Homelab
Self-hosting, storage, virtualization, monitoring, backups, media servers, and lab designs that build habits you can use in production.
Smart Home Device Inventory: The Spreadsheet That Saves Your Future Self
Map smart-home devices to controllers, entities, power sources and dependent automations. Store setup-code references rather than secrets in the inventory, and keep a protected copy available when the controller is down.
Home Assistant Update Plan: How to Upgrade Without Breaking the House
A Home Assistant maintenance guide for reading release notes, backing up, updating Core/OS/add-ons safely, smoke testing automations, and rolling back.
Rebuild A Dead Proxmox Host: What PBS Does Not Restore
Identify the host networking, storage, credentials and recovery records that guest backups do not establish. Plan an isolated Proxmox rebuild around the scope of your actual backup jobs.
Repairable Smart-Home Device Checklist: Parts, Recovery, and Cloud Exit
Before the return window closes, verify replaceable service parts, local operation, firmware support, documented reset and re-pairing, backup and recovery, and a workable exit from the vendor's hub or cloud.
Is Your Ethernet Cable Slowing Down Your Network? Test It Before You Replace It
Learn how to prove whether an Ethernet cable is limiting speed, why links fall to 100 Mbps, and when Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A, or a better installation is the real fix.
Tailscale vs Headscale: What Self-Hosting the Control Plane Changes
Headscale moves Tailscale-compatible coordination, identity integration, policy distribution, upgrades, and recovery into your infrastructure. It does not automatically move peer traffic, remove DERP, or eliminate endpoint and application security work.
Stop Overpaying for Home Networking Gear: What Is Actually Worth Buying?
Choose networking upgrades for a measured bottleneck or a defined reliability need. Compare coverage, latency, throughput and the complete operating cost before paying for faster radios, extra ports or premium management features.
Plex From DVD and Blu-ray: Storage, Transcoding, and Backup Boundaries
Check permission to create disc-derived files before planning a Plex library. Measure sample file sizes, distinguish remuxing from transcoding, and protect metadata and recovery copies separately from the original discs.
Build a Homelab Service Catalog Before You Forget Everything
A practical homelab service catalog guide for tracking what runs where, who uses it, how it is backed up, and how to recover it.
Homelab SSO: Authentik vs Authelia vs Pocket ID
A practical homelab SSO comparison covering Authentik, Authelia, Pocket ID, OIDC, SAML, proxy auth, passkeys, MFA, and recovery planning.