A first homelab built from old gear and simple parts
A student built a small homelab to practice and . Most of the setup came from equipment already available at home, connected piece by piece.
An old HP laptop with a broken startup was wiped and reused with and CasaOS, and it still works despite being about 10 years old. The main costs were about $180 for a setup, about $40 for an switch, and about $35 for a shelving unit.
The next goal is to expand the setup, especially by building a music library that can be shared with both Macs and Android devices. An AI-made network map turned out to be wrong, so the map was updated and Draw.io will be used for proper .
Key points
- The homelab was built mostly from existing household equipment.
- An old HP laptop now runs and CasaOS as part of the setup.
- Approximate spending was $180 for the setup, $40 for an switch, and $35 for shelving.
- A shared music library for Macs and Android devices is a planned next step.
- The AI-made network map was inaccurate, so Draw.io will be used for better .