All guides

Homelab

Storage and RAID

• Which RAID should I use? Five questions, one straight recommendation, and what you give up with each level.
• RAID levels explained: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 How RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 differ in redundancy, capacity, and speed.
• ZFS RAIDZ explained RAIDZ1 vs 2 vs 3, parity overhead, and which to pick.
• RAID vs unRAID How the two storage models differ, and when each fits.
• RAID rebuild risk and UREs Why single parity gets dangerous on large modern drives.
• Best NAS drives for a home server CMR vs SMR, NAS-rated vs desktop, capacity, and the drives I actually run.

Self-hosted alternatives

• Self-hosted Google Photos alternative (Immich) Moving a photo library out of Google One: the hardware, the cost, and what you give up.
• Self-hosted Plex alternative (Jellyfin) Why I run both, the transcoding hardware you need, and the cost as Plex paywalls remote streaming.
• Self-hosted password manager (Vaultwarden) A free Bitwarden server on your own box: the security work it demands, and who should not.
• Self-hosted Dropbox alternative (Nextcloud) The all-rounder versus lighter file-only options, the hardware you need, and the real cost.
• Self-hosted ChatGPT alternative (Ollama + Open WebUI) A private local assistant for quick tasks, the GPU you need, and where it cannot match the frontier.
• Self-hosted Microsoft Office alternative (OnlyOffice) The free suite whose files actually open right in Word, why it beats LibreOffice, and the real cost.
• Self-hosted RSS reader (FreshRSS) One free inbox for blogs, YouTube, subreddits, and Hacker News, versus paying for Feedly.
• Self-hosted Spotify alternative (Navidrome) Own your music library so playlists never lose tracks, the apps, and how I stream it anywhere.

Power and UPS

• How much does it cost to run a homelab? The power math, typical device wattages, and a worked yearly example.
• What my homelab actually costs to run A real, itemized power bill for an always-on rack, and the cheap-power twist.
• What size UPS do I need? Add up your load, understand VA vs watts, and pick a UPS and battery that fit.
• Best UPS for a NAS or homelab Why pure sine wave and USB shutdown matter, and the models I would buy.

Servers and networking

• Home server vs VPS vs managed hosting Where to run a service: your home box, a raw cloud VPS, or managed hosting.
• Local LLMs vs a cloud GPU When your homelab GPU is enough, and when to rent a cloud GPU by the hour.
• Subnetting explained IP addresses, subnet masks, and CIDR notation, with a worked example.

3D printing

Materials and filament

• Which filament should I use? Where the part lives and how hard it works picks the filament, PLA to the engineering tier, tradeoffs included.
• 3D printer filament types compared PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA: what each is good at and how to choose.
• PLA vs PETG: which should you use? Strength, heat, ease of printing, and when to pick each.
• Best filament for outdoor and heat Why PLA and PETG fail in sun and heat, why ASA wins, and what to buy.
• Does PETG melt in a hot car? I measured 98C on my dashboard. What that heat does to PLA, PETG, and ASA.

Print quality and settings

• 3D print not sticking to the bed? Fix first-layer adhesion: leveling, Z-offset, a clean bed, and bed temps.
• 3D print stringing: causes and fixes Stop wispy hairs: retraction tuning, nozzle temp, and drying wet filament.
• 3D print warping: why corners lift Stop corners lifting: bed temp, an enclosure, brim or raft, and no fan for ABS and ASA.
• 3D printer supports: when and how to use them The 45 degree rule, normal vs tree supports, Z distance, clean removal.
• 3D print infill: percentage and patterns What percentage and which pattern to use, and how infill affects strength, time, and cost.

Buying and cost

• Best 3D printer by budget and use case Budget, no-enclosure, value, and enclosed-for-ASA picks, and what I run.
• How much does it cost to 3D print? Filament, power, machine wear, failed prints, and your time.