Completed Home Lab Project

Cross-Platform Palworld Dedicated Server

Completed and validated | Currently offline

Deployed and operated a private Palworld server on Proxmox, supporting simultaneous PC and Xbox gameplay for players at home and friends connecting from other states. The project combined Linux service administration, firewall and NAT configuration, and packet-level troubleshooting with actual multiplayer use.

Project Goal

I built this server to give our group a shared Palworld world using my existing home-lab infrastructure instead of a hosted game-server provider. It needed to support PC and Xbox players, remote connections, automatic service startup, and controlled access to the game without publishing unrelated management services.

The deployment was tested successfully through simultaneous multiplayer sessions. I later shut the server down because our group reached endgame and had little left to do, not because the deployment failed.

Deployment Summary

These details describe the deployment while it was in use, not a currently running service.

Virtualization Platform

Dedicated Debian 13 LXC container on Proxmox VE. The documented initial allocation was four virtual CPU cores, 6 GB RAM, 4 GB swap, and a 40 GB system disk.

Server Deployment

Installed and updated the Palworld dedicated server using SteamCMD, with the service running under a dedicated non-root Linux account.

Service Management

Created a systemd unit for automatic startup, controlled shutdown, restart, and service-status checks.

Cross-Platform Validation

Confirmed working PC and Xbox crossplay through concurrent sessions with the PC and Xbox at home and friends connecting from other states.

Sanitized Deployment Architecture

The diagram summarizes the game-server connection path used during the project.

PC / Steam and Xbox Players (Local players and friends in other states) | v Home Network / Internet | v Router NAT / UDP Port Forward (External connections) | v Proxmox Container Firewall (Default Deny + Required UDP Allow) | v Debian 13 LXC Container | +-- SteamCMD Installation +-- systemd Service +-- Palworld Configuration +-- Dedicated Linux Service Account

Technologies and Concepts Used

Proxmox VE Debian 13 LXC SteamCMD systemd Linux Administration UDP NAT Port Forwarding Firewall Policy tcpdump Address Reservation PC / Xbox Crossplay Service Troubleshooting

What I Built and Configured

Provisioned a dedicated Debian LXC container with CPU, memory, swap, and disk allocations for the game server.
Installed the dedicated server through SteamCMD and configured a non-root service account and systemd unit.
Configured the private world for PC and Xbox crossplay, including player access, administrative access, and voice chat settings.
Configured a custom UDP game port, router NAT, and the matching Proxmox container firewall rules.
Established a network address reservation after troubleshooting address changes during deployment.
Operated the server for local players and friends connecting remotely from other states.

Troubleshooting and Validation

Corrected address changes during setup and confirmed the final address reservation.
Checked that systemd kept the server process running under the intended service account.
Confirmed the selected UDP port was bound by the game-server process.
Used tcpdump to confirm that externally generated UDP packets reached the container.
Checked router forwarding and container firewall behavior as part of connection troubleshooting.
Validated simultaneous gameplay on the PC, the Xbox at home, and remote players' connections from other states.

Validation went beyond an open port or a running process: the group actually played together on the server.

Security and Operational Controls

Used a default-deny inbound container firewall policy with an allow rule for the required UDP game traffic.
Published the game connection through router NAT without intentionally publishing Proxmox, SSH, or NAS management interfaces through that route.
Ran the game service under a dedicated non-root Linux account, separate from unrelated lab services.
Configured player and administrative authentication without publishing the credentials.
Kept internal addresses, host identifiers, exact port values, and private configuration out of this writeup.

These describe the controls used during deployment. Container separation and connection tests are not presented as a comprehensive security assessment of the home network.

Outcome and Current Status

The server supported the intended cross-platform multiplayer use, including simultaneous local and out-of-state connections. It provided practical experience with Linux service management, resource allocation, firewall rules, UDP/NAT troubleshooting, and verifying an application through real use.

The game server is currently offline. I shut it down after our group reached endgame and stopped actively playing. This page documents a completed, successfully tested deployment rather than advertising an active game service.