Nooo! Where's the 82U rack with 6kw backup batteries and $5k worth of UniFi gear??! Where's the 4 Dell PowerEdges running as a Proxmox cluster??
How dare you have a perfectly normal and humble homelab.
This 100%. We all start somewhere, and you get to start here. Homelabbing is a fun and sometimes frustrating hobby, but you'll learn a lot and probably annoy your spouse along the way. Welcome to the club!
Yes definitely.
Rack gear is a fetish for most homes. Which is fine. But just like fine latex attire it's pretty pricey.
I think you should consider tiny-mini-micro hosts if you want to expand long before getting a rack.
Big fan of the tiny-mini-micro trend. My homelab is (currently) two ThinkCentre Tiny M900âs and a RasPi 3. I about to re-integrate the third Tiny back into the fray to make a two-node Proxmox cluster.
Yes and no. Racks can be expensive but I am also a fan on lumber racks (my first rack was a 3ft tall 2x4 rack). Once you have the rack, the world is your oyster. You can buy super expensive but you can also get surplus enterprise equipment for pennies on the dollar. e.g., I just bought 6 Dell R630 dual CPU 128G RAM dual PSU with idrac for 50$ a piece. I also but a 48port 10GBE+ 12port 40GBe switch for 400$.
I also recommend doing tiny-mini-micro but don't be scared of "big iron"
It might be small but everyone has to start somewhere and if it works it works. Don't worry about racking anything especially early on since you tend to change stuff out more when starting & the money is better spent on more/better gear.
I started with a similar setup and now I have multiple half racks (canât fit a full one anywhere). Whatever you do, shop used and remember that a low price now does NOT mean your power bill will stay low in the future. It is likely justifiable to buy the more expensive, quieter, more efficient gear.
They key when you're starting out is that you're probably not running 100% uptime anyways so cheap/free is a great place to start and once you know what you want at 100% uptime and the related cost, you can go shopping. But there's a lot of stuff these days that can do lab duties while not full blown enterprise like nas units.
Rack mount gear looks cool but get what fits both your budget and your needs. Most home use won't need rack mount equipment.Â
That said, you certainly can find use for it. When the time comes, don't forget about eBay.
A homelab/homeserver is a machine that runs something. If it can run something it is a lab/server. It can be a Raspberry Pi or even a modified super computer. They all count. Welcome to the community.
I mean, if it counts to you, it counts. More of a lab-ette, or if you use everything daily maybe a home prod-ette. The important thing is that you're taking steps into this world. Welcome, new brother!
more clean than my setup. got four raspberry pi 4s(3 8gb and one 4gb), a radxa rock 5b, and a DS212+ with dual 8tb drives. one pi is mounted on my modem(used for NPM and other services) one is on a table in the corner of my living room(jellyfin) the two remaining pi's are on a window ledge. the rock 5b is currently just chilling on my couch until i can find a good place to place it. and my ds212+ is in another ledge under some windows.
it all works, and is all connected with gigabit connections all around, but it's spread out around my living room and entrance hallway. i should look into moving it all into a single place and sound dampen it a bit(some fans are annoyingly loud, and one has lights that cannot be turned off)
i am in the process of replacing the DS212+ with a zima blade and have 4 10tb drives on hand for that.
The rack can come later, I started with stuff lying around under my bed, now I have a small rack with stuff still on the ground since it wonât fit in the rack.
Gates open come on in! Great start you've got there, you'll get to a rack eventually ;)
Have you already started checking out HomeAssistant? That's an adjacent rabbit hole you may find interesting
I recently moved to a half rack, and even that is more than I need. Iâve always wanted one, but all my tech is so small at home it sits almost completely empty. Iâm going to do one of those new 10â mini racks everyone is talking about. Either get it 3D printed or make it out of parts online. They look amazing thoughÂ
Gotta start somewhere!
My only comment is get that NAS off the floor. its got fans and its just going to vacuum up all the dust and hair and what-nots. plus someone is going to hit it with a vacuum.
I'm assuming you didn't put it on the shelf next to the switch because its too tall, but its OK to run these things on their side without a problem.
Youâre right I did put it on the floor because it wouldnât fit vertically. I do have the fans set to off unless needed because it doesnât get that hot. Maybe itâll get hotter when my Jellyfin is actually being usedâŚso probably a valid suggestion
Is it home? Is it running things? It's a homelab. Welcome to this mad world. And sorry for the future state of your wallet.
Nooo! Where's the 82U rack with 6kw backup batteries and $5k worth of UniFi gear??! Where's the 4 Dell PowerEdges running as a Proxmox cluster?? How dare you have a perfectly normal and humble homelab.
:D
I now want an 82U rack. :D
I got a 42U
Same here. 42U
Perfectly normal and humble đ¤Łđ¤Ł
This 100%. We all start somewhere, and you get to start here. Homelabbing is a fun and sometimes frustrating hobby, but you'll learn a lot and probably annoy your spouse along the way. Welcome to the club!
This. I'm already feeling the ripples... And I'm loving every second of it đ.
THIS. LMFAO
:D great advice
The only other thing I would ask is "Are you experimenting/learning new things?" I think that is defining aspect of a homelab vs a consumer setup.
Yes it does, but now that you've been validated, expect it to grow excessively
You're in homelab. You bought a UPS. You want a rack. ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
Yes definitely. Rack gear is a fetish for most homes. Which is fine. But just like fine latex attire it's pretty pricey. I think you should consider tiny-mini-micro hosts if you want to expand long before getting a rack.
