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Hardware Suggestions For A Beginner?

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  • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
    dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote last edited by [email protected]
    #1

    Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

    Absolutely Will Run:

    Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

    Might do in the near future:

    Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

    piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

    VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

    Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

    OS Plan:
    I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

    I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

    I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

    When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

    Any guidance is much appreciated!

    semi_hemi_demigod@lemmy.worldS F Y T gerprimus@feddit.orgG 12 Replies Last reply
    10
    • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

      Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

      Absolutely Will Run:

      Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

      Might do in the near future:

      Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

      piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

      VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

      Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

      OS Plan:
      I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

      I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

      I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

      When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

      Any guidance is much appreciated!

      semi_hemi_demigod@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
      semi_hemi_demigod@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      I would recommend putting the pihole and any network management tools on dedicated hardware.

      It’s not fun having a random update for Transmission take down your entire internet. Ask me how I know.

      A 1 Reply Last reply
      8
      • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

        Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

        Absolutely Will Run:

        Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

        Might do in the near future:

        Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

        piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

        VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

        Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

        OS Plan:
        I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

        I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

        I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

        When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

        Any guidance is much appreciated!

        F This user is from outside of this forum
        F This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        Protonvpn has a Killswitch: https://protonvpn.com/support/what-is-kill-switch

        A kill switch is available to all Proton VPN users on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and iPadOS. Newer versions of Android now have built-in kill switch feature, as explained below.

        Please note that our regular kill switch feature can’t protect you if you intentionally disconnect from a VPN server. However, the feature does protect you while switching servers with Proton VPN.

        Our Windows and Linux apps now also feature an Advanced kill switch. In addition to protecting you from accidental VPN disconnections, this prevents you from accidentally using the internet without the VPN turned on, and it will persist when you shut down and restart your device. You will not be able to connect to the internet if you manually disconnect the VPN without also disabling Advanced kill switch.

        or are you in a different scenario where that doesn't work?

        I've configured my router to set up a VPN connection to proton ( wireguard config ). I then decide which devices gonout without vpn and which with VPN. ( Default being with VPN ). If the wireguard tunnel happens to go down, the devices can't surf the web.

        dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • F [email protected]

          Protonvpn has a Killswitch: https://protonvpn.com/support/what-is-kill-switch

          A kill switch is available to all Proton VPN users on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and iPadOS. Newer versions of Android now have built-in kill switch feature, as explained below.

          Please note that our regular kill switch feature can’t protect you if you intentionally disconnect from a VPN server. However, the feature does protect you while switching servers with Proton VPN.

          Our Windows and Linux apps now also feature an Advanced kill switch. In addition to protecting you from accidental VPN disconnections, this prevents you from accidentally using the internet without the VPN turned on, and it will persist when you shut down and restart your device. You will not be able to connect to the internet if you manually disconnect the VPN without also disabling Advanced kill switch.

          or are you in a different scenario where that doesn't work?

          I've configured my router to set up a VPN connection to proton ( wireguard config ). I then decide which devices gonout without vpn and which with VPN. ( Default being with VPN ). If the wireguard tunnel happens to go down, the devices can't surf the web.

          dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
          dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote last edited by
          #4

          Specifically talking about the FireTV, 99% sure the app doesn't have a Killswitch, I've checked. I use it all the time on PC and Mobile though 🙂

          Setting up the VPN on the router sounds great, but can home routers (I have Cox) flash VPN software on them (thought they couldn't)? Also is it MAC or IP filtering (would I have to set a device to static IP) for deciding which devices use the VPN tunnel? How good is it about switching servers (like if a server I'm connected to is on maintenance or is overloaded)? Not too worried about the web issues, can always hop back on the regular Wi-Fi and use the app.

          F 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

            Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

            Absolutely Will Run:

            Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

            Might do in the near future:

            Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

            piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

            VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

            Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

            OS Plan:
            I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

            I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

            I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

            When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

            Any guidance is much appreciated!

            Y This user is from outside of this forum
            Y This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            Do you have any old hardware lying around? Old gaming pc, or an old laptop? Doesn't matter if it has a broken screen or keyboard or trackpad or can't upgrade to win11. Maybe ask around if someone you knows has something similar.

