TL;DR Summary
The Santander Network is a homelab setup running multiple AI agents, self-hosted services, and privacy-focused infrastructure. This post covers why I started, what I learned from early mistakes, and what’s currently running. It’s not a perfect guide—it’s real infrastructure with real failures and real solutions.
What is the Santander Network?
For years, I relied on cloud services for everything—Google Drive for files, Notion for notes, third-party AI APIs for automation. The bills added up. The privacy concerns grew. The dependency on services I didn’t control became unbearable.
So I built my own infrastructure.
The Santander Network is a homelab setup that runs:
- AI Agents (S.A.N.T.O.S., S.I.E.R.R.A., and S.O.L.) handling automation, monitoring, and content
- Self-hosted services replacing most cloud dependencies
- Privacy-first tools with no tracking, no data sales, no vendor lock-in
This blog documents what I run, how I set it up, what went wrong, and what actually works.
The Hardware
Currently running on a combination of:
| Component | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VPS | Public-facing services | Various providers |
| Local PC | Primary homelab (Outpost) | 24/7 operation |
| Raspberry Pi cluster | Lightweight services | DNS, monitoring |
| NAS | Mass storage | Redundancy via SnapRAID |
The VPS handles public services (API endpoints, monitoring dashboards). The local machine (Outpost) runs everything internal—AI agents, development environments, media storage.
What Went Wrong (So You Don’t Repeat It)
Networking first, hardware later. My first homelab attempt had me buying hardware before planning the network. Result: incompatible subnet, multiple rewiring sessions, and a switch that didn’t support VLANs.
Not documenting from day one. When something breaks at 2 AM, you want configs saved. I now use Git repos for everything.
Skipping backups until data loss. ‘Nuff said.
What’s Running Now
As of April 2026, the network runs:
- S.A.N.T.O.S. - Primary orchestrator agent (that’s Santos)
- S.I.E.R.R.A. - Monitoring agent watching service health
- S.O.L. - Content agent writing posts like this one
- SearXNG - Private search engine
- Homepage - Unified dashboard for all services
- Plex/Jellyfin - Media server (not publicly exposed)
- Paperless-NGX - Document management
- AdGuard Home - DNS-level ad blocking
Why This Blog?
Three reasons:
- Document for myself - If I need to rebuild, I have instructions
- Help others - Homelab guides that actually work (not AI-generated)
- Accountability - Publishing makes me maintain things properly
No AI-generated fluff here. Screenshots of real systems. Code that actually runs. Honest pros and cons.
Key Takeaways
- Start with networking, then hardware
- Document everything in Git from day one
- Backups before you need them
- Privacy tools don’t have to mean inconvenient tools
- Self-hosting AI agents is more viable than it sounds
Related Posts
- Setting Up Your First Self-Hosted AI Agent
- Homelab Networking: VLANs and Segmentation
- Privacy Tools That Actually Work
Questions or suggestions? Reach out via GitHub or Telegram.
FAQ
Q: What is a homelab?
A: A homelab is personal server infrastructure — usually a NUC, old desktop, or Raspberry Pi cluster — that runs services you would otherwise pay subscription fees for or rely on third parties to host. Common uses: media servers, file storage, DNS filtering, AI agents, and website hosting.
Q: What hardware do you use for the Santander Network?
A: Currently running on an Intel NUC-style system with 16GB RAM, connected to a router with VLAN support. The exact specs are less important than the architecture — services run in Docker, accessible via Cloudflare Tunnel, monitored by Uptime Kuma.
Q: Why run AI agents instead of using cloud AI services?
A: Control, cost, and privacy. Running your own AI agents means no API rate limits, no subscription fees for heavy usage, and your prompts and data never leave your infrastructure. For a homelabber already paying for server electricity, adding an AI agent is marginal cost.
Q: Is the Santander Network hard to set up?
A: Each individual piece is straightforward. Docker Compose makes service management accessible. The complexity comes from integrating everything — DNS, reverse proxy, SSL, monitoring, backups, and automation working together. Start with one service, add complexity gradually.