Why you need one and how to build it properly
Why even build a HomeLab?
If you are seriously working with modern IT, it is hard to avoid having a HomeLab. Sure, many things can be learned theoretically — in lectures, through tutorials, or very modern: with AI. But you only truly understand systems once they are running, break down, and you have to fix them yourself.
A HomeLab is the perfect playground for exactly that:
- Testing and segmenting networks
- Experimenting with firewalls like OPNsense or pfSense
- Building, tearing down, and rebuilding Proxmox VMs and containers (CTs)
- Running self-hosted services like Nextcloud, Dokploy, Nginx, Traefik, Docker, or entire stacks of them
The list is practically endless. There is a huge self-hosted community (on Reddit or GitHub) and an incredible amount of open-source software just waiting to be hosted by yourself.
Then come the truly interesting parts:
Setting up your own Root CA, understanding ACME challenges, and not just using TLS, but actually understanding what is happening under the hood. These are things that have been standard for years, yet are rarely questioned or deeply understood.
Identity providers like Authentik or Keycloak fit perfectly into this picture — ideal for realistically modeling authentication, SSO, and role-based access control.
Theory vs. Reality: Zero Trust
During your studies, you often learn early on how important a Demilitarized Zone or a Zero Trust Architecture is — but how do you actually implement this in practice?
This is exactly where a HomeLab shines.
Long story short:
Anyone who takes modern IT, cloud computing, security, or microservices seriously needs a HomeLab.
Microservices, Self-Hosting, and the Balancing Act
The current trend clearly points toward microservices, containers, orchestration, and self-hosted developer tools:
- GitLab
- Docker registries
- Nextcloud
- Internal APIs
- Monitoring & logging
But here comes the catch:
How do you balance space, aesthetics, performance, energy efficiency, and storage?
The honest answer: It’s complicated.
Or put differently: you have to make conscious trade-offs.
The Foundation: Efficient Hardware Instead of Server Monsters
A classic 1U or 2U enterprise server is often a poor fit for a HomeLab: extremely loud, physically large, and power-hungry.
The elegant solution: Intel N100 / N150 platforms.
The Core: Intel N150 (Twin Lake)
The Intel N150 (successor to the N100) is almost absurdly efficient:
- 4 cores / 4 threads
- Up to 3.6 GHz
- 6 MB cache
- Only 6 W TDP
I specifically chose this board:
👉 CWWK M8 Mini-ITX mit Intel N150
It is ideal for 24/7 operation, virtualization, and storage — without feeling guilty about power consumption.
A big plus is the 10G LAN and two M.2 slots for very fast SSDs. The single DDR5 SO-DIMM slot supports up to 48 GB of RAM.
The Case: 19 Inches, but Not Deep
One thing matters a lot for HomeLabs: depth.
Typical server cases are often 60–80 cm deep — completely unnecessary if you want to mount:
- Firewalls
- Switches
- Routers
- Patch panels
in a network rack.
I chose this case from the Netherlands:
👉 MyElectronics 19" 2U Mini-ITX Short Depth
It is perfect for my HomeLab because it is both aesthetic and practical.
Noise: The Most Underestimated Killer Criterion
A HomeLab that sounds like a helicopter on final approach is not fun — especially if it sits in your office.
The answer is a fantastic and reasonably priced company from Austria: Noctua.
The case fits exactly:
These fans are:
- Extremely quiet
- High-quality
- Practically inaudible during continuous operation
Once you use them, you never want anything else again.
Power Supply: Flex-ATX, but Efficient
For the power supply, two things matter: the Flex-ATX form factor and high efficiency.
The higher the efficiency, the less heat is generated — and the quieter the fan needs to run.
My choice:
👉 FSP Flex Guru 300W Flex-ATX
300 W is more than enough, even with multiple HDDs, NVMe drives, and 10 GbE.
Conclusion
For around €600, I built a high-quality server that is perfectly tailored to my requirements.
A build that fits into any office and still looks truly professional.
Bonus: Cluster Upgrade
The setup is further enhanced by 2× Lenovo ThinkCentre Mini PCs.
Combined with Proxmox and Kubernetes, this allows for truly exciting cluster experiments — including high-availability services, load balancing, and realistic production-like scenarios.