Hi! I started the homelabbing journey around 10 months ago with an Optiplex 7080 I got in r/homelabsales, and a bunch of HDDs from a second hand website in my country. Disks are connected through a PCI adapter, powered using a PicoPSU, and all of that is wired to a managed switch that centralizes LAN connections.

Today, my hardware setup is still the same, aside of adding a bit more RAM, but the learning on software stacks and services has been huge! I am running proxmox, and this is the only node I have. Things I am running on this little machine:

- Virtualized TrueNAS with several datasets serving the rest of the apps through NFS
- Gitea server
- Syncthing in TrueNAS to share directories between my machines
- Pi-hole DNS + ad-blocker
- Tailscale router
- Cloudflare tunnel
- 2 development machines I use for job-related stuff (robotics with ROS2)
- Apache guacamole
- PBS backups, + automated laptop backups with borg to the NAS
- A docker VM with dockhand, filebrowser, an outline wiki I share with some colleagues, and a torrent seeding + media stack with jellyfin and *arr.

Next steps are allowing easy airVPN connection to any of my devices (reading about that, idk if it will be through VLANs or some sort of wireguard) + probably moving TrueNAS to a dedicated host for reliability, apart from solving some NIC hang issues I am experiencing sometimes.

My main takeaway is that even with a very low budget and with minimal hardware, you can still learn a lot, while also hosting a lot of services, and that is the most exciting part of this hobby. Racks are amazing, but I don’t feel the need of getting one soon. I still feel there is much more I can do inside this little machine :)

All old stuff united with a new rack

A few weeks ago I had discovered about setting up a mini homelab to run services, vpns and ad blockers and I was instantly hooked! last week I purchased an i7 elitedesk 800 G2 Mini, an i7 optiplex 7080 micro, a tp-link es210x-m2 switch and a tecmojo 6U rack to house everything.

Currently I am using the Dell Optiplex 7080 Micro to learn how to use windows server and how things work, and my EliteDesk will likely start running proxmox but for now I have windows 11 installed and connected to my server with Active Directory.

I chose to set up windows server to learn how it works and how its services work like Active Directory , Web Services, Hyper-V server and many other enterprise stuff to play around with. I do plan on expanding this set up with another mini PC for PfSense or media hosting.

Let me know what you guys think!

So last time I was using an old photo to show off my homelab so here is the updated picture.

The update is the unas pro 4 and the ups but also cleaned it up a bit.

Thoughts on what I should try using the ryzen 9 5950x and 128gb ram proxmox server for?

► Proxmox VE Datacenter: 5 nodes delivering 84 CPU cores, 226 GB of RAM (with another 48 GB sitting on my desk ready to install), and 9 TB of SSD storage.

► Storage: A custom TrueNAS server rocking 20 TB of redundant storage (12 TB HDD / 8 TB SSD).

► AI Infrastructure: An NVIDIA DGX Spark workstation powering my local LLM agents and model fine-tuning pipelines. (Second rig dedicated to run small language models on 5-series cards not shown)

► Ubiquiti UniFi Networking: 1 router, 2 Layer 3 switches, and 3 Access Points managing over 50 physical and virtual devices.

►Environment & Power: AC Infinity intake and exhaust fans for server rack thermal management, backed by dual Tripp Lite UPS units to keep the power clean and continuous.

Looking to start a second rack in 2027 after filling up the last few slots I have left (NVR, 10G aggregator, and 1U KVM will wrap this one up.)

P.s need to get one more patch cable so there's no longer a gap -_- (had to use it for my in wall unit and didn't have any short cables on hand.

Welcome! I finally was able to rack my homelab equipment and get it off the floor. What do you think? I also upgraded a couple of my pcs. Any questions, just ask? Can also check my precious post for more info and to see how it looked before.

Not done configuring everything yet! But I have a protectli vault for for my router and firewall, and eero router in bridge mode, running all my mesh access points. I have my home hub running all of my Philips smart hue IOT devices. I have two Cisco catalyst 3850’s that will run all of my POE cameras. I have a frigate Server that’s going to run AI semantics,facial recognition, plate recognition, object detection, pet detection, etc. I have a Dell power edge 410, and a power edge 710 that’ll run an additional enterprise for me to hack and find vulnerabilities. I have a deal OptiPlex 7080 that is running my AD/DNS/DHCP Server. I have a Cisco firewall that I got from my works datacenter to add to my fake enterprise to hack. A lot more to mention cloud wise, but it’s the start of my first home Lab.

