#home-lab
56 episodes
#4295: Custom Storage Inserts Without Injection Molding
How to make HDPE grid inserts for Euro boxes without injection molding — 3D printing, CNC, or waterjet cutting?
#4294: How to Fill a 6U Comms Cabinet: Shelf, Fan, Cable Guide
Empty box, no shelves, no instructions. Here's how to actually fit a modem, mini PC, switch, and NAS into a shallow 6U cabinet.
#4284: Kill the Wall-Warts: Centralized DC Power for Your Rack
Ditch the brick sprawl. One power supply, one distribution panel, and a huge efficiency gain for your homelab.
#4273: UPS vs Generator: Where's the Line Now?
Lithium batteries are making home UPSs bigger and cheaper. But when does a generator still win?
#4222: How Local Network Discovery Breaks with Custom DNS
Why your printer disappears when you run AdGuard Home — and how mDNS actually works.
#4185: LiFePO4 Batteries: The Workhorse Chemistry for DIY Projects
LiFePO4 lasts 10x longer than lithium-ion. Here's how to choose, connect, and charge it for your build.
#4181: From Phone Typing to Direct Agent: Fixing Headless Server AI Access
ChatGPT saved his OS, but the copy-paste bottleneck from phone to server took hours. Here's how to fix it.
#4155: Where Does the Guest VLAN Actually Live?
The VLAN lives in the firewall, not the AP. Here's how to actually segment your guest network.
#4151: KVM Over IP: Remote Server Access When SSH Dies
What do you do when your server is alive but unreachable? KVM over IP hardware gives you BIOS-level access from anywhere.
#4111: The AC Photo That Taunts You
Why no single app handles photos, multi-user access, and home-specific fields — and what to use instead.
#3966: Building Custom Furniture That Hides a 6U Server Rack
How to embed a proper 6U rack into living room furniture — rails, spacing, toddler-proofing, and cooling.
#3870: Laser Engravers for Home Labs: Are They Worth It?
Desktop laser engravers now cost less than a 3D printer. But can they actually label your home network gear?
#3817: Hide Your Desktop in a Closet: The Gear You Need
USB4, Thunderbolt 5, and active cables now let you stash your PC in another room. Here's how.
#3801: Your Apartment in 3D: The Open-Source Stack That Works
Blueprint to VR walkthrough using free tools. No CAD degree required.
#3795: The Fifteen-Cent Screw That Stops Server Builds
A seized M.2 screw, a missing heat sink, and why inventory blind spots cost more than any technical skill.
#3794: The Screw That Beat Me for Two Hours
Why that M4 screw stripped — and the one tool that actually saves you.
#3788: RAID Reshaping Showdown: BTRFS vs ZFS vs XFS
Can you change RAID levels without nuking your data? We compare BTRFS, ZFS, and XFS for home server upgrades.
#3787: Proxmox vs Stock Linux for Home Servers
When rebuilding a home server, should you install Proxmox or just use stock Linux with KVM? We break down the tradeoffs.
#3786: When Your DNS Dies: Home Network Failure Cascade
One dead server, ZFS corruption, and a DNS collapse that takes down everything—including your ability to fix it.
#3785: Standalone GPON ONTs: Your Fiber Upgrade Guide
Fiber-to-fiber SFP sticks vs traditional ONT bridges — what works, what doesn't, and why your ISP might block you.
#3776: ZFS Mirroring: Why Your RAID Card Is the Weak Link
A hardware RAID card makes ZFS less safe. Here's why an HBA and a simple mirror are the real upgrade.
#3775: SBC Clusters vs Virtualization: The Real Tradeoffs
Why physical isolation sounds great but virtualization usually wins for home servers.
#3747: How to Pick an SSD That Won't Die in Your Home Server
ZFS degradation warnings are scary. Here's what to replace that drive with — and what spec numbers actually matter.
#3544: What 4U Actually Means: Rack Gear for Home Labs
Rack height units, case costs, and cabinet types explained for home users and small businesses.