Bjarne

It’s never the network

Discover the why and how behind this tech blog

Who Am I?

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By day, I’m a network engineer. I design, build, and maintain the complex networks that power businesses. I spend my time working with enterprise-grade routers, switches, WiFi, and authentication, architecting for reliability and performance.

By night, I’m a homelab enthusiast. I take the principles and technologies from my professional life and apply them at home. It started as a curious way to test concepts and new software, but quickly evolved into a passion for digital self-sufficiency. This intersection of professional expertise and personal passion is the foundation of this blog.

Why This Blog Exists

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I created this space to document my journey and share what I’ve learned. My goal is to de-mystify the process of self-hosting and show that you don’t need a massive budget or a data center in your basement to get started. I want to take you along with me.

Here, you will find:

• Step-by-Step Tutorials: Detailed guides on setting up and managing various services, from the recipe organization server Tandoor to collaborative tools like Nextcloud.
• Project Showcases: A look into the projects I’m working on in my own homelab.
• Networking Deep Dives: Practical explanations of networking concepts like VLANs, VPNs, and firewall rules, tailored for the home user. Maybe I will also add some more technical deep dives into professional topics, like VXLAN together with BGP EVPN.
• Hardware & Software Reviews: Honest thoughts on the gear and open-source tools I use every day. (still planned)

My approach is pragmatic, born from years of professional experience: build for stability, plan for failure, and always keep learning.

My Homelab Journey

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A homelab is never “finished.” It’s an evolving project that grows with your skills and needs. Here’s a brief look at my own progression:

1. The Beginning (2016)

   I started with a small two bay Synology NAS, which I used to host my media and backup files. I installed Veeam Community Edition to backup my personal computer and files.
2. Adding some computation (2020)

   I bought a Intel NUC mini PC and used VMWare ESXi on it to play around with some virtualization. I also use a small Raspberry Pi to host my HomeAssistant server for my smarthome.
3. The Network (2020/2021)

   I used my virtual environment to host an OPNsense firewall for my internal networks. I also updated my networking hardware to Ubiquiti switches and APs, managed by a virtual Ubiquiti UniFi controller.
4. New Firewall, new Virtualization (2024)

   I migrated my NUC to Proxmox and added a Ubiquity Dream Machine Pro to my network. The DM is replacing my virtual OPNsense firewall and the virtual controller.
5. The Cloud@Home Era (Present)

   Today, my lab runs a full suite of services that have replaced many of my commercial subscriptions. The focus is now on automation, high availability, and exploring new open-source projects.

My Philosophy

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Tired of endless subscription fees, walled gardens, and entrusting your personal data to large corporations? So was I. While self-hosting can save you money in the long run, its true value lies in ownership. Owning your data, controlling your services, and understanding the technology you depend on is a powerful form of digital independence.

This journey is about more than just technology; it’s about being a creator, not just a consumer, in the digital world. It’s challenging, sometimes frustrating, but incredibly rewarding.

Let’s Connect

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I’m building this blog not as a monologue, but as a conversation.

If you have questions, suggestions, or want to share your own homelab experiences, please reach out. (At the moment I still need to figure out how I want to do commenting)