My Journey into Homelab Server Building

As a developer, my interests extend beyond just programming. I'm also fascinated by the hardware side of things, from small form factor computing like Arduino to full-size computers. It all started when a friend introduced me to Proxmox. That's when I fell in love with the idea of running my own servers.

Being young and adventurous (I'm still 24 at the time of writing this), I wanted to dive into server management, but I didn't know where to start. Initially, I relied on dual-booting, VirtualBox, and VMware. It was all fun and games until files started disappearing and I encountered numerous BSODs. I thought it was due to running unwanted programs in the background, so I tried again, but it didn't work.

That's when I decided to ditch Windows, as it proved unreliable for server use. I then experimented with Linux, including Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian. I somehow made it work, but I had to make compromises, like compiling the right kernel to make VMware function. To make matters worse, OS updates kept resetting the kernel version!

One day, a friend with the alias "Mori" introduced me to Proxmox, and it was a game-changer. I spent a weekend studying the program, collected some unused computer components lying around, and started building my own server.

My Homelab Server Setup

The setup I configured consists of components I already had. Each node is powered by a Ryzen 7 5700G, providing a total of 16 cores and 32 threads ready to be allocated to VMs. I know this is not enterprise-grade hardware, but it functions similarly, except for the longevity of the components, which I can replace later on. Additionally, I have solar power as a backup electricity source in case the main grid goes down.

For internet connectivity, I'm running High-Speed Fiber + High-Speed 5G Internet in failover mode, ensuring I don't lose access if one source fails.

Currently, I'm running several VMs on my cluster, including:

1. Aldrickb Blog App - https://aldrickb.com
2. SparkChain Blockchain Network (Testnet) - https://new-testnet-explorer.sparkchain.network
3. My Own Blockchain Network AldChain (Testnet) - https://testnet-explorer.aldrickb.xyz

Summary

In summary, my homelab setup consists of:

• 2 Proxmox servers running in cluster mode, providing ample capacity to host and test VMs 24/7
• 2 internet sources running in failover mode, ensuring continuous connectivity and avoiding IP address allocation issues
• Multiple electricity sources, including solar, battery backup, and grid power, guarantee a stable and high-quality power supply

While this setup is the best I can achieve within an apartment, I'm always looking to expand and improve. If you'd like to see my solar setup apartment-style, stay tuned for another blog post. Feel free to leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts, and don't forget to share this post if you find it interesting!