My Journey to Building a Homelab

What is a homlab?

A homelab, as the name suggests, is a laboratory at home. It's a setup where individuals experiment with different types of hardware or software, often using a server or multiple servers. Homelabs are primarily used for various purposes, including learning new skills, testing out new technologies, and building prototypes.

Why do we need a homelab?

In this digital era, where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, having a homelab is becoming increasingly important. Consider it as your personal technological sandbox; a place where you can freely explore, learn, and create, away from the constraints and restrictions typically found in professional environments.

Whether you're honing skills for your job, pursuing a personal interest, or simply exploring the endless possibilities of technology, a homelab can be an incredibly valuable asset.

My journey to building a homelab

My journey to building a homelab began from a simple spark of curiosity and a burning desire to learn. It all started when I had an old laptop gathering dust and decided to breathe new life into it. I repurposed this laptop as a homeserver to self-host my blog. This blog became my digital diary, a platform where I could note, archive, and share my ideas, tips, and experiences about computers, software, blogging, technology, and much more.

As I delved deeper into this world, I began to see the potential of my homelab. I started to expand it, gradually adding more components and capabilities. My homelab journey wasn't always smooth and there were challenges along the way. I faced hardware failures and software issues that tested my patience and resolve. But I saw each hurdle as an opportunity to learn and grow. The first major expansion of my homelab was venturing into the realm of virtualization. I started with Proxmox as my bare-metal hypervisor, allowing me to run multiple virtual machines on the same hardware. This was complemented with Hyper-V, another virtualization technology that opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me.

I also used my homelab to explore different Linux distributions. Through virtual machines, I learned about Ubuntu and Debian Linux distributions, getting hands-on experience with their unique features and capabilities. This also led me to experiment with LXC containers and Docker, further expanding my knowledge and skills.

Ad-blocking was another area I decided to delve into. With AdGuard Home and PiHole, I was able to block ads network-wide, improving my browsing experience and protecting my devices from malicious ads.

My homelab journey also saw me building a Network Attached Storage (NAS) using OpenMediaVault and Xpenology. This provided a centralized storage solution for my home network, giving me easy access to my files and data from any device.

Furthermore, I set up a media server with Emby, Jellyfin, and a host of "*arr" suites. This allowed me to have my own personal Netflix, storing and streaming my favorite movies and series.

Conclusion

Today, my homelab is more than just a hobby. It's a robust setup that allows me to experiment with a wide range of technologies and projects. It's a playground for my curiosity, a lab for my experiments, and a classroom for my learning. It has become an essential part of my life, helping me grow professionally and personally. My homelab journey has been a testament to the power of learning by doing, and I can't wait to see where it takes me next.