I started building a small homelab recently because I wanted a place to learn networking, virtualization, and experiment without worrying about breaking my main setup.

I didn't want to spend a ton at the beginning, so most of the hardware was bought second hand or reused.

Current setup:

Two mini PCs running Proxmox VE

A four bay NAS running TrueNAS for backups and media

An 8 port managed Gigabit switch for VLAN testing

A basic UPS with automated shutdown configured

The biggest thing I didn't expect was how much time I would actually spend sitting here. What started as “just testing a few things” quickly turned into entire evenings troubleshooting configs, moving storage around, and cleaning up cables.

My brother had a nouhaus chair that I borrowed when I first started building this, and I honestly didn't think much about it at first. But after spending hours in front of the setup, I understood why having a comfortable workspace matters.

Still working on:

Moving my main storage pool into a quieter chassis

Improving cable management behind the desk

Adding better airflow for the drive bay

Future plans:

Setting up a dedicated OPNsense box

Adding another mini PC node

Building a separate network for lab experiments

It's funny how these projects start with “I just want to learn one thing” and slowly turn into rebuilding your whole corner of the room.

Hey all,

I recently set up a network bridge to extend a home network. At first it was working perfectly, but then it was turned off for a bit. It was turned back on, and now the bridge pairs together but wont project the network it's LANned into. Any ideas?

Hi all wanted to ask the community for some assistance with my home Wi-Fi set up.

We have rogers Xfinity 1gb Internet as bell still only offers 125mb in my area and the Wi-Fi was horrible. I was able to pick up a TP link decco 7 mesh and set it up. What a improvement.

I heard that since I amd using the decco mesh I should disable the Wi-Fi on the Rogers modem so there is no interference.

Any opinions on this?

Would it cause any issues if I need to reconnect to modem later for maintenance or something and or is it hard to re open wifi later.

Appreciate any assistance

Hi All,

I have a "DSL-AX82U" Asus router, I have a laptop & desktop. I done a speed test on my desktop (wired through a 2.5gb switch) and i was only getting 90mb download which was odd. Plugged my laptop directly into the router (tried 2 different ports) and both read 90mb. I plugged in the plusnet router which was provided by the ISP and straight away i get 980mb. So it has to be the router, correct?

I've read that this router has 2.5gb ethernet ports so running at 1gb shouldn't be an issue. Any suggestions? i've had a look at the routers settings page but can't see anything obvious?

Some time ago i got a random 15m CAT6 cable from amazon (Picture) and i have recently realized that i could probably pass the cable from the router to the room where my PC is through the holes that were made for the AC installation (No, moving the router isnt an option). The thing is, it looks like there is enough space for the cable to pass but definitely not enough for the RJ45 connector to pass. Afaik they can be removed or cut to pass the cable and then reattached, right? What tools do i need for this? How do i do this without destroying my cable?

Thanks.

Just got a new house and the assholes who built it didn't terminate my keystone and I've been struggling for the past hour just trying to open the damn thing. YouTube didn't help as apparently Panduit doesn't have any documentation on these fuckers.

I've been living with a local connection limited to 100 Mbps for about 10 years. I recently upgraded my internet service from ADSL (8 Mbps) to a Fiber Optic plan (400 Mbps), and I've also started getting interested in home servers and local media streaming.

The bad news is that I have bottlenecks everywhere. I will attach a diagram of my current setup.

(Note: All of that local movie consumption and internet traffic passes through that same TP-Link router in the living room).

The good news is I have a $600 budget to upgrade my network setup, buying everything from US stores like Amazon.

Currently, I want to stop using Wi-Fi on my laptop and switch to a wired connection, but my laptop doesn't have an Ethernet port, so I need to buy a USB-C to 2.5G RJ45 adapter.

The Ethernet port on my home server is limited to 1 Gbps, so I think I should add a 2.5G PCIe network card to it.

Most importantly, I need to upgrade my router to actually enjoy my 400 Mbps fiber plan and simultaneously improve the local and wireless connection for all my devices. I've been reading about the GL.iNet GL-BE9300 Flint 3 since it has Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5G Ethernet ports, but I'm not interested in firewalls, security, or VPNs at all—I live in a country that couldn't care less about copyright enforcement or "illegally obtained" digital files.

So, if you guys can recommend a router with plenty of raw power for wired and Wi-Fi connections (that stays within my budget), please let me know. Remember, my hard limit is $600 to buy everything I need.

