Port chaos follows service sprawl. A reverse proxy with a single 443 entry and host-based routing is the cleanest structure. One entry for all services Deploy: the jc21/nginx-proxy-manager three-container stack, publishing 80/443; Certificates: built-in Let’s Encrypt renewal; wildcard certs need DNS validation (one API token covers a year); Security: expose only 443 and bind the […]
The team’s pain points were third-party custody of files, slow large uploads, and per-seat pricing that scaled linearly. Why leave public cloud storage Solution: Nextcloud with OnlyOffice on dual-disk RAID1, with daily incremental backup to an external drive; Cost: hardware was a one-time spend roughly equal to two years of subscription, with zero monthly fees […]
First NAS projects rarely fail on performance; they fail on missing checklist items — screws, a system drive, cooling. List everything first. List the parts first Drives to match needs: start with two bays in RAID1; avoid SMR drives entirely (dedicated guide later); Separate system from data: OS on eMMC, data on spinning disks — […]
The user ran an x86 mini PC for home media and downloads with three problems: high power draw, noisy fan, and incomplete 4K hardware decoding. Requirement and constraints Migration: Jellyfin container plus qBittorrent and Samba, reusing existing SATA disks through a USB3 adapter; Results: idle power fell from 65W to 12W, 4K HDR transcoding moved […]
The real allocation behind nominal capacity, external-expansion strategy, and a cure for capacity anxiety.
P/E cycles, write amplification and five settings that double flash life — long-termism for eMMC devices.
Five stages — download, organize, scrape, serve, display — with the best practice for each.
Why shingled drives are a trap and when enterprise drives are worth it — a decision tree for NAS storage.
The power-performance curve across RK3528/RK3588/N100/x86 — pick the right tier and don’t pay for headroom you won’t use.
Zero-config mesh vs port forwarding — security and speed measured on both routes.