VPS Perfect Configuration Tutorial | Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Many VPS users face issues such as slow performance, hostname conflicts, or security risks due to incorrect setup. If a VPS is not configured properly, it may show NetBT errors, WinRM **service issues, or **Group Policy errors, which directly affect stability and reliability. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process to perfectly configure your VPS for maximum speed, security, and stability.

• VPS configuration guide
• VPS setup tutorial
• VPS* performance *optimization
• Trading VPS setup
• Fix NetBT error VPS
• VPS security configuration

1. Why should I set a unique hostname for VPS?

Because duplicate names cause NetBT conflicts and network errors.

2. Which DNS servers are best for Trading VPS?

Google DNS (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) are the most stable options.

3. Should I disable antivirus on my VPS?

No. Keep it enabled, but add your trading platforms to the exclusion list for better performance.

4. What to do if VPS feels slow?

Disable startup apps, stop unnecessary services, and consider upgrading CPU/RAM.

VPS Configuration Checklist

1. System Configuration

1. Set a Unique Hostname

Assign a unique computer name to avoid **hostname **conflicts.

Duplicate hostnames can cause Event ID 2505/4321 NetBT errors.

How to Change Hostname on Windows Server (VPS)

Method 1

1. Login to your VPS via Remote Desktop (RDP).

• Go to:

Start → Control Panel → System and Security → System

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Start → Control Panel → System and Security → System

Method 2

(Or right-click This PC - Properties)

• On the right side, click Change settings.
• In the new window, click Change….
• Enter your unique computer name (for example: VPS-ARIF-01 ).

Rules: Use only letters, numbers, and ( **- )  (no spaces).**

• Click OK, then restart your VPS.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Method 3

1. Open PowerShell (Admin).

• Run: Rename-Computer -NewName "your name" -Restart

Timezone & Clock

• Set the correct timezone.

• For trading VPS, use UTC/GMT or your broker’s timezone.

for a trading VPS, having the correct timezone & clock is very important. If the VPS clock is wrong, your trading platform (like MetaTrader or NinjaTrader) may show incorrect chart times or fail to sync properly.

Method 1

Look at the bottom-right corner of your VPS (where the clock is).

Right-click the clock → select Adjust date/time.

In the settings window:

Turn off Set time zone automatically (if available).

Click Time zone dropdown and choose:

UTC / GMT **if you want **universal time.

Or your broker’s timezone (for example, New York = EST/EDT).

Make sure Set time automatically is ON.

Click Sync **now (under Synchronize your clock) to **update with the internet.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Adjust for daylight saving time automatically

• If you use UTC → turn it OFF (or it will automatically be disabled).
• If you use the broker’s time → it’s better to keep it ON.

Method 2

Open Control Panel → Clock and Region → Date and Time.

In the Date and Time tab, click Change time zone….

Select your preferred timezone (e.g., UTC Coordinated Universal Time).

Click OK **→ then **Apply.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Windows Updates

• Keep Security Updates enabled.

• Disable auto restart to avoid unexpected downtime.

On a trading VPS you need Windows Security Updates ON (for protection), but at the same time you should stop Windows from rebooting automatically during trading hours.

Best Practice for Trading VPS:

• Keep Windows Updates = ON.

• Disable auto-restart **using **Group Policy or Task Scheduler.

• Restart VPS manually when you decide (like weekends when markets are closed).

Keep Windows Updates Enabled (Security Updates)

• Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.

• Make sure Check for updates works and security patches install.

• This ensures your VPS stays protected.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Disable Auto Restart (so VPS doesn’t reboot during trades)

Method 1

Change Active Hours :

• Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Change active hours.
• Set your trading hours (Enter the time when your VPS is usually most used.).
• Windows won’t restart during active hours.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Method 2

Disable Update Tasks from Task Scheduler :

• Open the Start menu and search for Task Scheduler.
• From the left panel, select Task Scheduler Library.
• On the right side, look for tasks with “update” in their names (e.g., update-sys, update-s-1..., MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTask).
• Right-click on each of them and choose Disable.

This will prevent Windows from running automatic update tasks in the background.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

2. Network Configuration

Static IP Address

• Configure a static/fixed IP for stability.

