Ah, the home lab—where middle-aged men like me rediscover the joys of problem-solving, break things just to fix them again, and stare at error logs with the intensity of a detective solving a murder case. This isn’t just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle. It’s a place where I get to bend networks to my will, suffer through firewall nightmares, and revel in the euphoria of finally getting a stubborn NAT rule to behave.

The Current Setup:

The Brains of the Operation

PC1: Zotac Zbox

• CPU: 4x Intel(R) Celeron(R) N3150 @ 1.60GHz
• RAM: 8GB
• OS: AlmaLinux 9
• Primary Roles: DHCP server, Access Point (AP) using hostapd, and a Prometheus monitoring stack.

PC2: ThinkCentre M710q

• CPU: 4x Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-6100T @ 3.20GHz
• RAM: 32GB
• OS: AlmaLinux 9
• Primary Roles: Media server (Jellyfin), internal Git repository (Gitea), and network storage.

Networking Magic & The Struggle of VLANs

My network setup includes two managed HP ProCurve 1810G-8 switches. VLAN1 is off the router, VLAN2 is my LAN, which I can set up on any WAN in seconds. A dream? Yes. The setup process? Not so much. Let’s just say NAT routing and masquerading took longer than I’d like to admit. Spoiler alert: it was the firewall all along. The moment I fixed the rules? Everything just worked—like watching a puzzle snap into place after days of frustration.

PC1: The Overachiever

• Runs DHCP and AP via hostapd – My own little WiFi paradise. I might upgrade the wireless chip and antenna at some point, but for now, it gives me a respectable 100-150ft range.
• Prometheus Stack & Grafana – Currently monitoring my media server but will expand to all internal servers and even my VPS instances. Because what’s a home lab without pretty graphs?
• VM Management – A basic AlmaLinux 9 VM runs here to help segregate services.

PC2: The Media Mogul

• Jellyfin over Plex – I tried Plex, but their live login system? Not my thing. Jellyfin keeps everything open-source and locally hosted. It took some permission wrangling (thanks, SELinux) but works like a charm now.
• Live TV functionality – Still in the works, but I’m excited to get it up and running.
• Music Streaming – Researching the perfect open-source system. This one’s a work in progress.
• Internal Git Repository with Gitea – Setting it up was mostly smooth, but missing a few key folders led to a frustrating debugging session. Once I found the issue? Flawless operation.
• VM Playground – Running Arch, Windows 10, and Linux Mint VMs for testing and tinkering.
• Network Storage – Acting as a temporary storage hub until my SSDs arrive. They’ll eventually be RAIDed and mounted for universal access across the network.

Future Expansion Plans

1. Proxmox Cluster – Planning to grab four more M710qs to create a Proxmox cluster. These mini-PCs are a steal on local marketplaces, going for $50-$80 CAD each.
2. Better Network Infrastructure – A mini rack, a new managed switch, and a UPS.
3. RAID Storage – Preferably in a hot-swappable enclosure.
4. Custom Lab Display System – Raspberry Pi, LCD touchscreen overlay, Python backend—a beautiful visualization of my ever-growing home lab.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of a Home Lab

Building this mini lab took me a solid week of obsessive tinkering. There were moments of sheer frustration—where I questioned my intelligence and contemplated setting everything on fire. But then, that moment happens—when the packets finally flow correctly, and everything just clicks. The euphoria? Indescribable.

There’s something oddly fulfilling about this journey—something about creating a digital ecosystem, watching data flow smoothly, and optimizing every tiny detail. I still don’t know exactly what home lab building does to my brain, but I do know this—I’m all in.

And if you’re even remotely curious about starting your own lab? Do it. Just make sure you have patience, a good coffee supply, and an iron will to battle rogue firewall rules.

Total Cost Breakdown

• Mini PCs (2x) – $140 CAD (including an extra low-spec Lenovo mini PC)
• Managed Switches (2x HP ProCurve 1810G-8) – $60 CAD
• Cabling (Cat6, various lengths) – Included in bundle deals
• Gas (Approx. 70km total over 3 trips) – ~$15 CAD

Grand Total: ~$215 CAD – for a fully functional, expandable home lab!

Bonus: My Topology Mapping Tool

If you’re into home lab planning, check out VisionMapr—a little side project I created for mind-mapping ideas like this. It’s free to use and still evolving!

That’s it for now—until the next upgrade, the next struggle, and the next victory. Long live the home lab!