            I'd start with that. Then save the money for an upgrade to the old hardware like adding some extra RAM and a big refurbed hdds.

            dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD 1 Reply Last reply
            2
            • Y [email protected]

              Do you have any old hardware lying around? Old gaming pc, or an old laptop? Doesn't matter if it has a broken screen or keyboard or trackpad or can't upgrade to win11. Maybe ask around if someone you knows has something similar.

              I'd start with that. Then save the money for an upgrade to the old hardware like adding some extra RAM and a big refurbed hdds.

              dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
              dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote last edited by [email protected]
              #6

              I think we've got an old MacBook with a broken screen, and a Windows laptop that slowed down because got a virus on it. Didn't think I could use something with a broken screen, but I'll try it maybe.

              Edit: Not sure if I have their chargers though...

              Y 1 Reply Last reply
              1
              • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                Absolutely Will Run:

                Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                Might do in the near future:

                Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                OS Plan:
                I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                Any guidance is much appreciated!

                T This user is from outside of this forum
                T This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote last edited by
                #7

                I'd search ebay for 9500t and get a NUC, its a 6 core processor and can be bought pretty cheaply.

                1 Reply Last reply
                2
                • semi_hemi_demigod@lemmy.worldS [email protected]

                  I would recommend putting the pihole and any network management tools on dedicated hardware.

                  It’s not fun having a random update for Transmission take down your entire internet. Ask me how I know.

                  A This user is from outside of this forum
                  A This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote last edited by
                  #8

                  Run two PiHoles. This way you can take one down for maintenance and the other keeps working.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                    Specifically talking about the FireTV, 99% sure the app doesn't have a Killswitch, I've checked. I use it all the time on PC and Mobile though 🙂

                    Setting up the VPN on the router sounds great, but can home routers (I have Cox) flash VPN software on them (thought they couldn't)? Also is it MAC or IP filtering (would I have to set a device to static IP) for deciding which devices use the VPN tunnel? How good is it about switching servers (like if a server I'm connected to is on maintenance or is overloaded)? Not too worried about the web issues, can always hop back on the regular Wi-Fi and use the app.

                    F This user is from outside of this forum
                    F This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote last edited by
                    #9

                    I think it's MAC based, but I'm not sure

                    Specifically talking about the FireTV, 99% sure the app doesn't have a Killswitch, I've checked. I use it all the time on PC and Mobile though 🙂

                    Ah! I can't get a fire stick here so no experience with that.

                    Setting up the VPN on the router sounds great, but can home routers (I have Cox) flash VPN software on them (thought they couldn't)?

                    The asus router I have has a feature called VPN fusion. I specifically bought a set of routers for my home that are in front of my ISP router because I wanted a single SSID and wanted to set my own DNS servers without having to specify them per device . They (ISP) keep restricting features on their router ( can barely do anything on them nowadays ). Also switching ISPs became easier as any config is done in my devices rather than theirs.

                    Also is it MAC or IP filtering (would I have to set a device to static IP) for deciding which devices use the VPN tunnel? How good is it about switching servers (like if a server I'm connected to is on maintenance or is overloaded)? Not too worried about the web issues, can always hop back on the regular Wi-Fi and use the app.

                    I THINK it's Mac based, but I really can't say. I named the devices on my router and they keep reconnecting as the same device. Either that or it uses some combination of info from the device to identify it.

                    E.g.: my work MacBook should switch MAC addresses every time it connects to a WiFi, but it's consistently identified by my router.

                    Additionally, they have some routers that are supported by custom firmware ( asuswrt-merlin ). Mine don't support it unfortunately.
                    https://www.asuswrt-merlin.net/

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    1
                    • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                      Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                      Absolutely Will Run:

                      Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                      Might do in the near future:

                      Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                      piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                      VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                      Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                      OS Plan:
                      I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                      I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                      I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                      When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                      Any guidance is much appreciated!

                      gerprimus@feddit.orgG This user is from outside of this forum
                      gerprimus@feddit.orgG This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote last edited by
                      #10

                      I would suggest a used laptop with a gtx10xx GPU and min 16gb RAM. 1 to 2 TB SSD and if there is still room And budget still 4tb HDD for jellyfin Content.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      1
                      • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                        Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                        Absolutely Will Run:

                        Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                        Might do in the near future:

                        Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                        piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                        VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                        Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                        OS Plan:
                        I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                        I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                        I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                        When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                        Any guidance is much appreciated!

