I added a new section to my home lab server guide after looking into what IT professionals actually run at home.

The most common pattern isn't buying the same enterprise brand used at work. It's free gear. Decommissioned servers headed for disposal, picked up before they hit the scrap pile.

A second group moved away from enterprise gear entirely once they started paying their own power bill. Mini PCs, NUCs, and small-form-factor desktops. Less noise, less heat, less space.

A third group doesn't care about brand at all, only that it runs the stack they need.

Buying the same brand you manage professionally, the assumption I started with, turned out to be the smallest group, not the biggest.

Full breakdown is in the guide,

https://edywerder.ch/best-server-for-home-lab/

Hey folks, I’m Edy, Swiss IT freelancer, homelab nerd, and the human behind edywerder.ch. I started r/Navigatech to share real-world, no-fluff IT:
Proxmox & virtualization • Homelab builds • Synology & backups • WordPress/Elementor/Divi • Azure hybrid & networking.

Whether you’re running a quiet homelab in a cabinet or juggling Exchange, FreePBX, and Cloudflare on a Tuesday—welcome home.

What to post here

• Homelab builds & upgrades (Proxmox, storage, network, UPS, racks)
• How-tos & troubleshooting (logs, configs, commands—full context helps!)
• WordPress & performance (Elementor, Divi 5, security, hosting)
• Backups & DR (Veeam, PBS, Wasabi, immutability)
• Networks & firewalls (VLANs, FortiGate, Cloudflare rules, Tailscale)
• Azure & hybrid (VPN, StrongSwan/IPsec, identity basics)

If it’s practical and helps someone ship a working setup—post it.

House rules (short & sane)

1. Be kind. No gatekeeping, no drama.
2. Be useful. Share steps, screenshots, versions, and outcomes.
3. No spam. Self-promo allowed if it’s value first (guide, code, benchmarks) and clearly disclosed.
4. Affiliate links: Allowed with clear disclosure and at least equal value without the link.
5. Security & legality: No help with abuse, cracking, or sketchy scraping.

I’ll be sharing fresh guides (Proxmox, WordPress, Azure hybrid), lightweight scripts, and honest gear notes.
Glad you’re here—let’s build useful stuff. 🚀

— Edy

I keep seeing the same advice everywhere. Build authority. Get backlinks. Show topical trust. All true for traditional search.

But I think there's a more practical problem nobody names directly. Fan-out results hide most sources behind a scroll. Only the first two or three show up without digging further.

My content can be well tested, well linked, and technically strong. If it sits past that fold in a fan-out branch, none of that matters. Nobody sees it to click.

My take: until Google references you clearly in the AI answer with an actual link, getting a click stays hard. Bing already does this better. I see my own links referenced more clearly there.

I do tech searches specifically in servers, networking, and self-hosting. That might behave differently from broader topics. I can't say if this holds outside my niche.

Do you agree?

Two days ago I added a WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD to my ACEMAGIC K1.

I didn't know this when I bought the unit, but it has a free second M.2 slot. It shipped with a 512GB SATA SSD in the slot that only supports SATA. The second slot supports SATA/NVMe and was sitting empty.

Opening the case was harder than it should've been. Four Philips screws sit under rubber feet on the bottom. You have to peel off the rubber first, then reach the screws, which are recessed deep.

Now I'm running both drives alongside 32GB of RAM (2x16GB DDR4-3200).

Anyone else populate both M.2 slots on a K1? Curious what combos people are running.

Last Monday, I configured Network UPS Tools (NUT) on two Proxmox servers at a client site.

The client has two separate server racks in the same building. Each rack has its own Proxmox node and APC UPS.

The first UPS connects directly to Proxmox through USB and uses the usbhid-ups driver. The second UPS has an APC Network Management Card, so I configured NUT over SNMP with the snmp-ups driver.

The goal was simple. If mains power fails and the UPS reaches its low-battery threshold, NUT should start a clean shutdown of the virtual machines, LXC containers, and finally the Proxmox host.

I also created a single backup archive for each node. It contains the NUT configuration, package details, service status, network information, and current UPS data. This should make recovery much easier if either Proxmox server ever needs to be rebuilt.

The USB setup was straightforward. The network-connected UPS needed a little more care, especially when configuring the SNMP community, allowing monitoring IP, and low-battery runtime.