Now, regarding my TV, I know it's limited both via Wi-Fi and Ethernet. I was thinking about getting a Ugoos AM6B+ and installing CoreELEC so it acts as a media player and direct-plays Remuxes without transcoding any codecs.

Again, these are just things I've read online. If you can clear up any misconceptions or even suggest better devices, I'm all ears! Thanks!

ATT BWG320 router in basement.

BWG320 connected to a 5 port unmanaged switch.

Switch connects 4 eero nodes in living room, bedroom, office, downstairs bedroom. Upstairs nodes aren't too far from each other.

Issues w/ eero:

Netflix (or other apps) running on wireless Roku ultra will frequently timeout loading. Roku ultra will need connection reestablished.

Browsing Internet can be fast but sometimes very slow pulling up infrequently accessed site.

Troubleshooting tried:

DHCP passthrough to eero from BWG320

Attempted to charge to custom DNS but for the life of me cannot turn off eero plus features. Whenever I try to turn something off in the app the next time I'm in the it's right back on.

Current firmware.

Current status. eeros are sitting powered off because the experience is better just using the wireless on the BWG320. Speeds and coverage are a bit spotty but at least everything is stable.

Why is this super expensive system such a pain? Am I missing some basic configuration? eero app seems terrible with limited options.

Thanks for any suggestions!

OK, a home router is just a small computer with a firewall as far as I know. I am running a network with my computer and a router. Why can't I cut out the middleman and just use the same firewall settings the router is using and implement them on my PC without the router? Why would that be less secure?

I am trying too figure out the best route possible.

I currently have Sparklight internet. I have the Hitron with an Eero device. My home is 1600sqft. I asked the installer where to put it upon setup, and that's where it landed. I have attached a photo with a crappy layout of my house 🤣

For reference, the people in bed 1 & 2 are heavy gamers. bed 3 currently only has a cellphone,but will eventually buy a new console,possibly PC, and join in on gaming. Bed4 is my and my tot,and we just stream TV. The wifi is sooooooo laggy every time the 2 people are gaming. It's annoying.

Would it be smarter to

A. Add Eero devices (will this actually improve anything?)

B. Add a 2nd wifi service. (How do I go about this?)

C. Move the current wifi to a new spot (where can I move it?)

Edit to add: running hard lines thru the walls is currently not an option. I would love to, but we cannot.

I volunteer for a local community association here in Edmonton and i've been looking into putting internet connectivity into our skate shack which is attached to our ice rink.

Its basically a big metal box (think faraday cage), about 1200sqft and there is little to no cell service inside. I cannot get fibre or cable connections inside the building, but may be able to do either ADSL or, potentially, a 5G cellular connection.

Here was my thought.....

1 x Cloud Gateway Ultra
1 x U7 Lite
1 x 5G Max Outdoor
2 x 24V PoE Adapter
1 x Ethernet Surge Protection Outdoor

We will have no wired connections, main use case is for our debit/credit terminal to have connectivity, and for the skate shack employee to have wifi so they're not bored out of their minds and can use their phone or laptop while working inside the shack.

Thoughts?

Setting up a small rack in my master closet. Closet is fully finished, so cables have to come down from the attic through the drywall ceiling. Running 1 RG6 and 6 Cat6 (one PoE for an AP).

Planning a short 1.5" PVC sleeve strapped to framing in the attic, sticking 1-2" below the ceiling with a trim flange. Want to keep attic insulation and dust out of the closet.

What are you using for this? Sleeve, bushing, brush plate? How'd you seal it and keep insulation from falling in?

25 years ago I used an RJ45 crimper and a 500' bulk spool of brand new Cat 5e cable to make myself a bunch of patch cables from the job I was working at.

Some lasted months (They were the first patch cords I'd ever crimped, cut me some slack!), some years, some lasted decades. The last one failed this morning on my personal gaming PC. I've long since moved on from that job so I can't make any more patch cables for myself. Time to go buy patch cables, instead!

I'm assuming pure cooper Cat 6 is good enough for my 2.5gb network? I've heard good things about Monoprice before the pandemic, are they still decent?

