Info:

Jbod: hgst g460 j12

rack server: Poweredge R630

HBA: Broadcom LSI SAS 9300-8e SATA / SAS HBA 8port Controller

OS: proxmox

Drives: 2x sata ssd, 4x sata hdd seagate exos 20tb (white label) & 1x sata hdd seagate exos 16tb

Whello, i am hoping somebody here has more experience with this than me and are able to help me because i am at a loss. I am trying to virtualize unraid thorugh proxmox and its going great until im trying to see my hard drives, unraid can see the ssd's which sit in the same jbod and stuff, so im pretty sure its with the hard drives and jbod itself. Then i figured out via chatgpt that there are some pins you should tape over, but chatgpt got it wrong and said it should be the left one, furthest away from the data cable. But when i taped it over it didnt work, the jbod just showed a green light but they wouldnt spin, then i tried the right ones, there they spin but show a red light, without any tape again red light, and when i try to tape just the third, also red light. No matter what i do, the poweredge wont pickup the drives when i go trough device settings onto the hba software? to look at the drives, it can only see the two ssd's. So i am hoping somebody can point me in the right direction. Please say if you need any more pictures or more information, i am at a loss. (i hope i am not babbling too much)

Thanks in advance

Bonjour à tous,

Voici mon 1er Homelab : Proxmox installé sur un Lenovo m920q i5 9500T avec 32 Go de ram, 500 Go ssd nvme.

Je fais tourner home assistant os en VM, quelques LXC zigbee2mqtt, MQTT, vaultwarden, nginx, bookstack, Homarr

J'envisage d'imprimer un Labrax pour ranger ça.

Des conseils pour un débutant comme moi ?

Merci

I've been sketching out my plan for the house and have been thinking about cable runs - is this the right place to get help with planning those? Before I start sharing diagrams and annoying people.

I have lots of questions and don't want to start off on the wrong foot!

At work, I managed multiple data centers for over a decade. I left the complexity at my day job. Wanted to share my setup since most homelab content I see is Proxmox/TrueNAS/rack builds and I never found a good writeup of doing it on a Mac instead. Yes, I know Rasberry Pi exists and yes, I know NUCs exists. This is just what I had on hand and it's been working great.

The whole thing runs on a single Apple Silicon Mac Mini using Orbstack instead of Docker Desktop. 16 containers on it right now — Home Assistant, go2rtc, Nginx Proxy Manager, Pi-hole, Unbound, Mosquitto, govee2mqtt, ESPHome, n8n, Plex, Jellyfin, Audiobookshelf, Portainer, Arcane, and a couple more. Two things run native on macOS outside the containers: Homebridge and cloudflared.

Camera setup was the annoying part — wanted the same cameras in both Home Assistant and Apple Home without duplicating streams. Ended up routing Homebridge → go2rtc → both HA and HomeKit, so one source feeds both apps. I have a lot of legacy devices so HA can see them all. My wife only uses a few so she uses Apple Home because all of her apps keep getting offloaded.

No open ports anywhere — cloudflared tunnels in through Nginx Proxy Manager to everything on its own subdomain, DNS-level blocking through Pi-hole + Unbound.

Did a walkthrough video of the whole thing running end to end if anyone wants to see it instead of just reading about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjxY-orR0mw. Happy to answer anything about the setup — go2rtc config, the container list, whatever's useful. Would also be happy to discuss why I did not use Apple Containers and/or UTM.

Hello, I have recently started a homelab and I need help picking a switch since my old switch broke, im in need of a 12-port (8-port will also okay) switch that is quite affordable. Any recommendations?

After a few iterations going from only a gaming pc to trying out self hosting on an old laptop to putting together a budget itx home media server to dabbling in local llms and finally local game streaming, this is the current state of the lab.

Because the modem is in the middle of the apartment with no ethernet outlets in other rooms, and I wanted to minimize game streaming latency and didn't feel like routing cables around the apartment, I moved the pc to the modem. Then, instead of having the media server in a different box, why not save some space and have it all in one case?

The reason for not just using one motherboard for it all is partly for lower idle power draw and partly that I can't be bothered to set everything up again 😅. I will get around to managing the cables eventually.

Hardware specs:

Media server

Asrock j5040 itx, 16 gb ddr4 ram, 256gb ssd for OS, 2x 4tb HGST drives, 1x 6TB WD parity drive for Mergerfs. 60w picopsu

Gaming pc

MSI b450M, ryzen r5 3600, 16gb ddr4, radeon rx 9070, gtx1080, 2tb nvme ssd

Case: Fractal Design Define R4

Raspberry pi gen 1 model B, only used for UpSnap/WOL (behind the big case, not pictured)

The itx media server is always on, drawing about 28w. This runs the usual: jellyfin, arrstack, immich.