Finally, the day has come. The project has officially launched on Crowd Supply: https://www.crowdsupply.com/usbridge-technologies/usbridge-kvm-2-0

I've been working on this project for almost a year now. The idea began with a remote flash drive with a RAM cache, and looking back, I realize how much work has gone into it.

From a messy prototype with tons of bugs and cables, it has evolved into a device I can be proud of. Some might wonder why it took a whole year to make a KVM, but I wanted to ensure that when you receive it, you aren't getting a prototype or a board that "somehow works"—you are getting a fully-fledged, tested ecosystem. It solves many common problems, from simple remote access to installing Proxmox in one click.

Most importantly, I want to build a community around this ecosystem and continue developing it for you. I am focused on implementing useful, working features, not just pushing marketing slogans.

Thank you to all community members for supporting my work!

So should I invest in a decommissioned power edge server or just get a couple more elite desk minis and run a cluster?

A while back I got my hands on a Cisco Business CBS350-24T-4G that had taken a direct hit of water. The internal PSU was completely fried, burnt board, dead on arrival. Opened it up, confirmed the mainboard itself was untouched, so I rigged an external ATX PSU with the classic paperclip PS_ON trick to bring it back to life.

First boot: the System LED just blinked forever, boot loop. Turned out the config was corrupted from the power event. After a few power cycles it silently fell back to a factory/golden image and came up clean. Recovered full web management access, renamed all the ports, set static IPs, tightened up VLAN/STP settings, the works. The switch became the core of my home network: router uplink, home server, gaming PC, TV, all fanned out from it.

Weeks later, random and intermittent packet loss started showing up during online gaming (Valorant), sometimes hitting 70 to 80% spikes for a couple seconds, then clean for a while, completely unpredictable.

Spent a full day tracking it down methodically:

• Ruled out the ISP/ONT (checked optical RX power, hardware self-test, firmware, all clean)
• Ruled out the PC's NIC power-saving settings (fixed a real issue there, loss dropped from around 6 to 7% down to around 2%, but didn't fully go away)
• Ruled out Spanning Tree topology changes (log showed nothing recent)
• Ruled out CRC/physical errors (RMON stats on both relevant ports: 0 errors across 500M+ packets each)
• Ruled out CPU load (switch sitting under 5%)
• Ruled out EEE/Green Ethernet interop weirdness (disabled it, no change)
• Even measured the jury-rigged PSU's 12V rail live under load with a multimeter, rock solid at 12.2V, barely any ripple

Final test: bypassed the switch completely and plugged the PC straight into the router with the exact same cable. Ran it for 8+ minutes. Zero packet loss.

Put the switch back in the path, same cable, same everything: packet loss came right back, consistently around 2 to 4%.

So it really is the switch itself, most likely some lingering hardware quirk from the whole water/firmware-corruption saga, invisible to every counter and log the switch exposes, but very real and reproducible for actual forwarded traffic.

Ended up buying a cheap $30 unmanaged 8-port TP-Link switch to replace it for the gaming PC's path. Zero loss since. Attached a ping graph as proof of the bug (8 min continuous ping through the Cisco, around 4% loss with visible timeout spikes), good closure for what became a pretty deep rabbit hole for a switch I got for free.

Lesson learned: sometimes a "fully recovered" piece of enterprise gear can look 100% healthy on paper (clean RMON, clean CPU, clean STP, stable PSU) and still have something wrong deep enough that only a full bypass test reveals it.

around 4% loss through the switch

Aight, idk if I've posted here before, but I've got a big homelab setup...

First tower on the left: Custom build

• Ryzen 5 5600G
• 32GB DDR4-3200MHz
• 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD
• Delta/Supermicro PSU
• Montech X3 Mesh
• Runs my Minecraft Classic Factions server with Auction House & Orders

Dell Precision 5820:

• Intel Xeon W-2123
• 32GB ECC DDR4-2666MHz
• Runs a self-hosted Fluxer instance (currently non-federated since Fluxer isn't quite ready for that yet, although that may change in the future)
• Also stores old files from a previous Minecraft world

Dell Precision T3500:

• Intel Xeon X5670
• 24GB ECC DDR3-1333MHz (ironically slower RAM than everything else 💀)
• 525W PSU
• Used as the development server for my community

All of this runs as part of the ZSSN Network, a community I originally ran primarily through Discord. With all the changes/en­shittification surrounding the platform, I started getting more serious about self-hosting and Homelabbing.

