Home Lab
Networking, NAS, self-hosting, UPS and power, rack gear, and home server infrastructure that actually earns its rack space.
Best 2.5GbE Managed Switches for a Home Lab in 2026
The best 2.5GbE managed switches for a home lab, with PoE, SFP+, VLAN, and fan-noise trade-offs explained for NAS and fast internet upgrades.
Sep 11, 2026
Wi-Fi 7 Travel Routers in 2026: What Changed Beyond Speed
Wi-Fi 7 travel routers are climbing Amazon's router list. Here is what changed, which features matter, and whether Beryl 7, Slate 7, or Roam 7 fits.
Sep 8, 2026
Can a Portable Power Station Replace a UPS for a Home Lab?
A portable power station can back up a NAS and home server, but transfer time and shutdown support matter more than battery size. Here is when it works.
Sep 7, 2026
You Do Not Need a 2.5GbE Router for Fast NAS Transfers
Upgrade a PC and NAS to 2.5GbE without replacing your gigabit router. The exact switch topology, parts, limits, and tests for faster local transfers at home.
Sep 4, 2026
Building a 2.5GbE OPNsense Firewall on a Protectli Vault: My Fanless Router Build
A real build log: OPNsense on a fanless Protectli VP2420 with four 2.5GbE ports. Hardware choices, install gotchas, and whether it beats a consumer router.
Sep 2, 2026
Beelink EQ14 Review: A 6-Watt N150 Mini PC That Runs My Home Lab
A hands-on Beelink EQ14 review: Intel N150, dual 2.5GbE, low idle power, and whether this cheap fanless-ish mini PC belongs in your Proxmox home lab.
Aug 31, 2026
I Built a Silent 2.5GbE NAS on an N100 Mini PC for Under $300
A build log for a fanless-quiet, low-power 2.5GbE NAS on a Beelink N100 mini PC. Hardware picks, why I skipped a real NAS, TrueNAS vs OMV, and real transfer speeds.
Aug 21, 2026
YuanLey 8 Port 2.5G Switch Review: The Cheap SFP+ Uplink That Anchored My Home Lab
Hands-on YuanLey 8 port 2.5G switch review: eight multi-gig ports, a 10G SFP+ uplink, fanless and silent. How the budget off-brand switch held up wiring a NAS and mini PCs.
Aug 17, 2026
Best 10GbE SFP+ Switch for a Home Lab in 2026: 5 Affordable Picks
The best affordable 10GbE SFP+ switches for a home lab in 2026, from the MikroTik CRS305 to QNAP and TP-Link, ranked by real value, noise, and fiber versus copper.
Jul 30, 2026
Best Budget NAS for Self-Hosting and Plex in 2026: 5 I Would Actually Buy
The best budget NAS for self-hosting, Plex, and a home lab in 2026, ranked by real transcoding, storage, and app value, with the Synology transcoding trap called out.
Jul 30, 2026
Best Mini PC for a Proxmox Home Lab in 2026: 5 Nodes I Would Actually Buy
The best mini PCs for a Proxmox home lab in 2026, from cheap used ThinkCentres to the Minisforum MS-01, ranked by real virtualization value, not spec-sheet hype.
Jul 30, 2026
Best PoE Switch for Home Lab Cameras and Access Points in 2026
The best PoE switches for home lab cameras and access points in 2026, from the UniFi USW Lite to budget TP-Link and Netgear picks, ranked by real power budget and value.
Jul 30, 2026
Building a Quiet Home Lab Mini Rack: My 10 inch Setup That Hides in Plain Sight
How I built a quiet 10 inch mini rack home lab: DeskPi RackMate T1, silent cooling, cable management, a rack PDU, and the mistakes I made so you can skip them.
Jul 30, 2026
Upgrading a Home Network to 2.5GbE on a Budget Without Ripping Out Cat5e
A practical build log for moving a home network and NAS to 2.5GbE cheaply, what actually needs upgrading, and where 2.5 gigabit is worth it and where it is not.
Jul 29, 2026
How to Pick a UPS for Your NAS and Home Server Without Overspending
A practical guide to choosing a UPS for a NAS or home server, sized correctly, wired to NUT for automatic safe shutdown, and monitored in Home Assistant.
Jul 29, 2026