VLAN
Smart Home VLAN, Guest Wi-Fi, or Second SSID?New!!
06/22/2026
Smart-home isolation can improve security, but it can also break discovery, Matter, Thread border routers, casting, and app setup.
What Is the Right VLAN Layout for a Beginner Homelab?New!!
06/22/2026
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.
OPNsense, pfSense, UniFi, or Consumer Router: Which Should Run Your Homelab?New!!
06/22/2026
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.
How Do You Run Security Cameras Locally Without Cloud Dependency?New!!
06/22/2026
Use cameras that support local RTSP or ONVIF, put them on an isolated camera VLAN, record to a local NVR such as Frigate, Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance Station, or UniFi Protect.