Step-by-step setup guides.
51 articles
Our tutorials are step-by-step guides to self-host your services. Docker Compose, reverse proxy, SSO, backups, security: the guides lay out the steps, the commands and the common pitfalls. Most of them have not been replayed by us on a real machine: before running a command, compare it with the software's official documentation and try it on a non-production machine first. Whether you start on a Raspberry Pi, a mini-PC or a VPS, we favour open-source solutions. Follow the guides below, and if you need the right hardware, it's all in our shop.
Connect a motorized garage door to Home Assistant: a Zigbee contact sensor to know its state, a relay module to operate it, and careful automations (alert when it stays open, light at night).
ReadLearn how to install and configure Dockge, a lightweight and self-hosted Docker Compose stack manager, perfect for homelabs and self-hosting.
ReadGuide for setting up a clean home network rack in 2026: 12U rack, Cat6a patch panel, unmanaged 2.5 Gbps or PoE+ switch, patching and documentation for a stable homelab.
ReadCreate 802.1Q VLANs on a managed UniFi Flex 2.5G switch, with per-VLAN routing, DHCP and filtering on OPNsense, then test isolation step by step.
ReadDiscover how to install and wire PoE cameras for home security in 2026 using a network switch, RJ45 cables, and a local recording system. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to secure your property.
ReadTurn an old PC into a home server in 2026: Ubuntu Server LTS, official Docker, Nextcloud with MariaDB and Caddy for automatic HTTPS, plus a firewall and backups.
ReadDiscover our comprehensive and detailed tutorial to install a metal rack in 2026. Follow our practical tips, complete configuration files, and exact commands.
ReadInstall Frigate NVR on a Raspberry Pi 5: 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, Docker from the official repository, the official image, a config.yml for an RTSP camera, secured port 8971 and SSD storage.
ReadInstalling pfSense CE on a mini-PC in 2026: picking a model with enough network ports, writing the Netgate Installer to a USB drive, assigning WAN and LAN, and running the web wizard.
ReadLearn how to set up a local AI server in 2026 with the right GPU choice, required hardware configuration, and full installation of Ollama. A step-by-step guide for self-hosting enthusiasts.
ReadMeasure your homelab's power draw: a Brennenstuhl PM 231 E plug-in meter for single devices, a Shelly EM Gen3 in the electrical panel, readings from its RPC API, and history in Home Assistant on Docker.
ReadMoving your homelab to 10 GbE in 2026: a direct SFP+ DAC link between two Intel X710-DA2 cards, the i40e driver, Netplan, jumbo frames and iperf3 testing. Why the TL-SG108-M2 stays limited to 2.5 GbE.
ReadQuiet down a Synology DS923+: DSM fan modes, HDD hibernation, vibration damping, then optional replacement of the two 92 mm fans, with its limits (warranty, fan failure alert).
ReadBoot a Raspberry Pi 5 from an NVMe SSD with the official M.2 HAT+: bootloader update, cloning with SD Card Copier or Raspberry Pi Imager, BOOT_ORDER in the EEPROM, and checks.
ReadGuide for 2026 to transform a Raspberry Pi 5 into a high-performance NAS. Step-by-step guide on case, NVMe SSD, Docker, Samba setup and security for reliable self-hosting.
ReadBack up a Synology NAS to an external USB drive with Hyper Backup: AES-256 client-side encryption, Smart Recycle rotation, two-drive rotation, integrity checks and a restore test.
ReadAdd an NVMe SSD cache to a Linux NAS with lvmcache (dm-cache): install the SSD, attach it to the LVM volume in writethrough mode, benchmark with fio and track cache hits.
ReadLearn step-by-step how to replace a faulty hard drive on your Synology or QNAP NAS in 2026 while preserving data integrity. Comprehensive and reproducible tutorial.
ReadMigrate from a Synology to a DIY NAS on Ubuntu Server 24.04: mirrored ZFS pool, verified rsync copy over SSH, Samba share limited to the local network, and a firewall.
ReadBuild a DIY NAS on TrueNAS SCALE (Debian) in 2026: assembly in a Jonsbo N4 or Node 304, install drive, ZFS pool created in the web UI, SMB share, built-in Docker apps and hardening.
ReadInstall Proxmox VE 9.2 on an N100 mini-PC: verified USB drive, installation, no-subscription repositories, vmbr0 bridge, first LXC container with pveam and pct, then hardening (2FA, ACME).
ReadInstall OPNsense on an x86-64 mini-PC in 7 steps: verified vga USB image, ZFS install, WAN/LAN interfaces, wizard, Dnsmasq DHCP, Unbound DNS filtering and backup, using the menus from the official documentation.
ReadConnect a USB UPS to a Debian or Ubuntu NAS and configure NUT (nut.conf, ups.conf, upsd.users, upsmon.conf) for an automatic clean shutdown, with a risk-free test.
ReadInstall Home Assistant Container with Docker Compose on a Linux mini-PC, add a ConBee III stick through ZHA, and set up encrypted automatic backups, local HTTPS with Caddy and two-factor authentication.
ReadInstall Mosquitto, Zigbee2MQTT and Home Assistant with Docker Compose, pass the Zigbee dongle to the container, secure the MQTT broker and pair your Zigbee devices.
ReadFirst Docker Compose stack for your homelab: Docker from the official repository, the Compose v2 plugin, Nginx, MariaDB and LAN-only phpMyAdmin, with valid files and a check at every step.
