Tutorials
Smart Home VLAN, Guest Wi-Fi, or Second SSID?
Smart-home isolation can improve security, but it can also break discovery, Matter, Thread border routers, casting, and app setup.
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.
Immich vs Google Photos: Which Photo Backup Setup Should You Trust?
Google Photos is easier and Immich gives more control, but neither removes the need for a real backup of originals and metadata.
Local-First Smart Home Without Becoming a Sysadmin
Build a smart home that keeps working when the internet is down without turning the house into a fragile homelab.
How Do You Make DNS Keep Working When the Internet Is Down?
Keep local DNS local. Your router, Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, Technitium, or internal resolver should answer local names without forwarding to the internet, and clients should have at least two reachable resolvers that.
Syncthing vs Nextcloud vs Cloud Storage: Stop Using the Wrong Sync Tool
Syncthing, Nextcloud, and managed cloud drives solve different problems. Pick by sync model, sharing needs, trust, admin time, and backup plan.
Plex in 2026: What Still Works Free
A practical guide to what Plex still does without Plex Pass, where Remote Watch Pass matters, and when free local streaming is enough.
What Is the Safest Way to Expose One Self-Hosted App Publicly?
The safest path is usually to avoid public exposure unless the app truly needs it. If it does, isolate the app, put it behind a maintained reverse proxy or tunnel, require strong.
Mini PC vs Raspberry Pi for Homelabs: Which One Should Run Your Services?
A practical homelab decision guide for choosing between Raspberry Pi boards and x86 mini PCs for Docker, Proxmox, storage, networking, and always-on services.
Plex-to-Jellyfin Migration Weekend Guide
A low-risk weekend plan for moving from Plex to Jellyfin while preserving media paths, metadata, users, and rollback options.