What is a Homelab? (My Edition)
Homelab
I recently decided to embark on the journey of building my own homelab—a dedicated environment where I could experiment, break things (safely), and deepen my understanding of systems administration, networking, containerization, and more. I managed to get my hands on a server with decent hardware and dove right in.
At first, it felt overwhelming. There were dozens of unfamiliar terms, configurations, and troubleshooting scenarios that seemed complex. But with time, patience, and hands-on experience, things started to make sense. I began to laugh at the mistakes I made early on, recognizing how much I had already learned. And now, I’m excited to share this journey with you.
Without further ado, let’s get into the basics.
🧠 What Is a Homelab?
A homelab is essentially a personal computing environment—often made up of one or more servers—used to run services, host applications, test new tools, and gain hands-on experience with technologies in a self-contained space.
Homelabs are commonly used by:
- IT professionals looking to experiment without risking production systems
- Developers testing infrastructure or CI/CD pipelines
- Students and self-learners practicing skills
- Privacy-focused users hosting personal cloud services like DNS filtering, media servers, and version control systems
You can think of a homelab as your own private playground for tech.
⚙️ Basics of My Homelab
Let me walk you through how I’ve set things up so far.
🖥️ Server & Hypervisor
I run a physical server that acts as the base of my entire lab. On this server, I use Proxmox VE, an open-source virtualization platform that lets you manage virtual machines (VMs), Linux containers (LXC), and other resources with ease.
Why Proxmox?
- It’s free and open-source
- It has a clean web interface
- It supports both VMs and containers
- It allows you to easily take backups and snapshots
📦 Containerization: LXC + Docker
Instead of spinning up full virtual machines, I mostly use LXC containers, which are lightweight and fast. Some containers are run as-is (bare metal-style), while others have Docker installed for additional containerization flexibility.
This combination gives me the best of both worlds:
- LXC for system-level containers
- Docker for application-level containers
For example, one LXC might run a full Docker stack with several services inside, while another might be dedicated to just one purpose.
🛠️ A Glimpse of My Projects
Here are a few of the services and tools I’ve deployed in my homelab (I’ll write detailed guides about them in future posts):
- Gitea: A lightweight, self-hosted Git service
- Traefik: A dynamic reverse proxy and load balancer
- AdGuard Home: A personal DNS server with ad-blocking capabilities
Each of these projects has taught me valuable lessons about networking, DNS, port forwarding, volume management, and automation.
🛠️ My Homelab Hardware Setup
When I first started, I thought I needed a high-end server to build a homelab. But I quickly realized that’s not true. Anyone can begin their homelab journey with modest hardware, especially with the support of friends. Here’s what I’m currently using:
⚙️ Current Configuration:
- CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50GHz (1 Socket)
- RAM: 8GB + 4GB (1333 MHz DIMM)
- Motherboard: H81 (MicroATX)
- Power Supply: 440W Generic PSU
- Boot Drive: Hikvision C100 120GB 2.5 Inch SATAIII SSD
This setup, while basic, has been sufficient for my needs so far. However, I do have plans to upgrade in the near future:
- RAM: Upgrade to 16GB (8GB + 8GB sticks)
- Storage: Add a 512GB NVMe SSD (GEN3, as that’s the maximum my motherboard supports)
🔮 Future Plans:
Eventually, I’d like to transition to a Dell server or build a high-configuration DIY server. But for now, this setup works well for learning and experimentation.
🤝 A Collaborative Effort
One challenge I face is the lack of power backup at my home. Thankfully, my friend Endrence Leternet has been incredibly supportive. The server is hosted at his house, where he has power backup and a static public IP. I use Tailscale to securely SSH into the server and manage it remotely.
This collaborative effort has made it possible for me to explore and grow my homelab without significant upfront costs. It’s a reminder that with the right support and determination, anyone can start their homelab journey.
🧭 Why You Might Want a Homelab
If you’re someone who learns by doing, a homelab is one of the best ways to gain real-world experience with technologies like:
- Linux & command line basics
- Networking (VLANs, DNS, firewalls)
- Containerization (Docker, LXC)
- Virtualization (Proxmox, VMs)
- Infrastructure as Code (Ansible, Terraform)
- Monitoring & logging
- Hosting your own cloud services
You don’t need enterprise-grade hardware to get started. Even a modest desktop or a Raspberry Pi cluster can form the foundation of a homelab.
📸 A Peek Into the Lab
In upcoming posts, I’ll also share screenshots and visuals from my own setup—dashboards, container lists, service UIs, and more—to make everything easier to follow.
🚀 What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. In future posts, I’ll dive deeper into each component of my homelab, walking you through setup steps, challenges, and what I learned from the process.
Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate learner, my goal is to make these guides accessible and practical.
Stay tuned—and happy labbing!