ReadInstall Proxmox Backup Server 4 on Debian 13: pbs-no-subscription repository, datastore, API token, PBS storage in Proxmox VE and scheduled incremental backups.
ReadInstall Frigate with a Coral Edge TPU (USB or PCIe) in Docker, configure the edgetpu detector, MQTT and the Frigate integration via HACS in Home Assistant, without exposing Frigate to the Internet.
ReadInstall Home Assistant Container with Docker Compose on 64-bit Linux: the official image, a secured Mosquitto broker, Zigbee2MQTT with your USB dongle, a TP-Link HS100 plug, and optional local HTTPS with Caddy.
ReadSet up Caddy 2 with Docker Compose as an HTTPS reverse proxy: a valid Caddyfile, automatic Let's Encrypt certificates, a shared Docker network, checks and troubleshooting.
ReadSet up a real 3-2-1 backup with restic: an encrypted repository on your NAS over SFTP, an off-site copy in an S3-compatible bucket with restic copy, cron scheduling, and restore tests.
ReadReach your Synology or Linux NAS remotely with Tailscale and no port forwarding: installation, TUN mode on DSM 7, MagicDNS, SMB over the tailnet and access rules.
Read2026 tutorial on self-hosting a WireGuard VPN on a Linux VPS. Covers installation, key generation, server and client configuration (mobile, PC), routing, NAT, kill switch, and DNS. Includes exact commands and ready-to-use configs.
Read2026 technical guide for hosting a Discord bot continuously on a VPS. Compare Node vs Python, systemd vs Docker, sizing, budget, and token security for developers.
Read2026 technical guide to self-hosting n8n on a VPS using Docker Compose, HTTPS, and security best practices. Compare cloud vs on-premise to automate workflows without subscriptions.
ReadComprehensive 2026 technical guide for deploying Nextcloud on a VPS using Docker. Covers server sizing, PostgreSQL and Redis optimization, HTTPS configuration, and reliable backup strategies.
Read2026 guide for hosting a stable Minecraft server: VPS vs dedicated host comparison, CPU/RAM sizing, Paper/Spigot installation, and budget for 2026.
Read2026 technical guide to self-hosting on a VPS: choosing plans, Docker setup, Let's Encrypt HTTPS, security, and budget. Compare self-hosting vs. cloud.
ReadMaster your server with this 2026 guide to installing and hardening an Ubuntu 24.04 VPS. Covers SSH keys, root disablement, UFW, fail2ban, auto-updates, and essential security best practices with ready-to-copy commands.
Read2026 tutorial for monitoring a homelab using Uptime Kuma, Prometheus, and Grafana via Docker. Covers availability probes, system metrics with node_exporter, dashboards, and Telegram alerts. Includes ready-to-use docker-compose configs and commands.
Read2026 tutorial on deploying a Caddy reverse proxy with Docker: automatic HTTPS and Let's Encrypt certificates, multi-service routing, security headers, and seamless renewal. Ready-to-use Caddyfile and docker-compose configs.
Read2026 tutorial on automating encrypted server backups to Backblaze B2 using restic. Covers encrypted repositories, systemd scheduling, retention policies, integrity checks, and restoration procedures to validate.
Read2026 guide to deploying open-source Authentik SSO behind Traefik using forward auth. Secure self-hosted services with a single login, MFA, and automatic HTTPS. Includes ready-to-use docker-compose configs and Traefik middlewares.
Read2026 tutorial on deploying Gitea, the lightweight self-hosted git forge, using Docker. Covers PostgreSQL, HTTPS reverse proxy, dedicated SSH port, CI/CD Actions, hardening, and backups. Ready-to-use docker-compose and Caddy configs included.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 tutorial to self-host Immich, the Google Photos alternative, using Docker Compose. Features include photo/video gallery, facial recognition, automatic HTTPS via Caddy and Let's Encrypt, backups, and hardening. Ready-to-use configs included.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 tutorial to self-host Jellyfin, the open-source media server, using Docker Compose. Covers film/series libraries, Intel/NVIDIA hardware transcoding, automatic HTTPS via Caddy and Let's Encrypt, remote access, and hardening. Ready-to-use configs included.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 guide to self-host n8n, the no-code automation platform, using Docker Compose. Features PostgreSQL, workflow persistence, automatic HTTPS via Caddy and Let's Encrypt, credential encryption, backups, and hardening. Ready-to-use configs.
Read2026 guide to deploying Nextcloud All-in-One with Docker. Covers master container, HTTPS reverse proxy, backups, hardening, and troubleshooting. Includes ready-to-use docker-compose and Caddy configs for your personal cloud.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 tutorial to self-host Paperless-ngx, the open-source DMS, using Docker Compose. Features include multilingual OCR, consume folder, smart classification, HTTPS via Caddy and Let's Encrypt, backups, and hardening. Ready-to-use configs included.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 guide to self-host Pi-hole, the network-level ad blocker, using Docker Compose. Block ads and trackers across your entire network, configure DNS, set up optional DHCP, secure the admin interface, and manage backups. Ready-to-use configs included.
ReadStep-by-step 2026 guide to self-host Vaultwarden with Docker. Secure deployment, automatic HTTPS via Caddy and Let's Encrypt, protected admin panel, 2FA, encrypted backups, and hardening. Ready-to-use docker-compose and Caddyfile configs.
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