If you’ve ever wanted to host a PvP session for your friends on one map and a chill PvE building world on another, you’ve probably asked can i run 2 ark servers at home. I’ve been hosting my own ARK servers for over 4 years, so I’ve tested every possible setup from basic gaming PCs to dedicated mini servers to figure out exactly what works, what causes lag, and what’s a waste of money. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to run two stable ARK servers without breaking the bank or dealing with constant disconnects.
Can I Run 2 ARK Servers at Home? Minimum Hardware Requirements
The first thing to check is whether your existing hardware can handle the load, since ARK is a notoriously resource-heavy game even for single instances. Each server instance relies first on your CPU to handle player actions, dino AI, and world simulation, so you’ll need enough physical cores to split between the two servers without bottlenecks. SSD storage is non-negotiable for running multiple ARK servers, as hard drives will cause long load times, map save errors, and frequent lag spikes for all connected players.
- Minimum for 2 unmodded ARK servers (5 players each): 4-core 3.0GHz+ CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 200GB SSD storage
- Recommended for 2 unmodded ARK servers (10 players each): 6-core 3.5GHz+ CPU, 24GB DDR4 RAM, 300GB NVMe SSD storage
- Recommended for 2 modded ARK servers (10 players each): 8-core 3.5GHz+ CPU, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 500GB NVMe SSD storage
You don’t need a separate dedicated server machine if your daily gaming PC meets the specs, as long as you don’t plan to play ARK on the same machine while hosting both servers. If you do want to play while hosting, add 8GB extra RAM and 2 extra CPU cores to account for your active game instance and background apps like Discord. I’ve tried running two modded servers on an old 4-core i5 with 16GB RAM before, and it crashed every 30 minutes, so don’t skimp on these specs if you want a stable experience.
Network Setup Rules for Running Two ARK Servers Without Lag
Even if you have top-tier hardware, bad network setup will make your servers unplayable for anyone connecting from outside your home. The first step is to assign separate ports to each server, since ARK uses 7777 as the default connection port. Set your second server to use 7779, and forward both ports in your router’s admin settings to your host machine’s local IP address. You need at least 10Mbps upload speed per 10 players connected to your servers, so if you have 20 total players across both servers, you need 20Mbps minimum upload to avoid rubberbanding, delayed crafting, and frequent disconnects for remote players.
Always connect your host machine to your router with an ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has inconsistent latency and bandwidth limits that will cause random lag spikes even if your internet plan is fast enough. You can also set bandwidth limits per server in your ARK server management tool to prevent one server from hogging all your upload speed during busy events like tribe raids. If you’re still unsure if your setup can handle running two ARK servers at home, you can use online server resource calculators to get a more specific estimate based on your player count and mod list.
Step-by-Step Setup for Two Local ARK Servers
The easiest way to set up two ARK servers at home is to use a free community tool like ARK Server Manager, which automates most of the confusing configuration steps for you. Start by creating two separate folders on your SSD for each server instance, never install both servers in the same directory, as this will cause file conflicts and crash both instances when you try to launch them. When setting up the second server, make sure you change the port number, server name, and map settings so it doesn’t overlap with the first server’s configuration.
Make sure to assign different CPU core affinities to each server if you’re on a lower-end CPU, this prevents them from fighting for processing power and reduces random lag spikes during peak play times. Test each server individually first before running both at the same time, that way you can troubleshoot issues one at a time instead of guessing which server is causing the problem. If you’re using mods, make sure both servers have their own separate mod folders too, so a broken mod on one server doesn’t crash the other. I once forgot to separate mod folders and spent 3 hours troubleshooting a crash that turned out to be a conflicting dino mod on my PvE server messing with the PvP instance. This setup process takes less than 30 minutes if you already have the ARK server files downloaded, so you don’t have to spend an entire afternoon figuring out how to run 2 ARK servers at home.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Running Two ARK Servers at Home
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, small mistakes can turn your server hosting experience into a frustrating mess. The first mistake I see most new hosts make is running too many high-resource mods on both servers. Even if you have the recommended specs, 50+ mods per server will eat through RAM and CPU faster than you think, so limit each server to 30 mods max if possible, and remove any mods you don’t actively use. Another common mistake is forgetting to update both servers when ARK pushes a new official patch. If one server is on an older version, players won’t be able to join, and you might run into cross-instance compatibility issues.
Never leave your server host machine connected to public networks without a firewall enabled, open ARK ports are a common target for DDoS attacks and unauthorized access, so make sure you set up whitelists if you only want friends to join. Don’t run other heavy apps like video editing software or streaming software on the same machine while hosting both servers. Even top-tier PCs will struggle if you’re splitting resources between too many high-demand programs. One of the most common questions I get from new hosts who want to run 2 ARK servers at home is how many players they can support at once. The answer depends entirely on your hardware and internet speed, but start with 5 players per server first, then scale up if you don’t see any lag. If you want to stream while hosting, consider using a separate cheap mini PC for the servers, they cost less than $200 and take up almost no space on your desk.
At the end of the day, the answer to can i run 2 ark servers at home is almost always yes, as long as you meet the basic hardware and network requirements and follow the setup steps we covered. You don’t need to be a tech expert to pull this off, and even small tweaks like using an NVMe SSD or separating mod folders can make a huge difference in stability. If you start small with two unmodded servers first, you can always upgrade your hardware later if you want to add more mods or support more players. It’s a great way to have full control over your ARK experience, and you’ll save a ton of money compared to paying for two separate hosted servers every month.