TeamSpeak: Complete Server Setup Guide

Comprehensive guide for installing and configuring TeamSpeak 3 servers on Linux, Windows, and Docker. Includes hosting platform comparisons and best practices for production deployments.

System Requirements

Port Requirements

• 9987 UDP: Voice communication (default)
• 10011 TCP: ServerQuery (admin interface)
• 30033 TCP: File transfers
• 41144 TCP: TSDNS (optional)

Linux Installation (Ubuntu/Debian)

Step 1: Create TeamSpeak User

# Create dedicated user for security
sudo adduser --disabled-login teamspeak

# Switch to teamspeak user
sudo su - teamspeak

Step 2: Download TeamSpeak Server

# Download latest version
cd /home/teamspeak
wget https://files.teamspeak-services.com/releases/server/3.13.7/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.7.tar.bz2

# Extract archive
tar xvf teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.7.tar.bz2

# Navigate to directory
cd teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64

Step 3: Accept License and Start Server

# Accept license
touch .ts3server_license_accepted

# Start server
./ts3server_startscript.sh start

# Server will display admin token - SAVE THIS!

Step 4: Configure Firewall

# UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ufw allow 9987/udp
sudo ufw allow 10011/tcp
sudo ufw allow 30033/tcp
sudo ufw enable

# iptables alternative
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 9987 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 10011 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 30033 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables-save

Step 5: Create Systemd Service

# Create service file
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/teamspeak.service

# Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=TeamSpeak 3 Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=teamspeak
Group=teamspeak
WorkingDirectory=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64
ExecStart=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_startscript.sh start
ExecStop=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_startscript.sh stop
Restart=always
RestartSec=15

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# Enable and start service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable teamspeak
sudo systemctl start teamspeak

Windows Installation

Step-by-Step Windows Setup

1. Download: Get TeamSpeak 3 Server from official website
2. Extract: Unzip to C:\TeamSpeak3-Server\
3. Accept License: Create empty file "ts3server_license_accepted.txt"
4. Run: Execute ts3server_win64.exe
5. Save Token: Copy the ServerAdmin privilege key
6. Firewall: Allow ports 9987 UDP, 10011 TCP, 30033 TCP

Windows Service Installation

# Run as Administrator in PowerShell
cd C:\TeamSpeak3-Server

# Install service
.\ts3server_win64.exe -install

# Start service
Start-Service TeamSpeak3

# Set to auto-start
Set-Service TeamSpeak3 -StartupType Automatic

Docker Installation

Docker Compose Setup

# Create docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  teamspeak:
    image: teamspeak:latest
    container_name: teamspeak3
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "9987:9987/udp"
      - "10011:10011/tcp"
      - "30033:30033/tcp"
    environment:
      - TS3SERVER_LICENSE=accept
      - TS3SERVER_QUERY_PROTOCOLS=raw
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/ts3server/
      - ./logs:/var/ts3server/logs/

# Start container
docker-compose up -d

# View admin token
docker logs teamspeak3

Docker CLI Installation

# Pull image
docker pull teamspeak:latest

# Run container
docker run -d \
  --name=teamspeak3 \
  --restart=unless-stopped \
  -p 9987:9987/udp \
  -p 10011:10011/tcp \
  -p 30033:30033/tcp \
  -e TS3SERVER_LICENSE=accept \
  -v $(pwd)/data:/var/ts3server/ \
  teamspeak:latest

# Get admin token
docker logs teamspeak3 | grep token

Initial Configuration

Claim Admin Rights

1. Connect: Open TeamSpeak client
2. Add Server: Enter your server IP
3. Use Token: Permissions > Use Privilege Key
4. Paste Token: Enter the ServerAdmin token
5. Confirm: You now have full admin rights

Basic Server Settings

Hosting Platform Comparison

Self-Hosted vs Managed Hosting

Recommended Hosting Providers

Performance Optimization

Server Configuration Tweaks

# Edit ts3server.ini
[Server]
# Increase connection limits
virtualserver_maxclients=512
virtualserver_reserved_slots=5

# Optimize voice quality
default_voice_port=9987
voice_ip=0.0.0.0

# Query settings
query_port=10011
query_ip=127.0.0.1  # Restrict to localhost

# File transfer
filetransfer_port=30033
filetransfer_ip=0.0.0.0
filetransfer_bandwidth_sent=6553600
filetransfer_bandwidth_received=6553600

Linux Performance Tuning

# Increase file descriptors
sudo nano /etc/security/limits.conf

# Add:
teamspeak soft nofile 65536
teamspeak hard nofile 65536

# Network optimization
sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

# Add:
net.core.rmem_max=16777216
net.core.wmem_max=16777216
net.ipv4.tcp_rmem=4096 87380 16777216
net.ipv4.tcp_wmem=4096 65536 16777216

# Apply changes
sudo sysctl -p

Backup and Recovery

Automated Backup Script

#!/bin/bash
# teamspeak_backup.sh

BACKUP_DIR="/backups/teamspeak"
TS_DIR="/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

# Stop server
systemctl stop teamspeak

# Backup files
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/ts3_backup_$DATE.tar.gz" \
    "$TS_DIR/ts3server.sqlitedb" \
    "$TS_DIR/files/" \
    "$TS_DIR/ts3server.ini"

# Start server
systemctl start teamspeak

# Keep only last 7 backups
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "ts3_backup_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

echo "Backup completed: ts3_backup_$DATE.tar.gz"

Restore from Backup

# Stop server
systemctl stop teamspeak

# Extract backup
cd /home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64
tar -xzf /backups/teamspeak/ts3_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz

# Set permissions
chown -R teamspeak:teamspeak /home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64

# Start server
systemctl start teamspeak

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Get your TeamSpeak server running in minutes. Host your TeamSpeak server with Supercraft for instant setup and DDoS protection.