The Official Home Lab Thread

Bona Botse

Bona Botse

A little insight goes a long way
Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
5,227
Reaction score
7
Location
Here
What kind of geek site is this with no home lab thread? :p

Thought it would be cool to showcase and discuss our various setups.

Last year I repurposed my old gaming PC (i7 920) into a VMware ESXi server.
It's running pfSense, Nas4Free, Ubuntu Server and Windows7 virtual machines.

pfSense is managing 2 ADSL lines. I have 2 lines because max I can get in my area is 4Mbit :(.
One line is used for downloads from the Ubuntu Server (see below) while the other is for browsing and streaming.
pfSense is also set up to switch between 2 accounts on the browsing/streaming ADSL line depending on time of day (Vox after-hours uncapped & Axxess capped). The downloading line is on Afrihost Business uncapped.

My Nas4Free is running a few HDDs in a 7TB ZFS pool. No redundancy at all. I know, I'm asking for trouble.

Ubuntu Server is running Sickrage, CouchPotato, SABnzbd and Transmission.

Windows7 is running Plex Media Server and also serves as my terminal if I need to RDP into my home network.

Then last week I also repurposed our powerful-ish "server" (i7 2600) at work into an ESXi server. It was horribly underutilised and I got itchy.
Loaded Win7 as it had been used for, and also pfSense and another Win7 VM.

And with 2 pfSense routers in separate locations I figured let's have some fun.
First, I set up DynDNS on both pfSense routers, to make it easier to know where they are.
Then, I set up a VPN server on the work network. Worked fine but I wanted moar.
I then connected the 2 networks using IPsec. It's so beautiful. I can now seamlessly browse either network from either network.

I still want moar though. Busy trying to figure out what next to dabble in.

So, what about you?
 
Last edited:
This just gave me a great idea. I have a badly underutilised i5 rig just handling NAS stuff that I could repupose.

How much RAM you have running on that i7 rig OP?
 
iJasper said:
Jesus Christ m8
Click to expand...
I actually think that my setup is tame. Looks like those with meaner setups are too shy or haven't seen this thread yet...

slvr said:
This just gave me a great idea. I have a badly underutilised i5 rig just handling NAS stuff that I could repupose.

How much RAM you have running on that i7 rig OP?
Click to expand...
12GB of RAM with only 9 in use thus far.

vhost.jpg
 
I have

1x Ex4200 Juniper switch
1x 60D Fortigate
1x 3560 Cisco Switch

ESXI running
GNS3
Unetlab
Cisco ISE
Cisco WLC

I then have some streaming media players some wifi and adsl :)

I used to have tons more hardware, but now do everything virtually in order to simulate environments
 
Hey guess what in doing when I get home..
 
OP, how many network cards are you running?
 
syntax said:
I have

1x Ex4200 Juniper switch
1x 60D Fortigate
1x 3560 Cisco Switch

ESXI running
GNS3
Unetlab
Cisco ISE
Cisco WLC

I then have some streaming media players some wifi and adsl :)

I used to have tons more hardware, but now do everything virtually in order to simulate environments
Click to expand...
:) I had to Google pretty much everything in that list. Mind telling us what those components are and what they're for? Might be the inspiration that I'm looking for...

My setup is more wired-geared but it's also WiFi friendly with 2 WiFi routers. But streaming devices (2 Rokus and 3 WDTVs) are wired because of issues I had with wireless and HD content. I'm waiting for the Eero to be released to see if it lives up to its promises.

werner said:
ram...always have loadsa ram
View attachment 205138
Click to expand...
WTF 65GB of RAM? :D What for in a home lab?

slvr said:
OP, how many network cards are you running?
Click to expand...
I have to run 2 because of the 2 DSL lines. But I'm quite sure that 1 will suffice otherwise. I'm also running a full gigabit network.
 
slvr said:
OP, how many network cards are you running?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that from just the 1 network card you can create as many virtual network cards as you like for your many virtual machines.
 
Brewmaster said:
I have to run 2 because of the 2 DSL lines. But I'm quite sure that 1 will suffice otherwise. I'm also running a full gigabit network.
Click to expand...


Wait so if you have 2x WAN, how are you routing to the LAN?

MS Paint diagram? :P
 
slvr said:
Wait so if you have 2x WAN, how are you routing to the LAN?

MS Paint diagram? :P
Click to expand...

pfSense can do that :D. It makes the WAN connections and then routes them through the LAN according to the rules you make. In my case, WAN1 is for the download server and WAN2 is for every other connected computer.
 
Brewmaster said:
pfSense can do that :D. It makes the WAN connections and then routes them through the LAN according to the rules you make. In my case, WAN1 is for the download server and WAN2 is for every other connected computer.
Click to expand...

But you still need 1 physical nic for wan and 1 physical nic for lan?

unless you're running vlan?

I'm talking about physical clients accessing the network in case there was confusion

will sit down tonight with Google and get my stuff sorted :D
 
slvr said:
But you still need 1 physical nic for wan and 1 physical nic for lan?

unless you're running vlan?

I'm talking about physical clients accessing the network in case there was confusion

will sit down tonight with Google and get my stuff sorted :D
Click to expand...

Nope, you just need the single physical NIC on your physical server. Then you create 2 virtual NICs for your pfSense virtual machine. So your pfSense will think there are 2 physical NICs when there's only 1. No VLANs necessary.
 
Brewmaster said:
:) I had to Google pretty much everything in that list. Mind telling us what those components are and what they're for? Might be the inspiration that I'm looking for...
Click to expand...

ex4200 is used as a top or rack switch (although its quite a beefy machine). Used for testing any physical stuff (802.1x etc) that I might need as well as testing vendor neutral things with the cisco kit.

Fortigate is used as a firewall, web filter, remote access and general mess around device

3560 switch is actually hardly ever used since I do everything virtually now

GNS3 is my old lab simulation app that emulates cisco routers, firewalls, juniper devices etc

untelab is the greatest thing i have. Emulates multiple vendors for testing

ISE is my identity services engine. Used to test new features for NAC, posturization etc. Basically identity based device.
WLC is the wireless lan controller, no longer used that much unless i need to test a feature

All this was used for studying for my CCIE, still used for my second CCIE, CCDE and JNCIE. Although I use unetlab for almost everything now as it integrates nicely
 
OP, in your box you only have 2 NICS, if both are WAN (which I'm assuming are connected directly from the modem to the NIC) how exactly does the LAN work? I see how it can in PfSense with virtual interfaces but I don't understand how your wired devices connect.

Excuse the n00bness :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X