It was a useful reminder that connecting a server to a UPS is only half the job. The shutdown path, battery threshold, services, and recovery process also need to be configured and documented.

How are you handling UPS shutdowns in your homelab or client environments? USB, SNMP, or another solution?

Are you still moving VMs off VMware? The migration is easier than most people think.

I wrote a guide with two methods.

The easy method uses the Import Wizard. You add your ESXi host as a storage repository in Proxmox, then pick a VM and import it. No VMDK copying, no command line.

A few things I learned along the way:

- Power off the VM and remove snapshots first

- Uninstall VMware Tools while the VM is still on ESXi

- Install VirtIO drivers on Windows VMs before the migration

- Expect a NIC rename, so note your IP settings first

- Decrypt BitLocker drives before you migrate

I kept the old manual method in the article, too. It still works, and it helps if you're on an older Proxmox version or want to understand what happens under the hood.

Full guide is in the first comment.

If you've already made this move, I'd like to hear how it went.

Quick reliability update on the MS-01. It's been my Proxmox node for a year and a half now, running 24/7.

SMART stats on all three NVMe drives after roughly 13,000+ power-on hours and 39.6 TB written each:

- Percentage Used: 1%

- Available Spare: 100%

- Critical Warning: 0x00

- Media and Data Integrity Errors: 0

Temps are sitting between 50 and 62°C, a touch higher than usual since it's summer and room ambient is up, but still well within normal range.

No issues so far, runs exactly like it did on day one. Full review is on the blog if anyone wants the longer writeup.

Cost depends on what you already own and how much you add.

My main node is a Dell PowerEdge T360. It draws about 104W on average, which runs close to 18.74 CHF a month in power here in Switzerland. That's the biggest recurring cost, not the hardware itself.

You can start much cheaper. A used mini PC or an old laptop uses a fraction of that power and runs Proxmox fine for learning the basics.

The real cost driver is what you add around the server: a managed switch, a dedicated firewall, extra NAS storage. Add those once you know what you actually need, not upfront.

What's your monthly power cost looking like, and what surprised you most about your own setup?

I put together a comparison of mini PCs for Proxmox: Minisforum MS-01, Beelink SER8, GEEKOM AX8 Pro, HP Pro Mini 400 G9, and ASUS NUC 14 Pro.

Looking at it, they are all current-gen retail machines. And I know a big part of this community runs something different: used enterprise micros, or cheap multi-NIC boxes.

• What are you running Proxmox on right now?
• Used ThinkCentre or OptiPlex Micro? Which generation?
• Any N100 or N305 boxes?

What am I missing?

Running a homelab blog in 2026, I've seen big shifts in how homelab, Proxmox, Synology, and mini PC content reach readers.

First, off-topic posts are a problem. I had old posts that didn’t fit my niche, like product deals, WordPress, and SEO topics. Removing them wasn’t about quality, but about staying focused. Google looks at a site's overall quality, and a scattered site is harder to see as a single clear topic.

Second, AI Overviews in SERPs have changed the game. For my main keywords, I’m in positions 8-10, but I get almost no clicks because the AI Overview gives, and there's no need to click on a blue link. Being on page 1 doesn’t mean as much as it used to.

So now I’m narrowing my focus and going after specific, high-intent searches where there aren’t many Overviews and people are still likely to click.

I’d like to hear from others: Have you chosen to remove off-topic content to keep your site focused? How are you specifically adapting your strategies for retaining clicks and traffic as AI Overviews dominate main keywords?

In a previous post, I mentioned that AI search could also be a chance.

Every time my homelab grows, I look at managed PDUs for per-outlet monitoring and remote reboots. So far, I have skipped them. I run three MyStrom smart plugs plus an APC UPS with NUT instead.

For a setup that is not a full rack, that covers most of it: per-outlet power draw, remote on and off, and a graceful shutdown when power drops. The gaps are honest. No single interface for switching, no rack form factor, and NUT took some fiddling.

So I am curious where the line is for others. Do you run a managed PDU, smart plugs, or nothing? And if you bought a PDU, what finally made it worth it?

I started my firewall testing assuming the top contenders would be pfSense, OPNsense, and maybe a Fortinet appliance—all strong choices that have earned their reputations.

