Hosting a Ventrilo Server

Ventrilo allows you to communicate with others via your Internet connection.

Ventrilo is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) program that enables users to talk to one another over the Internet. Also referred to as Vent, this program often is used by online gamers and businesses to allow multiple people to communicate at once. While the basic Ventrilo server is free, larger servers for more users are available for a fee.

Size

Before you host a Ventrilo server, you will need to consider how many people will be using it to communicate. If you plan to use the server to talk with a few friends or with a few other players on an online game, a free server may fit your needs. Ventrilo offers free servers with eight slots, which means a total of eight people can connect to the server. If you need to talk to more than eight people at a time, a paid server can offer more slots. This is useful if you play online games with a large group of players or if you want a server for your online guild. The Ventrilo website maintains a list of approved hosts (see Resources 2) that offer servers of all sizes. You will need to sign up for a paid server through a third party unless you are a business owner. Businesses can sign up for paid accounts directly through Ventrilo but must agree to purchase a server with at least 1,000 slots.

Process

For free servers, visit the Ventrilo website to view download options (see Resources 1). Under the Server section, select a download that is compatible with your operating system. Download the server software and run the installation wizard. Once the download is complete, locate the program folder on your computer. In Windows, the folder will be located in Program Files on your C: drive. In Macintosh operating systems, the folder can be extracted to a destination of your choosing. Select a location where the folder will be easy to find, such as your desktop. Within the Ventrilo folder, open the configuration settings file named ventrilo_srv. This is a text file that holds your server's information. You can edit your server name, password and voice settings through this file. Changes made to this file automatically reflect on your Ventrilo server.

Anyone who wishes to access your server will need to download the Ventrilo client, which also is listed in the website's download section. Several downloads are available for different operating systems.

Protection

Your Ventrilo account can only be accessed by entering the server's IP address and the associated password. Protect your server by only giving this information to people you know and trust. You also may want to change your password at regular intervals to prevent unauthorized access. Also, make your passwords hard to guess. A password that consists of your guild's name, your character's name or your name may be easily cracked by someone trying to gain access.

References

• Ventrilo

Resources

• Download Ventrilo Software
• List of Approved Ventrilo Server Hosts in the U.S.