Homelab
Like many nerds, I've built up a homelab over the years that I use for learning, self-hosting, and development.
Servers
In my mini-server rack, I have four servers.
Dell PowerEdge R620 (aka "Clank")
| Model | Dell PowerEdge R620 |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2650 0 @ 2.00GHz |
| RAM | 128 GB |
| HDD | 8 x 4TB SSD |
| OS | VMware ESXi 8 |
This machine is my primary VM server for various services and homelab experimentation.
Dell PowerEdge R720xd (aka "Skyron")
| Model | Dell PowerEdge R720xd |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697 v2 @ 2.70GHz |
| RAM | 384GB |
| HDD | 12 x 4TB HDD + several SSDs |
| OS | VMware ESXi 8 |
This machine is currently powered off because I don't need the capacity/storage, and it consumes too much power and generates too much heat.
Given the demise of VMware ESXi for home users, I plan to set this up with either Proxmox or XCP-ng, migrate services across from the other servers, and eventually scrub VMWare from my systems.
Dell OptiPlex 3070 (aka "Ferret")
| Model | Dell OptiPlex 3070 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-8100T |
| RAM | 32GB |
| HDD |
|
| OS | Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) |
I bought this "server" during my last move. I migrated my critical services to it and temporarily housed the server at a different location to minimize the disruption. All my services are exposed on my Tailnet using Tailscale or externally using Cloudflare Tunnels, so it didn't matter what network the server was on.
Annoyingly, I fell in love with this capable power-sipping little machine, which still houses most of my self-hosted services.
Dell OptiPlex 7060 (aka "Marmot")
| Model | Dell OptiPlex 7060 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 8th Gen |
| RAM | 32GB |
| HDD |
|
| OS | TBD |
The latest in my armada of machines.
RaspberryPi 4 (aka "Jumpbox")
I also have a RaspberryPi wired into my network to give me something I can always log into remotely if/when I screw something up with my main servers. Handy if I need to get at the Dell iDRAC controller remotely.
Networking
I drank the UniFi Kool-Aid long ago, so most of my networking gear carries that brand. Much like Apple gadgets, the more UniFi you have, the more fun it is!
- My main firewall/switch is a UniFi Dream Machine SE
- A UniFi 10G Aggregation switch that ties the servers together and does a bunch of assorted VLAN stuff
- A boring D-Link DGS-1210-10 switch handles the boring (LAN) side of my network and most of the jacks throughout the house
- Sadly, my house is small enough for a single U6 In-Wall to cover my wireless needs. Hilariously, the primary reason I would consider buying a larger house... so I could mess with mesh networking more...
Tailscale, the real hero!
However, the most important element of my networking setup is unquestionably Tailscale. Tailscale is an incredible mesh networking solution built on top of Wireguard that lets me treat my network as one big flat network regardless of where my machines are and how they are connected.
After adopting Tailscale, most of my self-hosted services are only exposed on my Tailnet, which means I'm no longer punching holes in my firewall and am much less worried about each tool's security footprint. Seriously, I can't recommend Tailscale enough. It's an absolute game-changer!
As a bonus, Tailscale also has first-class support for two of my other must-have services: