FAQ

What is JCBX?

A small set of game servers running on private hardware in Chicago. Joining is by invite, through Discord.

How do I get access?

Join the Discord, post a quick intro in #access-request, and someone will get back to you.

What games are running?

Palworld first. Conan Exiles, Soulmask, or ARK to follow, depending on what people want to play.

What is Tailscale, and why does this use it?

Tailscale is a small, encrypted private network. The game servers live on it instead of the open internet. To play, you install Tailscale, get added to the network, and connect to the games over an encrypted tunnel. Nothing about the servers is publicly listed or scannable.

Is it safe? Can you see what's on my computer?

No. Tailscale only opens a path one way: you can reach the game servers, but nothing on your machine is reachable from the JCBX side. It is not a backdoor.

Will it affect my ping?

Hardly. Most players see 0 to 3 ms added compared to a direct connection. In rare cases (CGNAT, corporate firewalls), traffic falls back to a relay and adds 20 to 50 ms. For survival and sandbox games at 20 to 30 Hz tick rate, you won't feel either.

Is this just a regular VPN like NordVPN?

No. Consumer VPNs route all your internet traffic through a data center, often adding 50 to 150 ms. Tailscale only routes traffic going to the JCBX game servers, via the most direct network path it can find. Different category of thing.

Will the servers be up when I want to play?

Yes. The servers run 24/7. There's a daily restart in the early morning (US-Central) to clear memory and apply game updates. Anything beyond that is brief, scheduled, and announced in Discord ahead of time.

How is everything kept up to date?

Game servers patch when each game updates. The host OS and supporting services get updates on a regular maintenance window. Backups run nightly. Most of this happens inside the existing daily restart slot, not as separate downtime.

What's the long-term setup?

The hardware is prepaid and sitting in Chicago, not rented cloud capacity with a monthly bill that can lapse. Consistent, reliable access is the baseline.

I'm on PS5, Xbox, or Switch. Can I play?

With one extra step. Tailscale doesn't run on consoles directly, so a device on your home network has to act as the gateway. Easiest options: a Tailscale-capable router (GL.iNet, OPNsense, Synology NAS), an always-on gaming PC, or a Raspberry Pi. The console then talks to the JCBX servers as if they were on your local network.

Caveat: the game itself has to support direct-IP connection on console. As things stand: Conan Exiles and ARK do. Palworld console (shared worlds only) and Soulmask (PC only) don't.

Can I use my phone as the gateway?

In a pinch, yes. The console connects to your phone's hotspot, and the phone runs Tailscale and routes traffic into the network.

Catches: cellular adds 50 to 100 ms of latency, mobile data burn is real (50 to 100+ MB per hour during gameplay), and the phone is tied up for the whole session. Fine for confirming the setup works once. For regular play, get a router or use an always-on PC.

What is the hardware?

Ryzen 9 7950X3D (16 cores, 32 threads), 192 GB DDR5, 2× 4 TB NVMe drives, 10 GbE networking. Located in Chicago, US-Central time.

Is there a fee or catch?

No. Hobby project. Servers stay up as long as it's fun to host them.

Can I bring a friend?

Sure. Point them at gaming.jcbx.io and have them go through the same Discord access process.