• Dynamic IPs may cause trading disconnects.

For trading VPS, it’s recommended to set a static (fixed) IP to ensure stability and uninterrupted connections. A dynamic IP may change on every reboot or reconnect, which can cause trading platform disconnects or licensing issues.

Open Network Settings

Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Select Network Adapter

Right-click on your active network (usually Ethernet) and select Properties.

Internet Protocol Settings

• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

Set Static IP

• Select Use the following IP address.
• Enter the details provided by your VPS provider:IP address → (e.g., 192.168.1.100)Subnet mask → usually 255.255.255.0 Default gateway → the gateway given by your provider (leave blank if not provided)

Set DNS

Choose Use the following DNS server addresses and enter:

• Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
• Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4 (or as per your provider)
• (Optional) Tick Validate settings upon exit – this will make Windows check if the configuration is correct right away.

1. Click OK → Close all windows.

Your VPS will now always use the same IP, ensuring better reliability for trading.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Enable WinRM Service

WinRM (Windows Remote Management) allows you to manage your VPS remotely using PowerShell or other automation tools.

Steps to Enable WinRM:

• Open Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).
• Run the following command: winrm quickconfig
• If prompted to allow changes, type Y and press Enter.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

• Run the following command: winrm quickconfig

• And Type ( y ) **Press Inter**

• To make sure the service starts automatically, run:

sc config winrm start=auto

net start winrm

Do the test

• Open Powershell ****

• Run **the following command: **Test-WSMan localhost

Firewall Rules

• Allow only necessary ports:

• RDP (3389)

• Trading platforms (MetaTrader, NinjaTrader, etc.)

• WinRM

RDP (Remote Desktop) – TCP 3389

Purpose: Remote access to your Windows Server.

**Recommendation: **

Allow only from specific IP addresses (your office/home IP) to reduce risk.

If you must allow all, consider adding Network Level Authentication (NLA) on RDP.

**Example (Windows Firewall Command): **New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow RDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 3389 -RemoteAddress 203.0.113.10 -Action Allow

(Replace 203.0.113.10 with your allowed IP.)

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Trading Platforms (MetaTrader, NinjaTrader, etc.)

Ports:

• MetaTrader: Usually TCP 443 or broker-specific ports like TCP 1950–1970
• NinjaTrader: Usually TCP 4000–4020 (depending on your broker)

Recommendation:

• Only allow outbound traffic to your broker servers.
• Avoid opening these ports for all inbound traffic unless required by your broker.

**Example (Outbound Rule for MT4/MT5): **New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow MT5 Outbound" -Direction Outbound -Protocol TCP -RemotePort 443 -Action Allow

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

WinRM (Windows Remote Management) – TCP 5985 / 5986

• Purpose: For remote management using PowerShell or tools like Ansible.
• **Recommendation: **
• Allow only from trusted IPs.
• Use HTTPS (5986) for secure communication instead of HTTP (5985).

**Example **(Inbound Rule for Secure WinRM): New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow WinRM HTTPS" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 5986 -RemoteAddress 203.0.113.10 -Action Allow

Best Practices

• Deny all other inbound traffic by default.
• Enable logging for blocked connections to monitor unauthorized attempts.
• Regularly review firewall rules and remove unused rules.
• Consider using a VPN so RDP and WinRM are not exposed to the internet at all.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

3 . Security Configuration

Change the Administrator Password (Windows Server)

Extra Security Tips

• Never share your password
• Don’t store it in plain text or browsers
• Change it monthly or quarterly
• Enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) if available
• Keep your VPS firewall active (allow only necessary ports)

Method 1

From Remote Desktop (RDP)

:

• Log in to your VPS via Remote Desktop
• Press Ctrl + Alt + End
• Click "Change a password"
• Enter your new strong password and press Enter

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Method 2

Using PowerShell: net user Administrator "Tr@de!VPS2025#"

 (Replace the text in quotes with your new password.)

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Secure RDP with NLA Enable

Enabling Network Level Authentication (NLA) is one of the best ways to secure Remote Desktop (RDP) access to your VPS or Windows Server.

Secure RDP with Network Level Authentication (NLA)

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Antivirus Exclusions

• Keep antivirus enabled.

