Home Lab | Blake Tacy

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Self-hosted Webserver and TrueNAS server

Primary Server

Ubuntu based server used as the primary system for my self-hosted services, web hosting, containerized applications, and infrastructure testing.

Specs

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS
Ryzen 5 2600 @ 4.2GHz
4x8GB CL16 Corsair Vengeance
1TB NVMe storage & 512GB SSD Boot drive
Radeon RX 580x
Gigabit Ethernet NIC

Services

Docker container hosting
Caddy web server and reverse proxy
WireGuard VPN
Self-hosted websites
Game servers
Ubiquiti management applications

Skills Practiced

Linux server administration
Docker deployment and management
Reverse proxy configuration
DNS and HTTPS configuration
Firewall and access-control management
Service troubleshooting and monitoring

Ubuntu Docker WireGuard Caddy

NAS Server

Dedicated storage server built for backup and video storage for my household.

Specs

Dell PowerEdge T320
Intel Xeon E5-2470 @ 2.7GHz
64GB ECC DDR3 CL7
6x4 TB Seagate Enterprise 7200 RPM drives
2x Gigabit Ethernet Ports
Software Raid Flashed

Services

TrueNAS storage management
RaidZ2 setup for best balance
Network file storage
Backup and archival storage

Skills Practiced

NAS administration
ZFS and storage redundancy concepts
Enterprise server hardware configuration
Disk monitoring and management
File-sharing configuration
Storage troubleshooting

TrueNAS ZFS NAS Storage

Hosted Services

Self-hosted applications used to gain practical experience with service deployment, maintenance, networking, and troubleshooting.

Services

Personal portfolio website
Small-business website
Multiplayer game servers
Ubiquiti network management applications
Database-backed web applications

Skills Practiced

Web server administration
Application deployment
Docker
SSL/TLS configuration
Service monitoring and troubleshooting

Web Hosting Docker Game Hosting HTTPS

Networking & Security

Home lab networking environment I use to practice secure service deployment, access control, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Technologies

Ubiquiti USW-24-POE
TPLink TL-SG108E
Firewall rules
Port forwarding
Reverse proxies
Wiregaurd tunneling
Traffic and packet monitoring

Security Practices

Restricted inbound firewall rules
HTTPS with automated TLS certificates
Remote administration through WireGuard
Web security headers and Content Security Policy
Service exposure minimization
Logging and monitoring

Skills Practiced

Firewall administration
Routing and Port management
Traffic analysis
Secure service deployment
Network troubleshooting

Switches Routing Reverse Proxy Port Forwarding Monitoring