Tutorials
Step-by-step technical walkthroughs for networking, Linux, homelab, security, storage, media servers, and practical troubleshooting.
Tailscale vs Headscale: What Self-Hosting the Control Plane ChangesNew!!
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?New!!
Expensive networking gear is not always wasteful, but most homes overpay when they buy labels instead of solving a measured problem. Here is how to decide what is worth buying.
UniFi VLANs Without Breaking AirPlay, Printers, and Smart Home GearNew!!
A UniFi VLAN guide for keeping AirPlay, AirPrint, printers, casting, HomeKit, and smart-home devices usable without flattening the network.
PisoWiFi E-Wallet Reconciliation When Webhooks RetryNew!!
A documentation-backed, testable runbook for PisoWiFi E-Wallet Reconciliation When Webhooks Retry, with safe defaults, validation evidence, failure modes, rollback, and publication-day checks.
Plex From DVD and Blu-ray: Storage, Transcoding, and Backup BoundariesNew!!
Plan a Plex workflow for discs you own or are authorized to use: estimate storage, preserve source and metadata decisions, choose direct play or transcoding deliberately, and separate library recovery from duplicating every media file.
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz: What Should Go Where?New!!
A practical Wi-Fi band-planning guide explaining which devices belong on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz networks in Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 homes.
Where Should You Put Your Wi-Fi Access Points?New!!
A practical Wi-Fi AP placement guide for homes and small offices, covering ceiling APs, wired backhaul, multi-floor layouts, RF obstacles, and validation.
IoT Device Security Checklist: Firmware, Updates, and End of SupportNew!!
Review an IoT device's firmware source, update and recovery path, vulnerability-disclosure record, exposed services, support dates, and isolation options before purchase and at each lifecycle review.
How to Block AI Scrapers: robots.txt, Rate Limits, and Access ControlNew!!
robots.txt publishes a preference; it does not enforce access. Use verified bot controls and rate limits for request policy, authentication for private content, logs for evidence, and legal terms for notice, with tested exceptions for legitimate traffic.
Build a Homelab Service Catalog Before You Forget EverythingNew!!
A practical homelab service catalog guide for tracking what runs where, who uses it, how it is backed up, and how to recover it.