Choosing a switch can feel deceptively simple, until slow file transfers, port shortages, and similar unexpected upgrade costs remind you otherwise. Before you click “Buy,” it helps to step back and look at the entire network you’re building: how many devices you run today, where you expect growth, and which features will save you headaches […]
Self-hosted Projects That Earn (Make money from your Home lab)
If you run a home lab long enough, this realization eventually hits you: a lot of your hardware spends more time idle than working. Servers sized for future growth, machines you planned to use for one thing but never quite did, systems that stay powered on 24/7 but barely break a sweat. Thanks to how […]
Rolling Network Racks: The Ultimate Upgrade for Home Networks
This article focuses on the benefits of rolling network racks for established or expanding home networks. If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to building your first home lab, read my Home Lab Beginners Guide to Hardware article. Managing a modern home network or home lab often involves juggling multiple devices, cables, and upgrades. After […]
AI in the Workplace: 16 Ways to Stay Ahead in 2026 & Beyond!
As we stand on the brink of 2024, 2025, 2026 AI has already established itself as an essential collaborator in the workplace. The relationship between humans and AI is growing, moving beyond just automating repetitive tasks or crunching data. We’re seeing AI step into roles that need creativity and decision-making. It’s like having an extra […]
20 Best Network Switches Under $100 (2026)
Choosing the right network switch is essential for building a reliable home network, home lab, or small‑office setup. The process can feel deceptively simple until slow file transfers or unexpected upgrade costs remind you otherwise. With so many options available, it’s important to understand your requirements, such as the number of ports, speed, PoE (Power […]
Cloudflare outage on Nov 18, 2025 – Waking up to a broken internet
Cloudflare is one of those companies most people never think about, yet on mornings like this it suddenly becomes the main character. Its network sits in front of millions of sites, speeding them up, filtering junk traffic, and quietly handling DNS and security for everything from tiny blogs to giant social platforms. When that layer […]
Firewalla Gold Plus vs. Ubiquiti UDM Pro Max
In the market for a multi‑gigabit firewall/router, two names come up repeatedly: Firewalla Gold Plus and Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro Max (UDM Pro Max). Both cost around $600 USD, sit at or near the top of their respective product lines, and promise enterprise‑class security for home labs, home offices, and small business networks. Despite serving […]
DigitalOcean is chasing me for $0.01: What it taught me about automation
There are three kinds of emails that can ruin a quiet Saturday: a security warning, an outage alert, and, apparently, a repeat reminder that you owe a cloud provider one cent, yes, $0.01. I’ve been using DigitalOcean since 2013. Personally, I don’t use it often, but I log in several times a week to support […]
What to buy for your Raspberry Pi 5
Back in January 2014, I ordered my first Raspberry Pi (Model B revision 2). Very soon, I realized that there was a host of options to choose from for the required accessories needed to get started. As such, I spent months of research and testing to ensure that I didn’t keep wasting time replacing accessories […]
Replace ISP Modem / Router
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like AT&T, Comcast, Xfinity, Cox, Verizon, Spectrum, T-Mobile, and others supply a basic modem/router combo (gateway) to customers. These devices are often adequate to get online, but they may have limited Wi-Fi range, features, and firmware support. They also come with a small number of Ethernet LAN ports, usually two […]
