The Home Lab: 2022 Edition

As a home lab enthusiast, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve and expand my setup. In this post, I’ll be sharing the current state of my home lab, including the hosts and setup, as well as some details on the services and software I’m using.

Physical Network Diagram

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of my home lab setup, let me provide a brief overview of my physical network diagram. As shown in the diagram below, my home lab is set up with a mixture of wired and wireless connections:

[Insert Physical Network Diagram]

Hosts and Setup

My home lab currently consists of three hosts:

1. A Lenovo ThinkStation P620 running Windows 10 Pro as my primary workstation.

2. A Dell PowerEdge R420 running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS as my secondary workstation and NAS (Network Attached Storage) server.

3. An Intel NUC Kit N11-EHE running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS as my virtualization host.

All three hosts are connected to a Switched 8-port Gigabit Ethernet Networking Card, which provides reliable and high-speed connectivity between the hosts and other devices in the network.

Services and Software

Now that we’ve covered the physical setup of my home lab, let’s take a closer look at the services and software I’m using. Here are some of the highlights:

1. vNinja.net – This is the digital home of Christian Mohn and Stine Elise Larsen, and it provides a wealth of information on virtualization, networking, and other related topics.

2. VMware Workstation – As my primary virtualization platform, I’m using VMware Workstation to run multiple virtual machines (VMs) on my Windows 10 Pro host.

3. VirtualBox – I’m also using VirtualBox as a secondary virtualization platform, primarily for running Linux-based VMs on my Ubuntu hosts.

4. Hyper-V – As a part of my Windows 10 Pro installation, I’m using Hyper-V to run multiple VMs natively within the operating system.

5. Docker – This containerization platform allows me to package and deploy applications in isolated environments, which is especially useful for testing and development purposes.

6. Ansible – This powerful configuration management tool enables me to automate tasks and manage my home lab with ease.

7. SaltStack – I’m also using SaltStack as a second configuration management tool, primarily for managing my Linux-based hosts.

Updates and Future Plans

As with any home lab setup, my current configuration is subject to change at any given time. That being said, here are some of the updates and future plans I have in mind:

1. Upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS – Once the new version of Ubuntu becomes available, I plan on upgrading all of my hosts to ensure I’m running the latest and greatest software.

2. Add more hosts – As my home lab grows, I anticipate adding more hosts to accommodate additional workloads and services.

3. Improve network security – With the increasing number of connected devices in my home lab, I plan on implementing additional security measures such as firewalls and access controls to protect my network from potential threats.

4. Experiment with new technologies – As a home lab enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This may involve experimenting with emerging technologies like Kubernetes, OpenStack, or other cloud-native platforms.

In conclusion, my home lab setup is constantly evolving as I look for new and innovative ways to improve my infrastructure. Whether you’re a seasoned home lab enthusiast or just starting out, I hope this post has provided some valuable insights into the world of home labbing. Stay tuned for future updates and expansion plans!