Homelabs: How to Take the First Step

You don’t need a server rack, a computer science degree, or Steve’s permission.

Let me ask you something. Have you ever looked at pictures of somebody’s home computer setup and thought, “Man, I’d love to have something like that!” You know the pictures I’m talking about. Big server racks, blinking lights, cables running everywhere, and enough computer equipment to make NASA jealous.

Then you start looking at what all that equipment costs, and suddenly your dream of having a homelab turns into a dream of winning the lottery.

Well, I’m here to tell you something.

YOU DON’T NEED ALL THAT STUFF!

In fact, you might already have everything you need to get started.

First, let’s answer a simple question. What exactly IS a homelab?

A homelab is nothing more than a computer setup in your home that you use to learn, experiment, and run your own services. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be a server rack. It doesn’t have to run twenty-four hours a day. And it certainly doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars.

A homelab can be an old laptop sitting on a desk. It can be a used desktop computer you picked up at a yard sale. It can even be a little mini PC that’s no bigger than a paperback book.

The important thing isn’t the equipment.

It’s what you DO with it.

Now, if you’ve been reading Open Source Outlaw for very long, you already know I have a weakness for old computers. Some people collect baseball cards. Some people collect coins. Apparently, I collect computers that other people don’t want anymore.

And you know what? I’m perfectly fine with that.

Because I’ve learned something over the years. Just because somebody doesn’t need a computer anymore doesn’t mean that computer has stopped being useful.

In fact, that old machine might be the perfect beginning of your very own homelab.

Step One: Find a Computer

Before you spend a single dollar, look around your house. Is there an old laptop in a closet? A desktop sitting in the garage? Maybe a computer that won’t run Windows 11 because Microsoft decided it wasn’t good enough anymore?

Perfect!

That’s where we start.

For a beginner homelab, you don’t need a powerhouse. A reasonably modern Intel i3 or i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB or larger SSD can be plenty for learning and running a few lightweight services.

Could you use something more powerful? Absolutely. But don’t let the lack of expensive hardware stop you from getting started.

And if you don’t have an old computer, check local surplus sales, thrift stores, or online marketplaces. You might be surprised at what you can find for $50 or less.

The Outlaw’s Rule #1: Use what you’ve got before buying what you don’t need.

Step Two: Pick an Operating System

Now that you’ve got a computer, we need something to run on it.

And this is where I recommend Ubuntu Linux.

Why Ubuntu? Because it’s free, well documented, widely used, and has a tremendous community of people who can help when you get stuck.

For a dedicated homelab machine, I’d recommend Ubuntu Server. It doesn’t come with the traditional desktop environment, which means it uses fewer resources and lets the computer focus on running services.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

“Outlaw, you just told me I didn’t need to be a computer expert, and now you’re telling me to install something without a desktop?”

Relax!

You can absolutely use regular Ubuntu Desktop if you’re more comfortable with a graphical interface. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, if this is your first experience with Linux, Ubuntu Desktop might be the better place to start.

The goal isn’t to impress anybody.

The goal is to LEARN.

Step Three: Connect It to Your Network

Once you’ve installed Ubuntu, connect the computer to your home network.

If possible, use an Ethernet cable. Wired connections are generally more reliable for a computer that’s going to act as a server.

Your router will normally assign the computer an IP address automatically. That’s the address other devices on your network will use to communicate with it.

Eventually, you’ll probably want to give your homelab computer a consistent address using a DHCP reservation on your router. But don’t worry about that on day one.

For now, just make sure the computer connects to your network and can reach the internet.

And congratulations!

You’ve officially taken your first step toward building a homelab.

See? Nobody had to buy a server rack.

Step Four: Give Your Homelab a Job

Here’s where things get interesting.

A computer sitting on a desk doing absolutely nothing isn’t much fun. We need to give it something useful to do.

And this is where I encourage beginners to start SMALL.

Maybe you’d like to share files between computers in your house. You could learn how to set up a simple network file share using Samba.

Maybe you’ve got a collection of movies or music you’d like to access from different devices. Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server that can help you do exactly that.

Or perhaps you’d like a simple dashboard that shows information about your computer and network.

There are dozens of possibilities.

But here’s my advice.

PICK ONE.

Not five. Not ten. ONE.

Get it working. Understand what it does. Learn how to start it, stop it, and troubleshoot it when something goes wrong.

Then, when you’re comfortable, move on to something else.

