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Hello fellow tech enthusiasts (and coffee lovers)!
As much as I enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee, there’s something equally satisfying about brewing up new capabilities in my homelab. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been busy adding some fresh services and hardware to keep my setup not just humming, but buzzing with efficiency and helpfulness. Whether you’re managing your own digital playground or just curious about what’s possible on a home scale, here’s what’s new on the docket — plus, the gear that’s making it all work.
New Services: From Collaboration to Monitoring and Gaming
Nextcloud-AIO – Saying Goodbye to Discord Dependence
First up: I’ve integrated Nextcloud-AIO to replace our previous dependence on Discord for collaboration and file sharing. With the all-in-one Nextcloud setup, I’ve gained a self-hosted, privacy-respecting platform that handles chat, file sharing, calendar syncing, and more — all under my control. It’s the perfect homebrew alternative to relying on third-party cloud services.
Grafana, Prometheus, and Telegraf – Monitoring Made Beautiful
Monitoring is crucial, especially as my homelab grows in complexity. I’ve hooked up Grafana, Prometheus, and Telegraf to create a robust monitoring stack that tracks performance metrics and visualizes everything in sleek, coffee-black dashboards. From CPU temps to network throughput, now I can sip some espresso while stats gently pour in real time.
Uptime Kuma – Watching Over My Homelab from the Cloud
While my monitoring stack watches internal metrics, I also set up Uptime Kuma on my VPS to keep an eye on service availability from an external vantage point. Having an external health check ensures that I’m alerted if services go down when I’m away from home—because coffee breaks shouldn’t be interrupted by unexpected outages!
WeddingShare – Celebrating with Friends
On a more personal note, I deployed WeddingShare for a friend’s upcoming wedding. This open-source project is a fantastic way to collaboratively share photos and memories securely. Running it on my homelab feels great—using technology to enhance life’s special moments.
Enshrouded Game Server – Because Play Is Important
Lastly, I gave new life to my gaming side by spinning up an Enshrouded game server. After all, every techie needs downtime, and running a self-hosted game server keeps me connected with friends while enjoying some pixelated adventures.
Upgrading the Hardware: Rack ’Em, Stack ’Em, and Speed ’Em Up
To support all these new services and keep things neat, I’ve invested in some solid hardware upgrades:
- 25U Rack — Finally, my scattered gear is beautifully racked and organized. Nothing like a sturdy rack to keep cables tidy and airflow optimal.
- 10Gb NICs for C6420 — High-speed networking is a must, so I equipped my C6420 with 10 Gigabit NICs. Moving data is faster than ever.
- NetApp DS4246 — Storage gets a big upgrade with this robust disk shelf, improving both capacity and reliability.
- NETGEAR GS724T v2 PROSAFE 24-Port Switch — For all the 1Gb connections, this switch provides plenty of ports and solid management features.
- Rails for R720xd, C6420, and NetApp DS4246 — Proper mounting hardware makes installing and servicing equipment a breeze.
Lessons Learned & What’s Next
Setting up all these components has been a rewarding challenge that reminds me why I love blending technology with a little caffeine-induced focus. With better monitoring, more control over collaboration, and robust hardware behind it, my homelab feels ready to handle just about anything I throw at it.
Looking ahead, I’m keen to explore containerizing more apps, automating backups, and maybe even dabbling in some home automation tied into this setup. And of course, keeping the coffee flowing remains a top priority.
If you’re running your own homelab or considering starting one, I hope this update sparks some ideas (and maybe convinces you to add a rack or two!). Feel free to reach out if you want details on how I set up any of these services or hardware.
Until next post — stay caffeinated and curious!