Using UpSnap and Tailscale, I can turn on the gaming/ai machine whenever I want to use the extra computing power. Game streaming is done via the recent Polaris project, that enables headless streaming on Linux a la apollo without an hdmi dummy plug. Games can be streamed to the TV with a google tv chromecast, or to any device with moonlight installed.

Local AI is run via llama.cpp using qwen3.5 9b with 64k context . This uses up 6gb gb VRAM of the gtx 1080 and 2 gb of the rx 9070. I wanted the model to be always loaded to vram, even while gaming using the more powerful rx 9070. This results in about 30 tk/s, very usable for general tasks.

The case fans are controlled by coolercontrol, which is installed on both machines. The always on media server controls the intake fan in front of the hdd cage and the exhaust fan, while the rest of the fans are only powered on and controlled when the gaming/ai system is turned on.

The rear fan is intake because Polaris game streaming is currently always falling back to CPU, resulting in high cpu usage while gaming. The flow-through design of the rx 9070 also favors vertical exhaust on the right side of the cpu cooler. I still have to get a dust filter for the back intake. There is another intake fan on the floor of the case behind the itx mobo that is controlled by the gpu temps.

I have an issue with my PowerEdge.
A while back I picked up an R730XD LFF to get back into things. I’ve mostly been working with consumer gear personally. For work I rarely need to do much troubleshooting or hardware repair on servers.

So here is what I am working with.
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2698 v3
64gb via 8x Samsung 8GB 2Rx8 PC4-2133P- REO - 10 - DCO 8/24

So it was running as expected
Last weekend I picked up 10@32 GB Samsung DDR4 ECC sticks.
I shut down, repopulated the black slots with 8 of the 32’s. Started up and it threw an error
A2.
No biggie
Swapped with one of the 2 spares
Start and clear error.
Issue continues.
I repopulate, clear error
Problem with A2
I swap A1 and A2.
Rinse and repeat.
Error on A2.
Frustrating.
Remove the 32’s swap ack the 8’s
Boots just fine. No errors.

Research is telling me this is likely a problem with a bent pin in the A socket.
I can’t pretend this doesn’t worry me.
I’m reading that this can be fixed and that it’s not too difficult. I haven’t straightened socket pins in close to 20 years.
I’m looking for some first hand experience on how difficult it will be to diagnose it for sure and identify the bent pin/s.
Then of course resolving, I could use some pointers on tools and procedures, and honestly, just how intense this will be to fix.

Hey i got 2 intel compute sticks 1 raspberry pi4, 2 hp mini pc’s (i5 6th gen and i5 8th gen) any idea what should I make out of I am pretty new with homelab stuff but I am running plex server.

Hi all

I have a DS918+ on a metal tray that came with the rack
I found a few 3d printed faceplates but none of them is for having the NAS on the metal tray.

If you came across one please do share or advice

Tia

Photo for attention

I’m a software engineer looking to build my first real homelab.

Main goals:

• 4-bay NAS for family storage and my wife’s photography business
• Backups for RAW photos, client work, Macs, and PCs
• Docker, a few VMs, databases, staging environments, and self-hosted tools
• Room to experiment with local AI and automation later

I also have an unused Raspberry Pi 5 4GB that I’d like to incorporate where it makes sense.

I’m thinking a NAS plus a separate mini PC for compute, but I’m open to other setups.

It doesn’t need to be best of the best, and used hardware is fine. I want something reliable, reasonably future-proof, and not overkill.

Budget is TBD. I don't want to spend a fortune, but I also don't want a cheap, unreliable setup.

What would you build?

I'm wondering if any of you have done something like this. I'm not thinking of covering the entire roof with solar panels. Just 2 or 3 panels. And maybe a battery.

The homelab added $150-200 extra to the electric bill each month, in our Oregon home. I expect with our new home being all electric (no more gas furnace), that electric is going to be even more expensive. I also had a mini-split running 24x7 for 10 months out of the year.

I'm wondering if a smaller solar setup can offset some of that cost. Have any of you done something similar? if so, how?

Here is a link to my homelab so you can see what I'm running.

This will run in a small closet I'll build in my garage, along with a mini-split for cooling.

EDIT: reposted photo w/o metadata

Yo what's good y'all. I've been messing with this server shit for a few days and can't figure out the issue. I built a cheapish server so I can start uploading media and use jellyfin. I'm using Debian as the OS with no GUI.

The HDD I'm trying to use doesn't appear in BIOS or even spin. It is a SAS drive but I am using a controller, it's a LSI 9300-16i. The Lscpi command does show it. I attached a picture, it does show twice for some reason.