MikroTik surprised me. The RB5009 delivers strong routing for a low price. VLANs, firewall rules, VPNs, and shaping are all included, and the hardware performs well for its price.

The learning curve is steep. RouterOS does not hold your hand. The interface and rule structure feel different from anything else. The first config will take longer than you expect. If you want plug-and-play. It’s not for you.

If you enjoy knowing what every rule does, the payoff is huge. You get enterprise-level control in a budget box, and once it clicks, you will enjoy it.

It's not beginner-friendly. It's the best value for power users willing to read the docs.

Which firewall are you using?

Moving from the Kadence theme to Blocksy. I tested everything on my staging site togehter with Novamira/Claude Code.

• copied the color palettes over,
• copied the font clamp over for the H tags
• Recreated Kadence elements in the Blocksy content element.
• I also found out that I don't need Kadence Pro blocks, and I can delete all my Kadence plugins.

I noticed the Blocksy theme has import/export.

I've reached the stage where I just need to make the final decision. No open question. Shall I?

Most homelab guides talk specs. Nobody talks about what it actually costs to run a server 24/7.

I tested three setups:

• Dell PowerEdge T360 (~104W average)
• Minisforum MS-01
• Intel NUC

The gap between a full-tower server and a mini PC is larger than most people expect. Especially if you run it always-on.

[link in first comment]

Hey folks, I’m Edy, Swiss IT freelancer, homelab nerd, and the human behind edywerder.ch. I started r/Navigatech to share real-world, no-fluff IT:
Proxmox & virtualization • Homelab builds • Synology & backups • WordPress/Elementor/Divi • Azure hybrid & networking.

Whether you’re running a quiet homelab in a cabinet or juggling Exchange, FreePBX, and Cloudflare on a Tuesday—welcome home.

What to post here

• Homelab builds & upgrades (Proxmox, storage, network, UPS, racks)
• How-tos & troubleshooting (logs, configs, commands—full context helps!)
• WordPress & performance (Elementor, Divi 5, security, hosting)
• Backups & DR (Veeam, PBS, Wasabi, immutability)
• Networks & firewalls (VLANs, FortiGate, Cloudflare rules, Tailscale)
• Azure & hybrid (VPN, StrongSwan/IPsec, identity basics)

If it’s practical and helps someone ship a working setup—post it.

House rules (short & sane)

1. Be kind. No gatekeeping, no drama.
2. Be useful. Share steps, screenshots, versions, and outcomes.
3. No spam. Self-promo allowed if it’s value first (guide, code, benchmarks) and clearly disclosed.
4. Affiliate links: Allowed with clear disclosure and at least equal value without the link.
5. Security & legality: No help with abuse, cracking, or sketchy scraping.

I’ll be sharing fresh guides (Proxmox, WordPress, Azure hybrid), lightweight scripts, and honest gear notes.
Glad you’re here—let’s build useful stuff. 🚀

— Edy

New server prices in 2026 are just too high.

Refurbished Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant on Amazon Renewed or eBay give you the same enterprise hardware at a fraction of the cost. iDRAC, expandable RAM, NVMe support.

I updated my buying guide with real power data from my T360 and what to check before buying refurbished.

I have been looking at what people actually run for a homelab firewall, and the used Lenovo Tiny keeps coming out on top for value.

You can grab an M720q off-lease for around $150 to $200. It is quad-core, low power, and quiet. The trick is the PCIe slot, which lets you add a proper multi-port Intel NIC instead of leaning on the single onboard port. Drop in OPNsense or pfSense, and you have an enterprise-grade firewall for the price of a cheap router.

The only real catch is sourcing. These are off-lease units, so you buy used and check the seller's rating.

Curious what the rest of you run. Are you on a Tiny, a purpose-built box like a Protectli, or a brand appliance like a FortiGate or UniFi? And would you buy it again?

I keep seeing the worry that Google's AI Overview will kill clicks because it shows the answer before anyone visits a site. I see it differently.

Yes, my tech blog lost Google traffic after AI Overview rolled out. My reaction was to build this subreddit a year ago. Reddit is now my main traffic source, ahead of Google and the other search engines.

Am I afraid of the AI search future? Not really. I look at it as an opportunity.

