Rebuilding My Homelab – The Foundation of My Technical Journey
Starting Again with Technology
After my stroke, a lot changed in my life. Things that used to come naturally suddenly required more energy and patience.
During my recovery, I rediscovered how much enjoyment I get from technology. Working with computers and systems, and solving technical challenges, gave me structure again and a sense of moving forward.
Technology had always been an important part of my life. Building systems, learning new technologies and looking for solutions have always given me energy.
That is how the idea of rebuilding my homelab slowly began to take shape.
Not because I wanted to create the biggest or most elaborate environment, but because it helped me look ahead again. Every small step, every solution and every new discovery felt like a little piece of progress.
The Foundation: Giving a Dell R415 a Second Life
The foundation of my rebuilt homelab started with a server I received some time ago: a Dell R415.
This server became the starting point for my new technical environment. Equipped with four SSDs and 64 GB of memory, it gives me enough possibilities to run different services and explore new technologies.
What I like about this server is that I did not buy it new. Instead, it is getting a second life. That fits perfectly with the way I look at technology.
It is not always necessary to buy the latest equipment. Sometimes it is more interesting to see what you can achieve with the hardware you already have.
I particularly enjoy reusing equipment. You learn how systems work, get more out of the hardware and give technology a new purpose.
With this Dell R415 as my foundation, I was able to start building again, one step at a time.
Why I Chose Proxmox
One important decision in my homelab was choosing Proxmox as the foundation of my environment.
Proxmox allows me to run different systems separately on a single server. By using virtual machines and containers, I can experiment, test things and learn new technologies without everything immediately affecting the rest of my environment.
This suits the way I like to work:
- Taking things one step at a time.
- First understanding how something works.
- Testing and learning.
- Building further once I am ready.
As a result, my homelab has become more than just a collection of systems. It is also a learning environment where I can continue to develop my skills.
The Next Step: A More Secure Network with Sophos
As my homelab grows, the way I organise my network is becoming increasingly important.
When you run multiple systems, you do not want to put everything on a single network without considering how the different parts should be separated. That is why I want to continue developing my environment with clear boundaries between its different components.
An important next step is using Sophos as my firewall solution.
Through network segmentation, I want to make my environment easier to manage and more secure. Different components will have their own place, including:
- Servers.
- My website environment.
- Test environments.
- Internal systems.
By dividing my network more clearly, I can gain better control and a clearer understanding of what is happening within my environment.
My Homelab Continues to Grow
My homelab is never really finished.
There will always be new technologies to discover, new challenges to solve and new ideas to explore.
Some days I spend time actively working on a project. On other days, my recovery means I need to take a break and rest. That is part of the process, too.
Building is not just about hardware, software and networks.
It is also about continuing to learn, developing yourself and moving forward in a way that suits you.
My homelab has become part of my recovery. It gives me challenges, enjoyment and the opportunity to keep following my curiosity about technology.
I have learned that progress does not mean everything has to happen quickly. Sometimes progress means taking a step back, looking carefully, learning and allowing yourself the time you need.
My life changed because of a stroke, but my curiosity and passion for technology have remained.
My story continues.
Step by step, I keep building and moving forward at my own pace.