That’s how a homelab grows.

One project at a time.

Step Five: Learn to Connect Remotely

Now, here’s something that will make your homelab experience a whole lot easier.

Eventually, you’re going to want to manage that computer without sitting in front of it.

That’s where SSH comes in.

SSH stands for Secure Shell. It’s a way to securely connect to another computer over your network and manage it using commands.

Yes, I said commands.

Don’t panic!

You don’t need to memorize a thousand commands. Start with a few basics. Learn how to see what files are in a folder, check how much disk space you have, and install software.

If you’re using Ubuntu Desktop, you can still do many things with the graphical interface. But learning a little SSH will open up a whole new world.

And here’s the really neat part. Once you’ve learned to connect remotely, your homelab computer doesn’t even need a monitor or keyboard attached to it.

You can tuck it away on a shelf and manage it from your regular computer.

Just make sure SSH is configured securely, and keep it accessible only from your trusted network while you’re learning. There’s no need to expose it directly to the internet.

Step Six: Don’t Forget About Security

Now, I know we’re having fun, but there’s something we need to talk about.

Security.

Just because your homelab is sitting in your house doesn’t mean security doesn’t matter.

Keep your operating system updated. Use strong passwords. Don’t expose services to the internet unless you understand how to secure them. And if you’re storing important files, make sure you have backups.

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is getting so excited about what they CAN do that they forget to think about what they SHOULD do.

And believe me, I’ve been there.

Start with services that are accessible only inside your home network. Once you understand how everything works, you can explore secure ways to access your homelab remotely.

There’s no prize for getting hacked first.

Step Seven: Expect to Break Something

Let me tell you a little secret.

You’re going to mess something up.

I guarantee it.

You’re going to install something that doesn’t work. You’re going to change a setting and forget what you changed. You’re going to type a command incorrectly and spend an hour figuring out why something stopped working.

Welcome to the club!

That’s part of learning.

I’ve been working with computers for years, and I STILL break things occasionally.

But here’s what I’ve discovered.

Some of the best things I’ve learned came from figuring out how to fix something I broke.

The trick is to experiment safely. Don’t use your only copy of important family photos as test data. Keep backups, write down the changes you make, and don’t be afraid to start over when you’re learning on a disposable test machine.

And remember, the internet is full of people who’ve probably made the exact same mistake you’re trying to fix.

You’re not alone.

Step Eight: Let It Grow Naturally

Here’s where I want to save you some money.

Don’t build the homelab you THINK you’re going to need five years from now.

Build the homelab you need TODAY.

Maybe you start with one old laptop. A few months later, you add a small desktop computer. Eventually, you might decide to build a dedicated storage server or experiment with virtualization.

That’s fine!

But let your needs determine what you buy.

Not somebody else’s YouTube video.

I’ve seen beautiful homelabs with thousands of dollars worth of equipment. And I’ve seen incredibly useful homelabs running on a couple of old computers sitting on a bookshelf.

Both are perfectly legitimate.

The difference is what works for YOU.

And speaking of spending money, let’s check in with our good friend Steve.

Steve would probably tell you that a proper homelab requires enterprise-grade servers, commercial software licenses, a cloud subscription, and a three-hour planning meeting.

He’d also recommend a five-year support agreement.

SIT DOWN, STEVE!

We’ve got an old Dell and a USB drive.

We’ll be fine.

The Most Important Step

If there’s one thing I want you to remember from this article, it’s this.

JUST START.

Don’t wait until you have the perfect computer. Don’t wait until you understand every Linux command. Don’t wait until you can afford a server rack.

Find an old computer. Install Linux. Give it a job.

Learn something.

Then learn something else.

Before you know it, you’ll have a little homelab of your own.

And who knows? One day you might look around your house and realize you’ve got computers running your music, movies, files, photographs, and all sorts of other things.

You’ll have learned skills you never expected to learn.

You’ll have rescued equipment that somebody else thought was worthless.

And most importantly, you’ll have discovered that you don’t have to depend on somebody else’s cloud for everything.

But be warned.

Homelabs can become addictive.

You start with one old computer.

Then somebody offers you another one.

Then you find a great deal on a used server.

Then you discover mini PCs.

And before you know it, you’re explaining to your family why there’s a computer running in the closet.

Don’t ask me how I know.

HEY STEVE, WATCH THIS!

YOU BET YOUR SWEET GRUB!

— The Open Source Outlaw