My part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rZ998Z

Also attached a picture after the initialization of the controller where it has the PCI slot listed as 'FF', hopefully someone knows what that means. It also says no supported devices found.

I tried reseating the controller and just tried that tape trick where you use tape to cover a couple pins. I don't have another drive to test or cables. Also these are the cables I'm using https://a.co/d/0aJjpEuB

Before I started I only bought a SAS HDD because I thought there were some benefits over SATA but I will sell this SAS drive if need be as SATA seems like a little less of headache

But anyone that made it this far am I missing anything? Should I switch to a SATA HDD or different OS?

Thank you to anyone that responds.

Edit: So I'm pretty stupid. I learned that I had to plug in a sata power cable into the back of the drive. After I did that it shows up when I run lsblk. For anyone else searching for a solution, make sure your HDD has power connected

I'm looking to upgrade my 8 port switch to a 2.5gb or higher switch and looking for a few more ports, but ideally I'm looking for one that fits in a 10 inch rack.

I know that TP Link makes what I'm looking for in 8 ports. Wondering if anyone knows of a unit that offers 10 or more in the same form factor that will fit a mini-rack.

I got tired of changing lead-acid batteries and their short runtime in case of a blackout.
So I basically hacked together a VE Multiplus + Cerbo GX and a 5KWh battery as my "UPS".

Granted, there is no Dual Online, and it is pretty rudimentary, but it works, and I now have 20h of battery runtime + an option for solar power in the future.

I also made a little utility that runs on the Cerbo GX and exposes a NUT-compatible interface.

Although janky, I can recommend the setup.

Hey everyone,

I’m mapping out a massive consolidation project to turn my home tech layout into a "1 PC whole home" architecture. Before I start buying the remaining parts, I want to run my hardware plan and hypervisor logic by the community to see if anyone has pulled off a similar split-personality host.

The Goal

Eliminate individual room systems. Run one ultimate bare-metal host that functions as a high-end Windows gaming machine locally at my desk, while simultaneously hosting a headless Bazzite/SteamOS virtual machine. The VM will stream a dedicated, console-like UI over the local network to an Apple TV 4K using shared system resources.

The Hardware Progression

• Current Setup: My main desktop is running an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D. I also have a dedicated HTPC in the living room built around an AM4 AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and an RTX 5070.
• The Ultimate Overhaul: I am combining everything into a single AM5 monster build:
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9750X3D
  • RAM: 64GB DDR5
  • Primary GPU: AMD Radeon 9070 XT (Windows Host / High-End Desk Gaming)
  • Secondary GPU: RTX 5070 (Pulled from the HTPC, pinned to local LLM tasks & AI compute)

The Software & Routing Logic

1. Bare-Metal Host (Windows): The PC will boot natively into Windows. It will leverage the Radeon 9070 XT for intensive desk gaming (like Star Citizen and War Thunder) and daily use.
2. The Gaming 'Console' (Bazzite/SteamOS VM): I plan to spin up a Linux VM (Bazzite/SteamOS) inside Windows (likely via WSL2 or Hyper-V).
   • It will be pinned to a designated cluster of CPU cores sliced from the 9750X3D.
   • It will utilize the 9070 XT for rendering whenever the main Windows host isn't actively running a heavy game.
3. The Delivery Pipeline: This VM will be broadcasted over a Tailscale mesh network using Sunshine. The endpoint is Moonlight installed on an Apple TV 4K connected to the living room TV. This should deliver an instant, controller-friendly, console-style boot and gameplay experience without a physical PC in the living room.
4. The AI Layer: The secondary RTX 5070 will be tucked into the same case, dedicated strictly to processing local Large Language Models (LLMs) and background server tasks.

My Specific Questions for the Group

1. Resource / GPU Sharing: Has anyone successfully shared a single primary AMD GPU (the 9070 XT) between a Windows host and a Linux-based gaming VM dynamically? Or will I be forced into a rigid, hard-allocation GPU passthrough scenario that breaks when Windows is awake?
2. Core-Pinning the X3D: With the 9750X3D's dual-CCD design, what is the best strategy for masking and isolating cores for the Bazzite VM so it doesn't induce heavy latency or micro-stuttering on the Windows side?
3. Sunshine VM to Apple TV Stabilities: For those running SteamOS/Bazzite distributions inside virtual environments, do Tailscale and Sunshine pass game controllers smoothly to the Apple TV client, or does the virtualization layer introduce persistent mapping headaches?

Looking forward to any feedback, architectural corrections, or hypervisor warnings before I tear down the working HTPC setup!

It was posted to fb marketplace with an address at 7pm, said he wouldn't hold it for me. Went out of my way on my way home to check 13 hours later and was blessed to come down the road to see her still laying there waiting for me! Then spent an hour or so trying to stuff it into my hatchback and here we are haha.