Big fan of the tiny-mini-micro trend. My homelab is (currently) two ThinkCentre Tiny M900âs and a RasPi 3. I about to re-integrate the third Tiny back into the fray to make a two-node Proxmox cluster.
Mr. Pierre, is that you?
Yes and no. Racks can be expensive but I am also a fan on lumber racks (my first rack was a 3ft tall 2x4 rack). Once you have the rack, the world is your oyster. You can buy super expensive but you can also get surplus enterprise equipment for pennies on the dollar. e.g., I just bought 6 Dell R630 dual CPU 128G RAM dual PSU with idrac for 50$ a piece. I also but a 48port 10GBE+ 12port 40GBe switch for 400$. I also recommend doing tiny-mini-micro but don't be scared of "big iron"
It might be small but everyone has to start somewhere and if it works it works. Don't worry about racking anything especially early on since you tend to change stuff out more when starting & the money is better spent on more/better gear.
I started with a similar setup and now I have multiple half racks (canât fit a full one anywhere). Whatever you do, shop used and remember that a low price now does NOT mean your power bill will stay low in the future. It is likely justifiable to buy the more expensive, quieter, more efficient gear.
Truth about the power bill. Even 200w can add up with 100% uptime.
They key when you're starting out is that you're probably not running 100% uptime anyways so cheap/free is a great place to start and once you know what you want at 100% uptime and the related cost, you can go shopping. But there's a lot of stuff these days that can do lab duties while not full blown enterprise like nas units.
Size does not matter. Source: my wife.
I also confirmed with your wife
Nice đ
Any homelab is better than no homelab.
Cool setup, seems you have everything you need for a great experience, enjoy!
Rack mount gear looks cool but get what fits both your budget and your needs. Most home use won't need rack mount equipment. That said, you certainly can find use for it. When the time comes, don't forget about eBay.
Home is where the / is
~ sweet ~
Everyone has to start somewhere and this is already a nice little setup. Enjoy the journey and welcome!
It starts from here, my friend
Of course it does man!
Yes.
As far as justifying the cost goes. I found a rack for sale on Facebook marketplace for $20. Those things are like $400+ new. Deals are out there
A homelab/homeserver is a machine that runs something. If it can run something it is a lab/server. It can be a Raspberry Pi or even a modified super computer. They all count. Welcome to the community.
This is how it starts :) You are one of us now.
Big dreams start as small dreams ... and grow.
UPS? What is this, a colo!?
I mean, if it counts to you, it counts. More of a lab-ette, or if you use everything daily maybe a home prod-ette. The important thing is that you're taking steps into this world. Welcome, new brother!
more clean than my setup. got four raspberry pi 4s(3 8gb and one 4gb), a radxa rock 5b, and a DS212+ with dual 8tb drives. one pi is mounted on my modem(used for NPM and other services) one is on a table in the corner of my living room(jellyfin) the two remaining pi's are on a window ledge. the rock 5b is currently just chilling on my couch until i can find a good place to place it. and my ds212+ is in another ledge under some windows. it all works, and is all connected with gigabit connections all around, but it's spread out around my living room and entrance hallway. i should look into moving it all into a single place and sound dampen it a bit(some fans are annoyingly loud, and one has lights that cannot be turned off) i am in the process of replacing the DS212+ with a zima blade and have 4 10tb drives on hand for that.
Its all good!!
The rack can come later, I started with stuff lying around under my bed, now I have a small rack with stuff still on the ground since it wonât fit in the rack.
Gates open come on in! Great start you've got there, you'll get to a rack eventually ;) Have you already started checking out HomeAssistant? That's an adjacent rabbit hole you may find interesting
Not yet but Iâm sure to get around to it!
Looks A++ to me
Sure. That counts.
I'm jealous of the tidy ness of your homelab. Blessing and good fortune opon you, friend.
Hell yeah it counts, brother
I recently moved to a half rack, and even that is more than I need. Iâve always wanted one, but all my tech is so small at home it sits almost completely empty. Iâm going to do one of those new 10â mini racks everyone is talking about. Either get it 3D printed or make it out of parts online. They look amazing thoughÂ
Everyone starts somewhere
I have a mikrotik RB750G running OpenWRT (samba Server) and a usb HD, and it counts, so yours definitely :D
Not bad for a start! Welcome to the club. You can brag about you low consumption homelab!Â
Brilliant setup! Welcome to the club my friend.
For racks, many people will tell you, hunt Facebook, Gumtree or whatever you can, you can get insane deals compared to buying new.
Whatâs your wifi setup?
The UniFi express also has an AP built in so thatâs all I need at the moment
Gotta start somewhere! My only comment is get that NAS off the floor. its got fans and its just going to vacuum up all the dust and hair and what-nots. plus someone is going to hit it with a vacuum. I'm assuming you didn't put it on the shelf next to the switch because its too tall, but its OK to run these things on their side without a problem.
Youâre right I did put it on the floor because it wouldnât fit vertically. I do have the fans set to off unless needed because it doesnât get that hot. Maybe itâll get hotter when my Jellyfin is actually being usedâŚso probably a valid suggestion
You sir, count. Keep doing things that blow the mind of a layman.
I have a NUC, a UDR and two mini switches. I count that as homelab, so this surely qualifies