hey im running a p4, 3.0ghz pc with 1GIG or DDRAM...im on a cable modem and it lags when i put like 15 people in it. i went in a server that was run off of 56k and it had 24 people no lag... i guess the owner set it so the bandwidth was being taken from the users and not his connection.  does anyone kno how to do this???

thats not possible the game uses a client server system not a peer based one. Its most unlighly that they were using a 56k connection, at best it can just suport 1 or 2 other clients.

so why can i host alot with no lag running a gig of ram...my upload is 285kb/s ...and that 56k server is no were close to mine

upload speed is the main limiting factor with servers, for ur connection i would say 10-12 is about the best u can get with a resnable maxrate.

well then ####, why did i buy a gig of ram

and how was it possible for that 56k user to run a server...he told me he was in Linux and had some code to change the bitrate from his connection to the users....i wanna do that...

sv_maxRate controls the ammount of bandwidth used by each client, but it wont go much lower than 4500 withought casuing lag from lack of data beign sent to cleints.

285kb / 8 = 35,6kB/sec

sv_maxrate 4600 = 4.6kB per player

That means you can run a server for 7.7 persons... better make that 7  

maths   but where did you get that 285k/s from? and eh... what has the to do with the sv_maxrate... and still , why 4600: "4.6kb per player" what the... 4.6kb per user? why's that? is it sv_maxrate : 100?