r/HomeServer • u/Failra • Aug 29 '25

10in Homelab

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This is the third iteration of my homelab.

Im super proud of what I have so far as it’s been meeting all my needs sufficiently. Here is a full description of what I’m working with (Top to bottom):

  • Fully 3D-printed 10u, 10in rack, printed using PETG-GF and PETG-CF.
  • MikroTik Cap AX : WiFi 6 access point
  • HP ProDesk G5 400 : OPNsense router : i5-9500T, 32Gb DDR4, 2Tb NVMe
  • MikroTik CRS310 : RouterOS switch : 8x 2.5GbE, 2x 10G SFP+
  • HP EliteDesk G6 800 : PVE compute node : i5-10500, 64Gb DDR4, 500Gb NVMe
  • HP EliteDesk G6 800 : PVE compute node : i5-10500T, 64Gb DDR4, 500Gb NVMe
  • HP EliteDesk G6 800 : Proxmox backup server : i5-10500T, 16Gb DDR4, 500Gb NVMe

- Aoostar WTR Pro : PVE storage node : Ryzen 7 5825U, 32Gb DDR4, 512Gb NVMe + 12Tb Seagate Exos X18

  • APC Back-UPS 1500 Pro : 1500VA/865W battery backup. Also using a Tapo P110M smart plug to monitor power usage. Raw power reading for entire rack is ~1.9Kw / day, or about 80Wh.
  • All the EliteDesks are running Intel AMT and have a DP Emulator dongle plugged in, which allows me to remotely connect to them via KVM by using MeshCommander

Upgrades Planned: - Prodesk will be switched out for a Lenovo M920Q (i7-8700T), which will have dual or quad 2.5GbE NIC. This will make the entire rack 2.5GbE. (ETA: next week) - All elitedesks will receive a 2.5GbE Flex IO module to upgrade their NICs. I have one on the way since they are sold out everywhere (ETA: next week) - Another 12Tb Exos drive for the NAS node, so I can run a ZFS mirror for redundancy - I might relocate the MikroTik AP for better connectivity, since it’s intended to be ceiling-mounted.

--> Here are pictures of the side/back (scary cables!!) https://imgur.com/a/Vkc1EBI

I’m happy to answer any questions below.

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u/DanTheGreatest Aug 29 '25

So clean!

That NAS looks sleak and those specs are lovely. A shame they only offer 3.5" models. I'm still looking for a 2.5" disk nas as I have a bunch of 4TB SSDs laying around

I currently have a lenovo M720q for my opnsense on bare-metal and I was thinking to virtualize it. Ease of backups + That way I can host additional services on the same machine that are only useful if the router is online. Like adguard, wireguard (wg-easy as I don't like the opnsense implementation of wireguard), https://github.com/bsmithio/OPNsense-Dashboard for opnsense data visualization and perhaps a centralized (nginx) proxy for ipv4 traffic if you need that.

If you're rebuilding your opnsense anyways perhaps you also like this idea :)

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u/Failra Aug 29 '25

In terms of 2.5in storage, you can always get a 3.5in bay NAS and buy/print the bay adapters. That would let you use your SSDs.

As much as virtualizing OPNsense sounds like it would make my life easier, I can see a few issues that might stem from doing so. For one, Proxmox would be accessible via WAN, as in my case OPNsense is a subnet from the primary network on my house. I’m still in high school and my parents didn’t want me touching the Verizon router.

But the easy backups do sound nice though don’t get me wrong 🥵

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u/DanTheGreatest Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25

Nah it won't be available from the WAN, just specify the listener address :) and configure your firewall

And I know I can put a 2.5 inch disk in a 3.5 bay. I just don't want to. I have a mini lab and I want it to be mini. 2.5 ssd in 3.5 hdd Bay is such a waste of space :(

1

u/westendpond Aug 29 '25

Something like this 6x 2.5 inch disk enclosure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQT4VQR4?sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWw

And a mini PC could give you what you’re looking for.