Projects / Home network
Self-Hosted Home Network and Server
I built my own home internet gateway and a small always-on server instead of using the ISP's default setup, to learn how real networks are secured and monitored.
What I Built
The network side is my own routers running OPNsense and IPFire on a repurposed laptop, with a USB Ethernet adapter as the internet-facing interface. I built and configured VPN tunnels and firewall rules.
An example of the rule design in OPNsense: allow DNS only to my own AdGuard Home resolver, block all other outbound DNS from the LAN, and a VPN kill switch that blocks traffic when the tunnel is down.
The server side is a Debian machine running 24/7, with services in Docker and Docker Compose:
- AdGuard Home for network-wide DNS filtering
- Uptime Kuma for service monitoring
- Jellyfin for media
- An hourly Ookla speed test that tracks internet speed over time
- A budget tracker, ConvertX for file conversion and Heimdall as a dashboard
I use Tailscale to reach the home network securely from anywhere.
Generic Diagram
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