Core Infrastructure

The backbone of my homelab setup

🖥️ Compute & Virtualization

  • 🖥️
    Dell PowerEdge R720 (Primary)

    Dual Intel Xeon E5-2670 v2 (20 cores/40 threads total) • 128GB DDR3 ECC RAM • 4x 1TB SSD in RAID10 • Dual 750W PSU • iDRAC7 Enterprise

    Running: Proxmox VE 8.x • 20+ VMs • Primary hypervisor node

  • 💻
    Dell PowerEdge R720 (Secondary)

    Dual Intel Xeon E5-2680 (16 cores/32 threads total) • 96GB DDR3 ECC RAM • 3x 500GB SSD • Dual 750W PSU • iDRAC7 Enterprise

    Running: Proxmox VE 8.x • Cluster node for HA • Development workloads

  • 🔧
    Custom Build - Storage Node

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600 • 64GB DDR4 ECC RAM • 6x 8TB HDD + 2x 500GB NVMe • 650W PSU

    Running: TrueNAS SCALE • ZFS with RAIDZ2 • NFS/SMB shares • 40TB usable

Networking Infrastructure

Enterprise-grade network equipment

🔀 Network Hardware

  • 🔀
    Cisco ISR 4431

    Integrated Services Router • 4GB RAM • 8GB Flash • Dual Gigabit WAN • 3x GE/SFP LAN • Security License

    Role: Primary router • Inter-VLAN routing • Firewall • VPN endpoint

  • 🔌
    Cisco Catalyst 3750-X

    48-Port Managed Switch • Layer 3 capabilities • 10Gb uplinks • PoE+ support • Stackable

    Role: Core switch • VLAN trunking • PoE for APs • STP root bridge

  • 📡
    Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC Pro (x3)

    Dual-band WiFi 5 • 802.11ac Wave 2 • PoE powered • Seamless roaming

    Role: Wireless access points • Multiple SSIDs per VLAN • Guest network

  • 🔒
    Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X

    5-Port Gigabit router • Hardware offloading • VLAN support

    Role: Backup/failover router • Lab network segmentation

Supporting Equipment

Infrastructure support and accessories

🔋 Power & Cooling

  • APC Smart-UPS 1500VA
    Primary UPS • 1000W capacity • Pure sine wave • Network management card
  • CyberPower 900VA
    Secondary UPS • Network equipment • 540W capacity
  • AC Infinity Rack Fans (2U)
    Temperature controlled • Quiet operation

🛠️ Tools & Accessories

  • StarTech 25U Server Rack
    Enclosed cabinet • Cable management • Lockable
  • Cable Matters Cat6a Cables
    Shielded • Various lengths • 10Gb ready
  • Monoprice Patch Panel
    24-port • Cat6a rated • Clearly labeled

📹 Content Creation

  • Capture Card
    For recording console/serial output
  • USB Serial Adapters
    Cisco console cables • Multiple adapters
  • Lighting & Camera
    Ring light • HD webcam • Microphone

Planned Upgrades

What's next for the homelab

10Gb Networking

Upgrade backbone to 10 Gigabit Ethernet with SFP+ switches and NICs for improved storage and VM migration performance

Additional Storage Expansion

Adding enterprise SAS drives and expanding TrueNAS capacity to 80TB+ for media and backups

Dedicated Kubernetes Cluster

Building a 5-node Raspberry Pi or mini-PC cluster dedicated to Kubernetes learning and testing