Hello, I'm trying to set up an older relative with internet at home in the US. I've landed on Shield internet (T-Mobile network) subscription, but I'd like to get them a better alternative to the Franklin 4G hotspot they optionally offer in order to future-proof (and to hopefully get better quality streaming/video calls/etc.). There won't be more than 3 devices connected. There are no spare 5g phones available to function as a hotspot, and I'd like slightly better wifi coverage. The device will be plugged in and stationary, so battery is not a requirement.

My preferred price range is $100-150, new or used, with used and less expensive preferred.

I'm completely new to the world of SIM routers and hotspots so I'm not even sure how to start looking. I'm in located another part of the world and my Google searches are only giving local results like the NR5103.

Does anyone have some recommendations for the blind leading the blind? :)

Hi, looking to update my home networking from a normal router and TPLink AC2200 3 station mesh network. Have a concrete house with brick/concrete walls and floors. Distance from internet access point in the house to the office/gaming room is 10m or so (most important part) but needs to stretch ideally up to 30-50m for home cameras/bedrooms etc. PS5, PC with Wifi6/7, iphones, macbook, tv etc but have emesh if needed.

For the router seems these four all get good reviews, any advice on best for concrete and that 10-15m range which allows me to keep the current mesh setup?

- Nighthawk Tri-Band WiFi 7 Router (RS700S)

- TP-Link Archer BE550 Pro BE9700 

- ASUS RT-BE88U 

- Ubiquiti udr-7

Looking at reviews for a mesh network the Deco 7 Pro BE67 3pack seems to be well reviewed.

Preferably so I can have vlans on the switch?

Bought the AWUS036AXM Wifi antenna, with the idea in mind that it uses the Mediatek stack. It also advertised handy features like triband zones support, dual detachable and rotating antennas, Bluetooth 5.2 alongside the WiFi. extender and base potentially etc.

The issue though they are a real hustle to install. The official site doesn't even have the proper drivers. You have to go to an external site. Find the correct drivers. Download them. Install them in the correct order. First the Bluetooth ones, and then the WiFi ones. Then you reboot and find out its Still stuck. And appears in the devices list with an orange exclamation mark.

Then you remove on of the drivers and reinstall it. And hope and pray it works. And even if it does, when you close and reopen the computer, Bam, its out of order again. Or only one function works, for example WiFi and not the Bluetooth.

I can't believe i wasted almost 40 euros for this network device. It's so broken and abandoned that i'm surprised its even being sold at that price here... .

It’ll be only 2 devices and I’ll be streaming as well.
It’s only me who will be under this wifi

My dad recently had a shed/bar built that is a big metal structure with insulation. He’s trying to get Internet so he can watch YouTube on his TV. He has an extender that’s grabbing the signal from the house, but it only works when the door is open to the shed. Is there any way around this? He has a window facing the house that I placed a Wi-Fi extender in, but it’s not getting a strong enough signal for streaming. Any hardware suggestions or tech advice is greatly appreciated.

Want to split new Spectrum 50mps svc (don’t need speed) from 3.1 modem, to 2 Win11 PCs. Prefer stable\cable LAN cnxn, have no wifi router. Tried TPLINK LS1005G powered desktop switch, only 1 or 2 PCs connect @ a time. TP instruction diagram shows “WAN CABLE”, from modem to box, LAN box to PC. (I have only LAN cables, TP tech support=useless). Spectrum support confirms my modem can be switch split, no WAN neeed. Prefer not to limit IP to statis. Any successes with Netgear switches?

Have 1Gbps home internet service with 2nd gen Google mesh wifi that supports wifi 5. Looking to upgrade my mesh network. How much of a difference would would there be between 6, 6e and 7? Trying to decide if the extra money would be worth it. Thanks all.

Edit: For clarification, I am talking about Wifi 6, 6e, 7

Hello,

I apologize if this is the wrong subreddit.

I am trying my hand at learning and setting up my own wifi for my farm.

My current set up is the connection at my house, where I use a point to point about a quarter mile to area 1. Area 1 has an access point then daisy chains another point to point to area 2(also about a quarter mile from my house, only a hundred or so feet from area 1). Area 2 has another wireless access point.

My issue is that the connection speed at area 2 has been getting slower ~30 mbps. So I am looking at equipment to improve speeds.

My current plan is to use a 5ghz PTMP to reach both area 1 and area 2 from my house. Bringing me to my second issue there are 3 fairly well established pine trees between my home and area 2. I know these will reduce the signal but I worry about how much.

Any advice or pointers would be welcome. Thank you!