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Building a homelab is an exciting way to explore technology and learn new skills. However, choosing the right hardware can make or break your experience. Whether you’re hosting a Pi-hole server, deploying Kubernetes, or running a media server, this guide will help you select the best hardware for your homelab needs. Key Factors to Consider 1. Purpose of the Homelab Identify your goals: Basic Projects: DNS servers, lightweight apps, and monitoring tools. Intermediate Projects: Virtualization, Docker, and small Kubernetes clusters. Advanced Projects: High-performance computing, large-scale storage, and multi-node clusters. 2. Hardware Budget Your budget will dictate your hardware choices: ...

What You’ll Need A dedicated device or virtual machine to install pfSense. A basic understanding of networking concepts. Access to your home network’s router for setup. Step 1: Install pfSense Download pfSense ISO: Visit the official pfSense website and download the ISO. Choose the correct architecture for your hardware (e.g., AMD64). Create a Bootable USB Drive: sudo dd if=/path/to/pfsense.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M Replace /path/to/pfsense.iso with the path to the ISO file. Replace /dev/sdX with the correct USB drive identifier. Install pfSense on Your Device: ...

A well-designed network is essential for a secure and efficient homelab. VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) allow you to segment your network into separate logical groups, improving security, performance, and manageability. In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of VLANs and walk you through setting them up in your homelab. What You’ll Need A managed switch that supports VLANs (e.g., TP-Link, Netgear, or Ubiquiti). A router or firewall capable of VLAN tagging (e.g., pfSense, OPNSense). Basic understanding of IP addresses and subnetting. Step 1: Understand VLAN Basics What Are VLANs? VLANs divide a physical network into multiple virtual networks. Devices on different VLANs cannot communicate directly without a router or Layer 3 switch. ...

What You’ll Need A server or virtual machine with Docker installed. Media files (movies, TV shows, music) stored on the server. A domain name (optional, but recommended for HTTPS setup). Basic knowledge of Docker and reverse proxies. Step 1: Install Docker (If Not Installed) Update the system packages: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Install Docker: sudo apt install -y docker.io Enable Docker to start on boot: ...

Are you tired of intrusive ads, tracking scripts, and sluggish internet performance caused by unnecessary network traffic? A Pi-hole DNS server can solve these problems by acting as a network-wide ad blocker and improving overall browsing speed. This blog post will walk you through the process of setting up Pi-hole at home, step by step. What You’ll Need A Raspberry Pi (recommended: Raspberry Pi 3 or newer) or any machine that can run Docker. MicroSD card (if using a Raspberry Pi). Home router with access to DNS settings. Basic understanding of Linux commands. Step 1: Install the Operating System If using a Raspberry Pi: ...

Creating a home media server is one of the most rewarding homelab projects, allowing you to centralize and stream your media collection across all devices. Plex and Jellyfin are two popular tools for setting up a media server, each offering unique features. This guide walks you through installing and configuring both options so you can pick the one that works best for you. What You’ll Need A dedicated machine (e.g., Raspberry Pi, NAS, or a repurposed desktop/laptop). A storage device for your media files (e.g., HDDs, SSDs, or a NAS). A stable internet connection for remote access and metadata fetching. Basic knowledge of Linux commands (optional if using GUI-based installation). Step 1: Decide Between Plex and Jellyfin Plex Pros: Polished interface, remote streaming capabilities, wide device compatibility. Cons: Some features require a subscription (Plex Pass). Jellyfin Pros: 100% free and open source, privacy-focused, and customizable. Cons: Slightly less polished interface compared to Plex. Choose your preferred software based on these factors, or try both to see which suits your needs. ...

Nextcloud is an open-source platform for private cloud storage and collaboration. By hosting Nextcloud in your homelab, you can securely store files, manage calendars, and sync data across devices—all without relying on third-party services. This guide walks you through installing and configuring Nextcloud on your homelab server. What You’ll Need A server or virtual machine with at least: 2 GB RAM and 1 CPU (for small deployments). 20 GB of storage (or more for large file collections). Linux installed (Ubuntu 20.04 or newer is recommended). A static IP or domain name. Step 1: Update and Prepare Your Server Log into your server: ssh user@<server_ip> Update the system packages: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Install necessary dependencies: sudo apt install -y apache2 mariadb-server libapache2-mod-php php php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-curl php-zip php-gd unzip Step 2: Set Up the Database Secure MariaDB: sudo mysql_secure_installation Follow the prompts to set a root password and remove unnecessary settings. ...

What You’ll Need A server or virtual machine to run Prometheus and Grafana (recommended: 2 GB RAM, 2 CPUs). Docker installed (or native installation on Linux). Basic understanding of system metrics and networking. Step 1: Install Prometheus Create a Prometheus data directory: mkdir -p ~/prometheus/data Create a Prometheus configuration file: nano ~/prometheus/prometheus.yml Add the following content to scrape metrics from localhost: global: scrape_interval: 15s scrape_configs: - job_name: 'prometheus' static_configs: - targets: ['localhost:9090'] Run Prometheus using Docker: ...

What You’ll Need A server or virtual machine with sufficient resources (recommended: 8 GB RAM, 4 CPUs, and 1 TB of storage). IP cameras or USB webcams. A Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu 20.04 or newer). Basic knowledge of networking and Linux commands. Step 1: Decide Between ZoneMinder and Shinobi ZoneMinder A mature, feature-rich open-source surveillance system. Offers advanced features like PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom), motion detection, and event-based recording. Suitable for users comfortable with a detailed configuration process. Shinobi ...

What You’ll Need A Raspberry Pi or server running Pi-hole. Basic knowledge of Linux commands. An active internet connection. Step 1: Update Your Pi-hole Installation Log into your Pi-hole server via SSH: ssh pi@<pi-hole_ip_address> Update Pi-hole to the latest version: pihole -up Ensure the system is up to date: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Step 2: Install Unbound Install Unbound on your Pi-hole server: sudo apt install unbound -y Verify the installation: ...