Homelab Plans 2024
Planning the next steps for my homelab as of 2024
Homelab Plans 2024
Introduction
After a few months of running my homelab of a virtualized router and a few network-related services (VPN, DNS), I believe it is time to expand my homelab to include more services and applications. This post will outline the plans for my homelab for the next year.
Current Setup
My current homelab setup consists of the following:
- Router: OPNSense running on a virtual machine
- Virtualization Platform: Proxmox VE on my router appliance
- DNS: Pi-hole running in an LXC container
- Media Server: Jellyfin running in a Raspberry Pi 4
- VPN: WireGuard running within OPNSense
Future Plans
As I expand my homelab, I intend to include open-source solutions where possible. I also plan to document my journey in setting up these services. Here are some of the services I plan to include in my homelab:
1. Git Server
I plan to take an infrastructure-as-code approach to managing my homelab, and that means version-controlling my configurations. I plan to set up a Git server to host my Ansible playbooks, Docker Compose files, and other configuration files. As of now, I am considering using Gitea.
2. XDR and SIEM
I plan to setup an XDR (Extended Detection and Response) and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solution to practice threat hunting and incident response. I am considering using Wazuh, an open-source XDR and SIEM solution.
3. CI/CD Pipeline
To further assist in orchestrating my homelab, I plan to extend my Git server to include a CI/CD pipeline. This will allow me to take advantage of automated testing and deployment of my configurations.
4. Reverse Proxy
With the addition of more services, I plan to set up a reverse proxy to manage the routing of traffic to the appropriate services. I am considering using Traefik or Nginx for this purpose.
5. Smart Home Integration
I plan to purchase some smart home devices next year and integrate them into my homelab. These will primarily be lighting solutions for now. I am considering using Home Assistant for this purpose.
6. Monitoring and Alerting
To keep an eye on the health of my homelab, I plan to set up monitoring and alerting. I am considering using Prometheus and Grafana for monitoring, and Alertmanager for alerting.
Hardware Upgrades
With the addition of more services, I may need to upgrade my hardware. This would probably mean getting a new server, so I can have my current server dedicated to network-related services. The new server would also give me room to experiment with ideas such as clustering and high availability, although that would be less of a concern if the Git server and CI/CD pipeline are set up, as configurations can be easily redeployed.
Conclusion
My homelab journey may be just beginning, but I am excited to see where it goes. I hope I can learn more about the services I plan to set up, and that I can share my experiences with you. I will be documenting my journey in setting up these services, so stay tuned for more posts!
What’s Next?
From here on out, I will no longer have a dedicated section for What’s Next. I have some other non-technical posts planned, and they will be interspersed with the technical posts focusing on my homelab. Stay tuned for more!
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nicholaschua@youread.me:~$ exit
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