accounts and create a new one
Guide to do so will follow soon
Whitelist your public IP to access your Virtual Machine via RDP
For the best possible security of your Virtual Machine, whitelist your public IP address to access your Virtual Machine. This leads to the fact that only connections from your IP are allowed to access the Virtual Machine.
This guide is only valid if you are using a Virtual Machine hosted on Exoscale.
Get your public IP address here
Login to your account on https://www.exoscale.com/
Go to Compute --> Security Groups
Open the Security Group you have created in the setup process
If there is already an existing rule, delete it by clicking on Actions --> Delete
Click on Add Rule --> Add Custom Rule
In the field source add your public IP address and append `/32` to it. Example: 159.333.23.43/32
Enter `3389` as Start- and End Port
Leave anything on default and click on Create
From now only connections from your IP address are allowed to your Virtual Machine
Try to connect to the Virtual Machine as described here
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