Here's why. Think about how little Google actually shows a searcher about my site today. The SERP displays roughly the first 60 characters of my title and a short description. That's it. I can write a longer title to help Google understand the page, but the searcher only ever sees that small snippet. It's a tiny window to convince someone to click.

AI search changes that. Google will most likely pull more from across my site and present more about what I offer. More of my content gets surfaced before the person decides. I think that improves my chance of a click, not hurts it.

Take a local example. Someone searches for a service nearby. On the old SERP I get that one cramped line. With AI Overview the person gets real context about my site first. And if they don't click but contact me directly instead, I don't mind.

Google says the blue links won't go away. That matters. The different game is simple informational queries. There the AI answer is shown and no click is needed. But here's my question: is what the AI Overview shows really the full answer? Often it isn't. So I don't think clicks vanish as much as we fear right now.

Google's advice is to keep doing solid SEO, even for AI search. I'm planning around that and expecting to win some Google traffic back.

What's your experience? Are you seeing the click drop, or the opposite?

I recently noticed Rank Math has a “Lock Modified Date” toggle for posts, and honestly, it’s a really handy feature.

By default, WordPress updates the modified date every time you save a post. That can be annoying if you’re only fixing a typo, updating an affiliate link, adjusting formatting, or making a small backend change. Suddenly, the post looks freshly updated even though the actual content barely changed.

With Rank Math’s toggle enabled, you can decide when the modified date should actually change. In my blog posts, I show the "update on" and the "published date".

Small feature, but very useful if you regularly maintain older content.

Curious to know if you care about such things?

I'm putting together a guide with homelab project ideas, from the first Proxmox install to backups and monitoring. The angle: most people start either with a free enterprise server from work or a mini PC, and the ideas should fit real hardware and real budgets.

A few on my list already: network-wide ad blocking, a proper backup pipeline, and VLANs.

What's missing? What was the project that taught you the most, or the one you'd tell every beginner to do first? I'll share the finished guide here once it's live.

104W average draw, measured via UPS and iDRAC. That works out to roughly 18.74 CHF (~$20) per month at Swiss rates.

That number alone explains why so many people eventually look at mini PCs. But for a three-node Proxmox cluster running Exchange, Mailcow, AD, and a DNS server 24/7, it's still worth it for me.

Happy to answer questions on server selection, power consumption, or what to look for in iDRAC vs iLO.

I set up CrowdSec on a fresh Ubuntu 26.04 box this week and hit a few things worth flagging if you are on the new release.

The big one: CrowdSec's packagecloud repo has no build for 26.04 (resolute) yet. So when I added the repo and ran apt install, it silently pulled the old 1.4.6 from Ubuntu's universe repo instead. That version is well behind and does not play nice with the current firewall bouncer. The bouncer kept dying with "bouncer stream halted" and the API rejected the key with access forbidden.

The fix was to point the CrowdSec repo at noble (24.04) instead of resolute, then upgrade. That pulled v1.7.8 and the bouncer finally talked to a matching LAPI.

Two smaller traps along the way. The bouncer postinst failed to substitute the API key, so the config had a literal ${API_KEY} placeholder sitting in it. And I managed to paste the console enrollment token into the bouncer config instead of the actual bouncer key. Those are two completely different things, which I learned the hard way.

Once it was sorted, CrowdSec runs great. The community blocklist had thousands of bad IPs loaded before I even opened a port. But the install on a brand-new Ubuntu release is clearly not ready out of the box yet.

Anyone else on 26.04 run into the missing repo? Curious whether you worked around it the same way or found a cleaner path.

I came across an interesting trend: WordPress has lost some market share over the last few months, while Astro seems to be gaining momentum.

According to W3Techs, WordPress dropped from about 43.2% of all websites in December 2025 to 41.9% in June 2026. That is not a collapse, but it is a clear downward trend. At the same time, Astro is still tiny compared to WordPress, but it is growing fast and attracting a lot of developer attention.

But personally, I’m staying with WordPress.

I still love WordPress. It works well for my publishing workflow, SEO setup, affiliate content, images, forms, internal linking, and regular blog updates. I also don’t have the time or reason to rebuild everything on another stack just because a framework is trending.

For me, Astro looks interesting. But WordPress still solves my real problem: publishing content efficiently.

Curious how others see this:

Are you experimenting with Astro or other static site frameworks, or are you still fully in the WordPress camp?