Homelab

question: “What are the minimum specs for 24/7 Docker hosting?” answer: “2GB RAM minimum for a basic setup with 5-10 containers. 4-8GB is comfortable.” question: “How do I update Docker containers without downtime?” answer: “Watchtower automates updates. For manual control: pull new image, docker stop, docker rm, docker run with same arguments.” question: “Can I run Docker on a Raspberry Pi?” answer: “Yes. Most popular containers have ARM64 images. Performance is limited but fine for DNS filters and lightweight services.” question: “How do you handle container crashes?” answer: “Docker restart policies handle most failures (–restart unless-stopped). Check logs with docker logs for persistent issues.” TL;DR These five containers run non-stop on my homelab: AdGuard Home (DNS-level ad blocking), Nginx Proxy Manager (reverse proxy + free SSL), Uptime Kuma (real uptime monitoring), Portainer (container management), and Cloudflare Tunnel (secure external access without punching holes in my firewall). Together they cost about 15W idle and have saved me countless hours of manual work. ...

The Composes You Actually Need Most Docker compose guides show you the same five services everyone already knows. Here’s the set I actually run — the unsexy but essential services that make a homelab reliable: monitoring, logging, backups, and automation. These are production-ready templates with proper networking, restart policies, healthchecks, and resource limits. No placeholder values, no “TODO: change this.” 1. Watchtower — Auto-Updates Automatically updates your containers when new images are published. I run this on a 24-hour schedule with notifications to my Telegram channel. ...

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. ...

The Real Setup Every homelab guide shows you a perfect network diagram with enterprise hardware, rack mount servers, and clean cable management. This isn’t that. This is a homelab that grew organically over two years, running on a $200 used Dell OptiPlex, a consumer-grade managed switch, and whatever else was sitting around. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s a network that works reliably, is segmented enough to contain damage, and doesn’t require constant maintenance. ...

TL;DR Summary VLANs (Virtual LANs) let you segment network traffic without running separate physical cables. I use them to isolate IoT devices, separate guest traffic, protect management interfaces, and keep homelab services contained. Proper VLAN setup reduced network congestion 40% and improved security posture significantly. This guide covers the basics and my exact implementation. Why VLANs Matter for Homelabs When everything is on one network: IoT devices can probe your computers Guests can access your servers Smart TVs phone home to unknown servers Network problems cascade across all devices VLANs fix this by creating virtual isolation. One router, multiple isolated networks. ...

TL;DR Summary Self-hosting is addictive and can become a time sink. This guide covers the services worth self-hosting (Plex/Jellyfin, AdGuard Home, Nextcloud, SearXNG, Paperless-NGX), which ones to skip (email, VPNs for most people), and how to build a sustainable homelab that enhances your life without consuming all your free time. Start small, automate backups, and only host what you actually use. The Self-Hosting Trap I know homelabbers who spend more time maintaining their infrastructure than using it. Don’t be that person. ...