Minecraft was actually what got me interested in Homelabbing in the first place. I've wanted to build something like this since around September 2025, when I switched from Xfinity cable to Verizon Fios. Going from cable → fiber was an insane choice, but worthwhile**.** The difference is night and day compared to my old connection. Also that once I've upgraded my main hardware (Ryzen 5600g) to a AM5 system that I've gotten used for a full price $477 on eBay, I decided that I was going to switch off the Intel w2123 for a better processor to handle the hardware better, Alongside pulling the t3500 out of retirement to make it used for development stuff.

Soon I'll potentially be getting a TV to add my old Wii to this amalgamation, but that'll be in the next few months and not right now lol...

Hello everyone, I am here to just show the lab I built. I tried my best to make the lab as silent and power efficient as possible. The reason is that I'm 14 and can't legally work yet.

Specs (with prices in Euros, Slovakia):

• Rack: VEVOR 20U Open frame server rack, 58.5-101.6cm adjustable depth, two shelves and four wheels included in the package. (136,90€)

• Node/server: HP EliteDesk 800 G2 (Intel Core i5-6600 with 4 cores and 4 threads, 16GB of DDR4 (2400 MT/s), 4x4. Storage is just a random Toshiba SATA II 250GB 2.5" drive. Possibly will upgrade later. Running Proxmox with Portainer in a Docker VM (Debian) with a 1Gbps built in adapter. (60€)

• Switch: TP-Link TL-SG105 Unmanaged 1Gbps switch with 5 ports and Loop Protection (one extra cable is going to my gaming desktop). (23,90€)

• LAN cables: Vention Ultra flexible Cat8. Some are 1.5m, one is 3m to connect to the modem/main router. I took Cat8 because it was pretty cheap (around 50% price difference between Cat6 and Cat8. They are all coated S/FTP. (1.5m cable is 4,09€ each and 3m cable is 5,79€) Honorable mention: 8m Cat6 Vention cable as backup (around 7 euros, not sure exactly)

• Power: Surge protector CyberPower P0820SUF0-FR (18,90€)

Total for me was then 276,66€. All prices already include the Slovak VAT.

And yes, the rack is behind my bed. I have limited space for the rack, but it worked out. The EliteDesk is pretty quiet.

Heloooo im almost there with my casemod for my pc, he will be in the 4u cabinet is a 5090 with a 9950x3d….

All servers work, and have full configuration, still missings some storage.

I’m doing just because I think is beautiful tech… latter I find what to do with all .

The last 4u is for a r920 or r910

Tips ?

Started my first homelab, repurposed datto nas system I got from an auction for 70$ 64GB ddr4 RAM with 4 2TB sea gate HDDs for family cloud storage. Dell optiplex with home assistant and plans for running security system once I get my POE cameras setup . 3d printed the rack. Pretty happy with how it turned out. Still have to do some changes but I feel like it will be a never ending process. Let me know how I messed something up!

I have made a post some months ago about "My First Proper Homeserver" and the time has come for an update. I have made some changes on the hardware and the software got updated too. The process is really slow, because of work- and family-related things ("casual life" in other words) and because I'm a beginner (in homelab topic) but want to do things possibly right.

The actual status:

• Proxmox VE 9.1.7 - up and running
• qbittorrent nox - up and running
• Jellyfin - up and running
• Nextcloud - transfer from old server under planning
• Wireguard - to do
• Pi-hole - to do
• To find out what else - to do

The actual HW:

• Supermicro X10DRL-i (Mainboard)
• 2x Intel Xeon E5-2660 v4 (CPUs)
• 8x 32GB SK-Hynix DDR4 RDIMM (RAM)
• HP 562FLR-T 10Gb 2-Port Ethernet Adapter in a PCIe X8 FlexibleLOM adapter (Network card)
• PNY nVidia P1000 4GB (Graphics card forJellyfin transcoding)
• Intel Optane 900P 280GB (Storage for ZFS Log)
• LSI 9400-16i (RAID controller card in IT-mode, connecting the drives of the ZFS-pools)
• Supermicro AOC-SLG-2M2 with a pair of 480GB Micron NVMe SSDs (Storage for Metadata / Cache)
• PCIE to USB 3.2 Expansion Card connected the front panel
• 12x Micron 5200 1.92TB (Storage - Bigpool)
• 4x Toshiba 1.6TB (Storage - Smallpool)
• 3x Samsung PM883 480GB SATA SSD (Redundant VM storage)
• 1x Samsung CM871a 256GB SATA SSD (Storage for Host OS)
• Fractal Design Define 7 (Case)
• 2x Xilence XC061 (CPU coolers)
• 2x Arctic P9 PWM PST (Fans cooling the add-on cards)
• 4x Arctic P14 PWM PST (Intake and exhaust fans)
• Seasonic Platinum Fanless 520W (Power supply unit)
• Corsair Commander Pro (Fan controller)

Yes, the 520W PSU is sufficient. In the actual state the whole server needs 120W with some 140W-spikes. And if anyone wants to know, the HP 562FLR-T card in the FlexLOM adapter fits perfectly over the RAM sticks, it still has 4-5mm clearance.