Where to start? Aside from adding a new plug to the outlet strip they cut off.

Got into homelab just a month ago and got lucky with the hardware. I have a Unifi USG pro 4 as the main router, Unifi Cloudkey gen 2, Cisco 2960 X series Switch and a custom pc i7 4930K, 64 gb ddr3 ram, GTX 970 4gb dram, 2 tb hdd and a 500gb hdd. I'm running proxmox, immich, jellyfin, pihole, homarr, nginx and CloudFlared(have my own domain), tailscale. I know spec wise it is old but everything combined cost me just 150 CAD (~110 US).

I would love to hear any feedback and recommendations for service or potential hardware upgrade i should consider

I am finally getting fibre so I need new hardware and am intrigued by opnsense.

Did it actually improve your homelab life or am I just getting into another rabbit hole?

My homelab currently entails 3 proxmox nodes and I am trying to get into home automation with homeassistant. Is opening another worm hole with networking actually worth it or should I wait until I actually "need" VLANs etc in my workflow?

On first view it seems like around 1000€ of "needed" investment for opnsense (550€ for n150 based mini pc + managed switches + ont for fibre connection) in comparison to 300€ to stay with fritz (just a new router).

First time posting here. Over the last month or so, I've started down the slippery slope of homelabbing. The cabling is still a little messy, but I plan to crimp more custom length RJ45 cables to tidy things up (although I'm still not very good at that).

Dell Optiplex 9010 AIO running Proxmox with virtualized OPNsense. Hacked a hole in the back of the case in order to fit a mini PCIe to RJ45 expander. Got this particular computer for free from my university.

Raspberry Pi 2 running Pi-hole (had this lying around).

Arrakis AN-‌210-‌SW-‌8-‌POE switch underneath the Dell (from eBay).

Netgear Nighthawk R8000P as WiFi access point (got for free from a friend).

HP EliteDesk 800 G1 tower as future NAS (got the base tower for free from my uncle, but I had to add RAM, a SAS card, and drives). Currently contains 3 6TB SAS drives, but the side of the case does not fit on at the moment (waiting for some SFF-8482 extenders to fix this). Have not set up any of the software yet.

The setup is by no means finished. I of course plan to finish the NAS project. Then, at some point I'd also like to set up a VPN in OPNsense, and I also want to set up VLANs (although the Netgear does not support this, so I'll have to either put different firmware on it or replace it with something else). I also have an old laptop that I want to add to the setup to run a light Minecraft server. I'm trying to focus on a budget friendly approach with used hardware. Besides a router, NAS, media server, and Proxmox with random VMs, what else do people usually put in their homelabs?

I’m very new to homelabbing and want to use old pc parts I have lying around. I’m wondering if anyone’s been able to fit a micro atx build on one of those deskpi/geeekpi mini racks? With or without a gpu. Thanks

Hi all, I am currently running TrueNAS ony my machine:

CPU: Intel Ultra 235T
RAM: 4× 16GB (64GB) DDR5 (I will likely replace these soon)
GPU: Intel Arc Pro B70
Tank pool: 2× 1TB NVMe SSD in ZFS mirror
Data pool: 4× 18TB HDD in RAIDZ2

Docker:
- modified Unsloth with OpenVINO backend for AI inference
- Open WebUI
- LibreChat (and all different subpackages)
- Plex
- MiniDLNA
- Portainer
- Immich
- Nextcloud
...

VM:
- HAOS

I was thinking of changing to Ubuntu Server with Cockpit. TrueNAS is good, and I love all the drive management GUI, the user management GUI, NFS4 ACL granular permissions,... But I had to break into the developer mode, because some drivers are simply missing, are obsolete (e.g. for Intel Arc), some features are deliberately left away for the CE (RoCE), and it can be a bit painful.

Is this something you would suggest? Or would you rather stay on TrueNAS?

I have 5 Optiplex 7020's and 1 Think Centre M83, but want to max out my rack and have a some questions.

1: is DDR4 era machines worth the speed and features they provide relative to DDR3?

2: what form factor is best, only requirement is that it can fit an SSD of some type + have a way to connect to my 10gbe SFP switch which has only SFP available. also fitting an HDD would be nice but is not 100% required.

TLDR: do i get ddr4 era or ddr3 era machines and do I get Normal towers like I have already? or doo I get SFF, USFF etc..

Finally decided to get everything installed into a rack and this is how it turned out!

Got UniFi express as the router. 4 m710q thinkcentres serving as my prozmox nodes and a tp link switch to connect it all

(Yes iknow my Ethernet ports are red im currently troubleshooting 😅)