Your First Home Lab: A Complete NAS, Mini PC, Switch and UPS Build
Build your first home lab with a NAS, mini PC, 2.5GbE switch and UPS. Complete parts plan, example budget, backups, setup and recovery checklist.
Back Up and Restore Proxmox VMs to a NAS
Back up Proxmox VMs to Synology, QNAP, UGREEN or TrueNAS using NFS/SMB, schedule VZDump, set retention, and safely test full VM restores.
USB Passthrough vs Network Zigbee and Thread Adapters for Proxmox
USB passthrough or Ethernet/PoE Zigbee and Thread for Proxmox? Compare radio placement, VM migration, compatibility, security and five-year costs.
Intel Quick Sync Passthrough for Plex and Jellyfin on Proxmox
Configure Intel Quick Sync for Plex or Jellyfin on Proxmox: LXC /dev/dri mapping vs VM PCI passthrough, render permissions, QSV checks and Plex Pass.
How to Install Proxmox on a Mini PC: Storage, Networking and Your First VM
Install Proxmox VE 9.2 on a mini PC: prepare the BIOS, choose SSD storage, set a static management IP, configure vmbr0 and build your first Debian VM safely.
HBA vs PCIe SATA Card vs Motherboard Ports for TrueNAS and Unraid
Choose the right storage controller for TrueNAS or Unraid: compare onboard SATA, ASM1166 PCIe cards and SAS HBAs, including passthrough, cables and reliability.
Best Small Home Servers for Plex, Jellyfin and Home Assistant Together
Best small home servers for Plex, Jellyfin and Home Assistant together: compare N150 mini PCs, Core Ultra NUCs, refurbished Tiny PCs and MS-01, with RAM, Quick Sync, Proxmox and five-year costs.
Fanless Firewall PC vs Standard Mini PC as a 24/7 Home Server
Fanless firewall PC or standard mini PC for a 24/7 home server? Compare cooling, 2.5GbE ports, SSDs, Proxmox suitability, power costs and ownership trade-offs.
Used Dell OptiPlex vs HP EliteDesk vs Lenovo ThinkCentre as Home Servers
Compare used Dell OptiPlex Micro, HP EliteDesk Mini and Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny PCs for home servers: CPU generations, RAM, SSD slots, PCIe, warranties and total costs.
Best Mini PCs for Proxmox and Multiple Virtual Machines
Best mini PCs for Proxmox: compare Beelink EQ14, Lenovo M70q, GMKtec K8 Plus and Minisforum MS-01/MS-A2 by RAM, storage, networking and passthrough.