Introduction

After recently building a new PC, I found myself with an extra one lying around. I took this opportunity to start a home lab. Proxmox was my chosen hypervisor, and setting up my lab was a month-long process that involved configuring everything properly. This included backing up and preparing old drives, acquiring new drives, configuring my default router, and finding an appropriate location.

Skills

  • PC Building: Experience in assembling and configuring PCs.
  • Hypervisors: Proficient in using Proxmox for virtualization.
  • Network Attached Storage (NAS): Skilled in setting up and configuring TrueNAS.
  • Media Servers: Experience with Jellyfin for hosting media content.
  • Hardware Acceleration: Knowledge of using graphics cards and Quicksync for hardware acceleration.
  • Docker: Familiar with setting up and configuring Docker for various projects.
  • Networking: Configuring routers and managing network settings.
  • Troubleshooting: Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot hardware and software issues.

Procedure

1. Preparing the Hardware
- Install the new hard drive by opening the computer case, mounting the drive, connecting the SATA and power cables, and closing the case.

Proxmox Installation
After successfully installing Proxmox, the first task was to configure the storage through a network-attached solution. I chose TrueNAS for this purpose. The setup was almost straightforward. I created a container, installed the TrueNAS image, and logged in through the web UI. Currently, I only have one main HDD, so there is no form of redundancy.

File/Media Server Setup
Next, I set up a file/media server that connected to my NAS for storage. The initial setup was confusing, but after some experimentation, it became clear. I chose Jellyfin to host this. Overall, the setup was straightforward. Additionally, my PC had a graphics card that I intended to use for hardware acceleration. However, after some experimentation, I found that my motherboard was not compatible due to no support for VT-d with my CPU. I have since chosen to use Quicksync functionality, which should suffice.

Docker Setup
Lastly, I set up Docker for other smaller projects, such as game servers or software testing senarios. The setup was not quite straightforward, and I’m still working towards finding the right configuration.

Future Plans

  • VPN: To access my server remotely.
  • Pi-hole: To manage ads through a DNS server.
  • Game Servers: For hosting various games.