                        B This user is from outside of this forum
                        B This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote last edited by
                        #11

                        First question: what will you do about data backup? Nextcloud and Immich both imply important data that you don't want to lose. You say you have some harddrives, so look for some computer that can take more than one harddrive and then setup RAID with snapshots. I'd go for a RAID setup such that you need two drives to fail before you lose data, but there are plenty of debate. We often say RAID is not a backup - you should start thinking about the next step in your backup setup soon.

                        Used vs new is always the question. In general the newer the system the less power it will use to do the same work. However ARM will almost always use less power than x86 even if the x86 is much newer. I specified work here, your computer will nothing most of the time so idle power matters too.

                        dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD 1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • B [email protected]

                          First question: what will you do about data backup? Nextcloud and Immich both imply important data that you don't want to lose. You say you have some harddrives, so look for some computer that can take more than one harddrive and then setup RAID with snapshots. I'd go for a RAID setup such that you need two drives to fail before you lose data, but there are plenty of debate. We often say RAID is not a backup - you should start thinking about the next step in your backup setup soon.

                          Used vs new is always the question. In general the newer the system the less power it will use to do the same work. However ARM will almost always use less power than x86 even if the x86 is much newer. I specified work here, your computer will nothing most of the time so idle power matters too.

                          dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                          dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote last edited by
                          #12

                          I definitely plan to used RAID for my drives.

                          To follow 3-2-1, have the working copy, a copy on a SD, and a copy on cloud (encrypted of course). Depending on the size of the snapshot it will go to Proton or Google Drive (Sticking to Google is silly, I know, but I don't have a second location to have secure my data lol). 2 is met by having it on SD and Cloud. 1 is met by saving encrypted snapshot on cloud.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                            I think we've got an old MacBook with a broken screen, and a Windows laptop that slowed down because got a virus on it. Didn't think I could use something with a broken screen, but I'll try it maybe.

                            Edit: Not sure if I have their chargers though...

                            Y This user is from outside of this forum
                            Y This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote last edited by [email protected]
                            #13

                            Either or both will likely work just fine depending on how broken the screen is. The virusy windows would be easiest (sometimes macbooks are harder to get everything working due to drivers, windows ones typically just work). But the virus will be removed when you install proxmox. I currently have 3 laptops in various degrees of old and broken being used as a proxmox cluster.

                            dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                              Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                              Absolutely Will Run:

                              Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                              Might do in the near future:

                              Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                              piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                              VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                              Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                              OS Plan:
                              I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                              I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                              I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                              When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                              Any guidance is much appreciated!

                              S This user is from outside of this forum
                              S This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote last edited by
                              #14

                              get a cheap N100 box. do not overspend.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              1
                              • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                                Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                                Absolutely Will Run:

                                Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                                Might do in the near future:

                                Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                                piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                                VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                                Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                                OS Plan:
                                I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                                I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                                I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                                When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                                Any guidance is much appreciated!

                                E This user is from outside of this forum
                                E This user is from outside of this forum
                                [email protected]
                                wrote last edited by
                                #15

                                How much is a kWh in your parts? Noise, ambient temperature? You can buy very decent refurbished Lenovo tiny PCs with some 16 GB RAM and 6 cores and half a TB SSD which will run Proxmox and are low power and noise. You can go multi-node Proxmox later if you want to expand. k8s and related are also an option.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • Y [email protected]

                                  Either or both will likely work just fine depending on how broken the screen is. The virusy windows would be easiest (sometimes macbooks are harder to get everything working due to drivers, windows ones typically just work). But the virus will be removed when you install proxmox. I currently have 3 laptops in various degrees of old and broken being used as a proxmox cluster.

                                  dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                                  dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                                  [email protected]
                                  wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                  #16

                                  But the virus will be removed when you install proxmox

                                  Oh yeah, if I do use it I was gonna fully wipe windows into oblivion

                                  I currently have 3 laptops in various degrees of old and broken being used as a proxmox cluster.

                                  Oh so you can cluster multiple devices? I'll have to check that out.

                                  Y 1 Reply Last reply
                                  1
                                  • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                                    Hello, I've been saying it to myself for a year now, but I'm on summer break rn and I really need to do something with my life. Here's some of the software I plan to host. Goal is to not spend more than $150-200, I do have some gift cards though.