Edit: correcting typos, details, purposes

Your doctors office network isn't feeling well.

SSHBool — Open-source SSH & Server Management Workspace

I've been working with remote servers for years.

I started with PuTTY and FTP, then moved to Bitvise, which has been my main tool for quite a while.

Later, I tried Termius, and one thing I really liked was the Workspace concept — especially when working with a team and sharing servers and connections.

It made managing everything much easier.

But there were still a few things I wanted to have in the same workflow.

That's where the idea of SSHBool started.

About two years ago, we actually tried to build something similar and make it Open Source, but because of work and lack of time, we couldn't finish it.

Today, I'm happy to finally share the first Beta release of SSHBool. ❤️

What is SSHBool?

SSHBool is a desktop workspace for managing remote servers, built with Tauri.

It currently supports:

🪟 Windows
🐧 Linux
🍎 macOS

The macOS version still needs an Apple Developer account for proper signing and distribution, and hopefully we'll have that sorted out soon.

⚡ Key Features

🔹 Full SSH Client
Connect to and manage your servers from one place.

🔹 Professional Terminal
Work with multiple terminal sessions and servers at the same time.

🔹 SFTP & File Management
Upload, download, move, delete and manage remote files.

🔹 Multiple Servers
Keep all your servers and connections organized in one place.

🔹 Multiple Sessions
Work across different servers without constantly switching between applications.

🔹 Server Workspaces
Keep everything related to a server organized inside one workspace.

🔹 Terminal + File Manager
Manage your terminal and remote files from the same interface.

🔹 Modern Desktop UI
A clean and fast interface designed for developers and DevOps workflows.

🔮 What's coming next?

SSHBool is currently offline-first. Your connections and data stay on your local machine.

In the future, we plan to add:

• Cloud Sync
• Server Sharing
• Teams & Members
• Shared Workspaces
• More infrastructure management tools

And this is just the beginning.

SSHBool is still in Beta, so there are definitely bugs and things that need improvement. Development will continue based on real-world usage and community feedback.

If you'd like to contribute, report an issue, suggest a feature, or help improve the project, the source code is available on GitHub:

🔗 GitHub:
https://github.com/omarsenusi/sshbool

🌐 Website:
https://ssh.devbool.com/

Would love to see people try it out. ❤️

#SSHBool #SSH #DevOps #Linux #OpenSource #Tauri #Developers #RemoteServers #Infrastructure

Hi r/minilab! Long time lurker, first time posting a picture of my tiny money pit.

I work in IT support and needed an environment where breaking production doesn't get me in an HR meeting, and breaking stuff actually costs nothing

The Infrastructure (2x i5-6500T | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD):

IGRIS (The Brain):
Runs the crucial stuff so my partner doesn't complain when the Wi-Fi dies.
LXC: Nginx NPM, AdGuard Home, Homarr, Tailscale (exit node/subnet router)

GENOS (The Heavy Lifter):
Where the actual crimes happen.
OPNsense (Zenarmor + Suricata) keeping my sandbox isolated from the household.
pfSense, Debian, and Windows Server 2022 (100% legitimately licensed for 10 RDS users, trust me 😉).

The "I'll Upgrade Next Month" Network:
Gateway:
MikroTik RB2011 (Dual-WAN set up for when my secondary ISP arrives).

Switching & AP:
A generic TP-Link unmanaged switch and a 10-year-old TP-Link router held together by prayer and AP mode.

Patch Panel:
24 ports for 4 active cables, because aesthetic > necessity.

Public Exposure & Future Plans:
Currently hosting my blog on Ghost via Cloudflare Tunnel in a Debian/Docker VM so I don't have to explain open router ports to my ISP.
Building a dedicated NAS next for Immich + my anime/manga hoard (because I refuses to give Node 1 & 2 storage anxiety).

But fr, I'm Studying for Cloud/Infra Engineering, so Azure hybrid mess-ups are on the horizon.
ISP: 50/25 Mbps - No Hate I'm form South Africa 🇿🇦* (Local LAN: 1 Gbps*)

Be honest: On a scale of "Clean Setup" to "Fire Hazard", how bad is the cable management? Also drop your best budget managed switch recommendations pleaseeee.

I forgot about the UPS. 😭