Why Run Kubernetes in a Homelab If It’s So "Overkill"?
Exploring why homelabbers choose K8s: production Helm charts, multi-node hardware failover, GitOps repository workflows, and career-defining DevOps experience.
Practical Homelab Architecture & Networking
Written by Seth Sanders, a 12-year IT Systems Engineer and Administrator veteran. Deep-dives into enterprise-grade infrastructure, self-hosting, Ubiquiti UniFi, Proxmox virtualization, and high-performance home labs.
Latest Articles
What is Kubernetes? The Complete Plain-English Guide for Self-Hosters
A plain-English guide to Kubernetes architecture, Control Plane vs. Worker Nodes, Pods, Services, Ingress, Docker Compose comparisons, and lightweight K3s setups.
Tailscale vs. Traditional VPN vs. Cloudflare Tunnels: Which Remote Access Strategy is Best?
Comparing bare WireGuard VPNs, Tailscale mesh networks, and Cloudflare Tunnels across privacy, CGNAT handling, media streaming TOS, and public web security.
What is Tailscale? The Zero-Config Mesh VPN Explained for Self-Hosters
An engineer's guide to zero-config mesh networking using WireGuard, NAT traversal, MagicDNS, Subnet Routers, Exit Nodes, and Headscale self-hosting.
How to Install Wazuh SIEM on Ubuntu Server (Bare-Metal) & Enroll Linux and Windows Agents
A step-by-step bare-metal deployment guide for the full Wazuh stack on Ubuntu Server, including agent enrollment commands for Linux and Windows endpoints.
How to Isolate VLANs on Ubiquiti UniFi: Complete Firewall Configuration Guide
A step-by-step firewall configuration guide with real-time UniFi screenshots covering stateful Allow Established/Related rules and dropping inter-VLAN traffic.
How to Install Hyper-V on Windows Server: The Easiest Type-1 Hypervisor Setup
A step-by-step guide to installing the Hyper-V role on Windows Server using Server Manager GUI and PowerShell, including BIOS settings and virtual switch creation.
Apple in the Home Lab: Pragmatic Infrastructure or Pricey Compromise?
Evaluating M-series Mac Minis for home labs: 5W power efficiency, Unified Memory for local AI LLMs (Ollama), macOS Content Caching, and hypervisor limits.
What is a Home Lab? The Ultimate Beginner's Guide & Career Accelerator
An introduction to home labs, minimum hardware requirements, core software stacks, and how self-hosted projects translate directly into corporate IT jobs and resume achievements.
Core Networking Fundamentals for Home Labs and Enterprise Infrastructure
A sysadmin's guide to the four pillars of network management: static IP strategies, IPAM site mapping, flexible VLAN segmentation, and practical 3-2-1 backup planning.
How to Install Proxmox VE: Step-by-Step Installation & GUI Walkthrough
A complete walkthrough covering Rufus DD mode ISO burning, hardware vs. ZFS RAID setup, network configuration, and a breakdown of core VM/container management tabs.
What is a SIEM? Introduction to Wazuh: The Free, Open-Source Security Operations Platform
An engineer's guide to centralized log aggregation, File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), Active Response threat blocking, and system troubleshooting using Wazuh.
Proxmox VE vs. Microsoft Hyper-V: Pros, Cons, and Choosing the Right Hypervisor
A direct comparison of Proxmox VE and Microsoft Hyper-V covering LXC containers, ZFS storage, Active Directory integration, licensing models, and lab architecture strategies.
Hyper-V Architecture: The Parent Partition Model & Enterprise Self-Hosting
A deep dive into Microsoft Hyper-V architecture, synthetic drivers via VMbus, Dynamic Memory allocation, evaluation licensing hacks, and Active Directory lab setups.
What is Proxmox VE? Architecture, Features, and Enterprise Self-Hosting
A comprehensive breakdown of Proxmox Virtual Environment, comparing KVM vs. LXC, OpenZFS storage, enterprise licensing, and why it has become the top alternative to VMware ESXi.
So You Want to Start a Homelab?
Overcoming analysis paralysis, starting with whatever hardware is in arm's reach, embracing bare metal before hypervisors, and protecting your data.
Why UniFi Is the Sweet Spot for Enterprise Engineers and Homelabbers
Bridging the gap between clunky consumer routers and expensive enterprise subscription models. A practical look at zero-licensing VLAN architectures, management zones, and core subnets.