Self-Hosting

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. ...

TL;DR Summary Tailscale builds a private mesh network between your devices using WireGuard. Once installed, every device on your network is reachable from any other, anywhere in the world, as if they were on the same LAN. No router ports opened, no dynamic DNS to maintain, no central server to manage. I’ve been using it for 6 months and haven’t touched my router settings since. The Core Problem: Accessing Devices Across Networks Say you’re at a coffee shop and need to SSH into your home server. Or you’re traveling and need a file from your NAS. Or you’re at work and want to access your Home Assistant instance. ...

TL;DR Nextcloud running on my homelab gives me full control of my files, no subscription, no tracking, and actual open-source software. The tradeoff: you manage backups, updates, and troubleshooting. After 8 months, the math works out to roughly /month in electricity vs 5/month for 200GB on Google One — and I actually own my data. The Problem With Google Drive Let me be clear: Google Drive works. For most people, it’s the right answer. The sync Just Works, the mobile apps are solid, and collaborative editing via Google Docs is genuinely convenient. ...

TL;DR AdGuard Home turns any homelab server into a network-wide ad and tracker blocker that works across every device on your LAN — no per-device configuration needed. One Docker container, roughly 15W of power, blocks 15-20% of DNS queries before they leave your network. This guide covers the full setup: Docker Compose, blocklists that catch more than the defaults, encrypted DNS configuration, and per-device filtering rules. Why DNS-Level Blocking Most ad blockers work per-device. Browser extension on your laptop, app on your phone, maybe a system-level app. Every new device or browser needs its own setup. And none of this touches the smart TV telemetry, IoT device phoning home, or gaming consoles sending data to unknown servers. ...

TL;DR Summary Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel) eliminates the need to open ports on your router or deal with dynamic DNS services. One small daemon runs on your server, creates an outbound connection to Cloudflare’s edge, and your services are accessible via HTTPS — no router configuration needed. I’ve been running it for 8 months across 6 services with zero maintenance. The Problem with Traditional Remote Access Most guides for accessing your homelab from outside your house go like this: set up port forwarding on your router, configure dynamic DNS because your ISP gives you a dynamic IP, cross your fingers that your IP doesn’t change while you’re away, and pray that your router’s firewall is solid enough. ...

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. ...

TL;DR Summary Self-hosted AI agents are more accessible than ever. This guide covers setting up Hermes (an open-source AI agent framework) on your homelab, configuring it for your needs, and practical automation workflows. The main cost is compute—hardware you already own or a dedicated VPS. No vendor lock-in, your data stays local. What is an AI Agent? An AI agent is a system that: Receives instructions (via chat, API, or scheduled tasks) Plans steps to complete the task Uses tools (web search, code execution, file management, APIs) Returns results or acts autonomously Think of it as a CLI assistant that can actually do things—not just answer questions. ...

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. ...