June 2026
OPNsense, pfSense, UniFi, or Consumer Router: Which Should Run Your Homelab?
Use a consumer router if you need simplicity, UniFi if you want integrated routing/switching/AP management, and OPNsense or pfSense if firewall policy, VPNs, VLANs, logging, and control matter more than polish.
What Is the Right VLAN Layout for a Beginner Homelab?
Start with four networks: trusted devices, guest devices, IoT/smart-home devices, and management or lab infrastructure. Add more only when a new trust boundary is clear, because every VLAN also adds firewall, DNS.
2.5GbE vs 10GbE: Which Home Network Upgrade Is Worth It?
Most homes should start with 2.5GbE for NAS, mini PCs, and Wi-Fi 6E/7 access points because it is cheap, cool, and works over existing Cat5e in many runs. Choose 10GbE when large.
How to Build Cheap Offsite Backup at a Friend or Family Member's House
Use a small NAS, mini PC with storage, or external-drive host at the remote house, connect it with WireGuard or Tailscale, encrypt the backups before they leave your home, and rate-limit.
One Shared Database Server or One Database Per App?
For most small homelabs, a shared database server is easier to back up, monitor, and secure once you understand it. Per-app database containers are simpler at first and reduce coupling, but they.
How Do You Back Up Docker Volumes and Databases Properly?
Back up Docker by backing up the data, configuration, and restore instructions, not the running container. For databases, use application-aware dumps or backup tools, then store those dumps with the volume backups.
RAID, ZFS Snapshots, Sync, and Backup: What Each One Does Not Protect
Use all four for different jobs. RAID keeps storage online after some disk failures, snapshots recover recent local changes, sync moves current files between places, and backup restores data after loss, corruption.
How Much Does a Homelab Really Cost in Electricity?
Electricity cost is simple to estimate: watts x 24 x 365 / 1000 x your kWh rate. The surprise is not one server; it is the combined idle load of router, switches.
How Do You Document a Homelab So Someone Else Can Recover It?
Document the minimum facts needed to keep the house working: what runs where, how to log in, what must be paid, what can be turned off, and who to call. The goal.