How do you play online server games

Most games come with a "multiplayer" component which can be accessed from one of the menus on your gaming PC. Different games have different ways to connect to games in progress but usually you would be presented with what's called a server brower which lists all the game servers running.

Online game servers are rented from a Game Server Provider or commonly known as a "GSP". Renting a game server for your own use is an attractive option if you like to be the admin and have the ability to load different maps or mods to your server. You can also password protect the game server to make it private. Gaming clans and competitive teams rent servers for matches and tournaments.

One of the oldest and largest providers for multiplayer game servers is DefconServers (http://www.defconservers.com)