                                    Absolutely Will Run:

                                    Nextcloud & Immich - I want to replace Google and OneDrive

                                    Might do in the near future:

                                    Jellyfin - my mom and I usually just bootleg by using Kodi on our FireTV, so not a major need rn, but might be nice for future purposes.

                                    piHole - better overall ad blocking, so I don't have to use nextDNS on all my devices, and maybe help my mom out.

                                    VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, the TV app sucks cause it doesn't have killswitch (PC and mobile have Killswitch). I have several devices and profiles that I use, so I was thinking maybe just an overall VPN might be nice

                                    Seeding - I think it would be nice to give back to the community, since I torrent every now and then.

                                    OS Plan:
                                    I plan to use Proxmox as I have a little bit of experience using it, and others seem to like it a lot for managing multiple software.

                                    I know I don't need to go full power mode rn, so I wanna stick with something low end that I could maybe upgrade in the future. Should I just buy a used laptop/PC, or get like an Optiplex or ThinkServer? I don't wanna rack up my parent's electric bill. I already got some hard drives a year ago, so but is using an external drive bad?

                                    I know to use the Ethernet ports so my signal isn't shit, but I gotta work out the best spot I can put my server. I do know an okay amount of networking knowledge, and I'm a cyber student anyway so this is like a fun yet educational personal project for me.

                                    When it comes to external access and security of these services, should I stick with Tailscale? Some people have concerns over the proprietary bits and are using headscale instead I guess.

                                    Any guidance is much appreciated!

                                    irmadlad@lemmy.worldI This user is from outside of this forum
                                    irmadlad@lemmy.worldI This user is from outside of this forum
                                    [email protected]
                                    wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                    #17

                                    VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, but it sucks cause it doesn’t have killswitch.

                                    I have been using Private Internet Access so long I can't remember when I first started but it's been years. I've had great success with PIA and I never fire up a device locally without it. It does have a killswitch, advanced killswitch, split tunnel, multi-hop with shadowsocks or socks5 proxy, openVPN or Wireguard configurations, and a dedicated IP option.

                                    I've tried other top name VPNs, but imho, none come up to what PIA does.

                                    dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD 1 Reply Last reply
                                    2
                                    • irmadlad@lemmy.worldI [email protected]

                                      VPN - I currently pay for Proton, and we use it on the FireTV, but it sucks cause it doesn’t have killswitch.

                                      I have been using Private Internet Access so long I can't remember when I first started but it's been years. I've had great success with PIA and I never fire up a device locally without it. It does have a killswitch, advanced killswitch, split tunnel, multi-hop with shadowsocks or socks5 proxy, openVPN or Wireguard configurations, and a dedicated IP option.

                                      I've tried other top name VPNs, but imho, none come up to what PIA does.

                                      dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                                      dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD This user is from outside of this forum
                                      [email protected]
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Sorry, corrected my post as I have confused several people lol. Proton has killswitch on mobile and PC, just not Fire TVs.

                                      irmadlad@lemmy.worldI 1 Reply Last reply
                                      1
                                      • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                                        Sorry, corrected my post as I have confused several people lol. Proton has killswitch on mobile and PC, just not Fire TVs.

                                        irmadlad@lemmy.worldI This user is from outside of this forum
                                        irmadlad@lemmy.worldI This user is from outside of this forum
                                        [email protected]
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Ahh...gotcha.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • dreaming_novaling@lemmy.zipD [email protected]

                                          But the virus will be removed when you install proxmox

                                          Oh yeah, if I do use it I was gonna fully wipe windows into oblivion

                                          I currently have 3 laptops in various degrees of old and broken being used as a proxmox cluster.

                                          Oh so you can cluster multiple devices? I'll have to check that out.

                                          Y This user is from outside of this forum
                                          Y This user is from outside of this forum
                                          [email protected]
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Yes you can cluster devices. I have a NAS in addition to the my laptop proxmox cluster. It lets me use the NAS as storage, so the VMs/lxc's virtual disks are actually on the NAS. This allows me to make the VM/LXCs Highly Available. So if one laptop crashes it'll automatically spin up the things running on that laptop on a different one. This can also be done with ceph, but I already had the NAS, so ceph seemed redundant.

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