• Add your trading platforms and software folders to the exclusion list to prevent lag.

“Is your VPS or trading server running slowly?

Maybe your charts take forever to load or your trades execute with delay.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to keep your antivirus ON but make your trading platforms faster by setting up antivirus exclusions.”

Why Antivirus Exclusions Are Important

• Windows Defender scans every file in real time.

• This can slow down MetaTrader, NinjaTrader, or other trading platforms.

• The solution: Add your trusted trading software folders to the exclusion list so Defender doesn’t scan them constantly.

Security Tips

• Never disable your antivirus completely.
• Only exclude specific,C: trusted folders.
• Don’t exclude the entire drive.
• Run a manual scan once a week for safety.

Open Windows Security

• Click Start, type Windows Security, and open it.

• Go to Virus & threat protection.

• Scroll down and click Manage settings.

• Scroll again to Add or remove exclusions.

• Click + Add an exclusion → Folder.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Event Log Monitoring

Why You Should Check Event Logs?

• Your Windows Event Logs record every important system activity, including:

• Failed login attempts

• Security policy changes

• System or application errors

• By reviewing them regularly, you can spot early signs of attacks, performance issues, or software problems before they cause serious trouble.

Open Event Viewer

• Press Win + R type eventvwr.msc  **press **Enter
• This opens the Windows Event Viewer console.

Select the Log Category

• Navigate to Windows Logs - System / Application / Security
• Each category stores different types of events:
• System: OS and hardware-related issues
• **Application: **Software and app-related errors
• **Security: **Login attempts, policy changes, audit events

Set a Filter

On the right-hand panel, click Filter Current Log

Under Event level, select Critical, Error, and Warning

This helps you focus only on important or problematic events.

Check Important Events

Double-click any event to view its Details

Note down the Event ID and Source

Example: Event ID 41 – Kernel-Power (System unexpectedly shut down)

Create a Report

Export important logs - Save All Events As… - .evtx

Record key details (Date, Event ID, Description, Action Taken) in an Excel Sheet or Log Template

Example

4.Performance Optimization

Resource Allocation

Ensuring adequate CPU cores, RAM, and SSD/NVMe storage is essential for stable performance — especially when running trading, monitoring, or analytical platforms.

Insufficient resources can cause lag, freezing, or platform disconnections.

Key Resource Components

Why Proper Resource Allocation Matters

• Prevents slow performance or freezing
• Reduces real-time data lag in trading platforms
• Avoids log loss or monitoring delays
• Keeps overall system performance stable when multiple apps are running

Check Server Hardware

Check CPU and RAM:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Open Task Manager
• Go to the Performance Tab
• Check the number of **CPU **cores and logical processors
• Ensure there is enough RAM **for your trading platform or **applications

Check Storage:

• Open File Explorer → This PC
• Check free space on the drive
• Using SSD/NVMe for installation improves speed; make sure the drive where your platform is installed is SSD/NVMe

Allocate CPU and RAM (Windows Server)

If using a Virtual Machine (VPS):

• Open Hyper-V / VMware / VirtualBox
• Go to VM Settings → Processor → Allocate the required CPU cores
• Go to Memory → Allocate sufficient RAM (e.g., 8GB or 16GB)

No virtual machines were found on this server.

• If we need to create a new Virtual Machine (VM), we can allocate CPU or RAM.

Create a New VM in Hyper-V

First create this Virtual Switch in Hyper-V.

Then create a New VM in Hyper-V.

How to Create a Virtual Switch in Hyper-V

• In Hyper-V Manager, on the right side under Actions, click Virtual Switch Manager…
• In the new window, select New virtual network switch → then select External (recommended if you want internet access).
• Click Create Virtual Switch.
• Give it a name — for example: ExternalSwitch.
• Under Connection type, make sure External network is selected.
• From the dropdown, choose your** physical network adapter **(the one that provides your VPS or PC’s internet).
• (Optional) You can leave “Allow management operating system to share this network adapter” checked.
• Click Apply → OK.

• Usually, the network comes back within 1–2 minutes.
• Once the network is restored, you can reconnect to your server via RDP as before.
• If your IP address is Static, the connection will be restored easily.
• But if your IP address is Dynamic (DHCP), it may change —
• In that case, you’ll need to check the new IP **address and use it to **reconnect via RDP.

First, set the server's static IP so that the IP does not change.

Login to the vps again.

Create a New VM in Hyper-V

Windows Server 2022 download

Download Ubuntu Desktop

On the right-hand Actions **panel → click New → Virtual Machine…**

Before You Begin → click Next

Specify Name and Location:

• Enter a name (for example: TestVM)
• Click Next

Specify Generation:

• Usually select Generation 2 (for Windows 10 or Server 2022 and newer)
• Click Next

Assign Memory:

• Enter the amount of RAM (for example, 8192 MB = 8 GB or 16384 MB = 16 GB)
• Click Next

Configure Networking:

• Under “Connection,” choose a Virtual Switch (if you don’t have one, you can create it later)
• Click Next

Connect Virtual Hard Disk:

• Choose Create a virtual hard disk
• Set the size (for example, 60 GB)
• Click Next

Installation Options:

• Select Install an operating system from a bootable image file (.iso)
• Browse and select your Windows ISO file
• Click Next → Finish

Set the size (for example, 150 GB)

Type **7 **and press Enter to enable it.

How to Disable Unnecessary Services in Windows (Boost VPS Performance)

If your VPS or PC is running slowly, one of the best ways to improve performance is to disable unnecessary background services.

By turning off unused Windows services like **Print Spooler **and **Windows Search, **you can free up CPU and RAM resources — making your VPS faster and more responsive.

Why Disable Unnecessary Services?

Every Windows installation runs dozens of background services — even ones you might never use.

For trading, hosting, or lightweight VPS setups, these can consume valuable resources.

Disabling them helps to:

• Reduce CPU and RAM usage
• Speed up system boot time
• Improve stability for trading or server tasks

Open the Services Manager

1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. The Services window will open, showing a list of all background services.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Disable a Service

1. In the Services window, right-click on the service (e.g., Print Spooler).
2. Select Properties.
3. In the Startup type dropdown, choose Disabled.
4. Click Stop, then Apply → OK.

Essential Services for Trading VPS

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Restart Your VPS

Optimize Pagefile on Windows VPS

A pagefile (also known as virtual memory) is a reserved portion of disk space that Windows uses as extra RAM when physical memory is full. For trading VPS or high-performance environments, properly managing this file ensures stability and prevents lag.

Recommended Setting

1. Pagefile Type: System Managed
2. Drive: C:
3. Initial Size: Auto (handled by Windows)
4. Maximum Size: Auto (handled by Windows)

Why Keep It System Managed

1. Windows automatically adjusts memory use depending on workload.
2. Prevents “Out of Memory” errors.
3. Improves performance for trading apps like MetaTrader, cTrader, Quantower, etc.
4. Reduces manual tuning errors.

Open Advanced System Settings

1. Right-click This PC → Properties
2. Click Advanced system settings (left side)
3. Under the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance
4. Go to the Advanced tab again
5. Under Virtual memory, click Change…

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Configure Pagefile Settings

1. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives (temporarily).
2. Select your main drive (usually C:)
3. Choose System managed size
4. Click Set → then OK

Restart Your VPS

After applying the settings, restart your VPS.

This ensures the new configuration takes effect.

Disable Background Apps

1. Open Start → Settings → Privacy → Background apps.
2. Toggle Let apps run in the background → Off.
3. Optionally, turn off individual apps you don’t need.

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

(Optional) Disable via Group Policy

For Windows Server or Pro editions only

1. Press Windows + R - type - **gpedit.msc **.
2. Go to : Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components - App Privacy
3. Double-click Let Windows apps run in the background →

Set it to Enabled → Force Deny → Apply → OK.

Result

• Lower CPU and RAM usage
• Less network activity
• Smoother trading experience
• Better VPS responsiveness and uptime

The screenshot shows the step by step process.

Monitoring & Maintenance

• Reboot the VPS at least once per week.
• Monitor CPU, RAM, Disk, and Network usage with Task Manager.
• Review Event Logs monthly.
• Enable backup/snapshots in your VPS control panel.

Updated on: 27/11/2025