Docs

The parts of a computer, explained like furniture Understand your computer's components by comparing them to everyday household items. What actually happens when you type a website address Learn the six steps your computer takes to load a webpage, from name lookup to rendering. Understand common failure modes. What is a server? It's just a computer that answers A server is a computer designed to respond to requests from other devices, handling tasks like hosting websites or storing files. You can't break it by clicking: a confidence guide This guide addresses common fears about using computers and explains why accidental clicks are generally harmless.

The CompTIA roadmap: A+ to Network+ to Security+, mapped honestly A clear guide to navigating CompTIA certifications from beginner to security professional.

AWS vs Azure vs GCP for homelabbers Compare the major cloud providers for home labs, including their services and cost considerations.

BitTorrent: the protocol that actually works, explained Understand how BitTorrent distributes files efficiently among users. Blockchain as a data structure, minus the hype Understand the core principles of blockchain without the cryptocurrency buzz. IPFS and content-addressed storage Learn how IPFS uses content hashes to address files, ensuring location-independence and tamper-evidence. Tor: how onion routing works Learn about Tor's decentralized network and how it protects your privacy by encrypting your traffic across multiple relays.

Firewall HA pairs: active-passive failover explained Understand how active-passive failover works to ensure your firewall remains available without downtime. Firewall policies: how rule evaluation actually works Understand how firewalls evaluate rules from top to bottom, ensuring first match wins and why specific ordering is crucial. IPsec vs SSL VPNs: which VPN technology to use Compare IPsec, SSL/TLS, and WireGuard for site-to-site and remote access networking. NAT on real firewalls: SNAT, DNAT, and VIPs Understand Source Network Address Translation (SNAT), Destination Network Address Translation (DNAT), and Virtual IPs (VIPs) in enterprise firewalls. Physical security and the evil maid: the layer nobody thinks about Learn about physical security threats like the "evil maid" attack and how to protect your data at rest. Security profiles: IPS, web filtering, and antivirus at the edge Learn about security profiles like IPS, web filtering, and antivirus used in firewalls to protect your network. Site-to-site VPNs: IPsec fundamentals Understand how to create secure site-to-site connections over public internet using IPsec. Site-to-site vs remote access VPNs: choosing the right topology Learn about the two main types of VPN topologies and how to choose between them for your network needs. SSL inspection: what it is, why it breaks things, when it's worth it Understand how SSL/TLS inspection works and its implications on network security. Zero trust in plain language Understand zero trust security by breaking down its key principles into simple terms.

Hardware transcoding: why Jellyfin wants a GPU or QuickSync Learn about hardware transcoding and why Jellyfin recommends using GPUs like Intel QuickSync for efficient video processing. RAID levels explained: 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 — what each protects Understand the trade-offs between speed, capacity, and protection offered by different RAID levels. Raspberry Pi vs mini PC: when the $60 board loses to the $150 box Explore the strengths and use cases of Raspberry Pis versus mini PCs, including GPIO capabilities, power consumption, and computational power. SAS vs SATA vs NVMe: drive interfaces, and why servers use SAS Understand the differences between SAS, SATA, and NVMe drives and their uses in home labs and data centers. SSD vs HDD vs tape: cost, speed, and which you actually need Learn about SSDs, HDDs, and tapes to choose the right storage for your needs. What is a NAS for? Real use cases, buy vs build A Network Attached Storage (NAS) device serves as your household's shared filing cabinet, offering backup, media storage, and more. Learn about its uses and decide between buying or building one.

LDAP explained: the phone book of your network Learn about LDAP, a protocol for managing user accounts and groups in a hierarchical directory. TAGS: docs RADIUS: why enterprise WiFi asks for a username Understand how RADIUS works and why it's used in enterprise WiFi networks. SSO in plain language: SAML vs OAuth and OIDC Understand Single Sign-On (SSO) with clear explanations of SAML and OAuth/OIDC, their pros and cons.

Context windows and the KV cache: why long chats eat memory The model isn't the only thing in memory — conversation history costs gigabytes too, and it grows. Fine-tuning vs RAG vs system prompts: three ways to make a model know your stuff Learn about system prompts, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and fine-tuning—three methods for customizing AI models to fit specific needs. Ollama from zero: running your first local model Learn how to set up and run a local AI model using Ollama, including installation and basic commands. VRAM vs unified memory: where models actually live Why a Mac with 64GB can run models a 24GB GPU can't, and what DGX Spark and Strix Halo change. What is a token? The unit every AI limit is measured in A token is a chunk of text used by language models, typically representing about 0.75 words, and it's crucial for understanding limitations in AI systems. What is quantization? Q4, Q8, and FP16 explained Why the same model comes in five sizes, what the Q-numbers mean, and how much quality you actually lose. Why tokens per second is a memory bandwidth problem The napkin math that predicts LLM generation speed on any hardware — usually within 10%.

Bufferbloat: why ping spikes when someone uploads Understand and fix latency issues caused by oversized buffers in home routers during heavy uploads. Cable terminations: T568A vs B, punchdowns, and keystones Learn about the differences between T568A and T568B wiring standards, how to properly terminate cables using keystone jacks and patch panels. Cable testing: wiremap, TDR, and reading what the tester says Learn how to test cables for continuity, signal quality, and compliance with standards using different types of testers. CGNAT: why you can't port forward and what to do about it Learn about Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) and how it affects your ability to set up port forwarding, along with practical solutions. Common ports and protocols: the cheat sheet that actually comes up A quick reference guide to essential networking ports and protocols for real-world use. DHCP: how devices get addresses, and why servers get static IPs Learn about Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and its role in automatically assigning IP addresses to devices. Understand why servers often require static IPs. Dynamic DNS: a stable name for a changing home IP Learn how dynamic DNS keeps your home's ever-changing public IP address consistent and accessible. Ethernet cable categories: Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat8 — what speeds really need Learn about different ethernet cable categories and their actual speed capabilities for home networking. Fiber optics: single mode vs multimode, wavelengths, and when copper loses Learn about fiber optic cables, their types (single mode and multimode), light wavelengths, and why they are preferred over copper in long-distance networking. It's always DNS: diagnosing name resolution failures Learn how to diagnose and resolve issues with domain name system (DNS) lookups. LAN, WAN, DMZ & NAT in depth: network zones, their ports, and how NAT really works Understand the trust boundaries of your network (LAN, WAN, DMZ) and learn about different types of ports and how NAT functions at a deep level. NTP and time sync: why wrong clocks break TLS, logins, and logs Learn about Network Time Protocol (NTP) and how incorrect clock synchronization can affect security, authentication, and logging. Power over Ethernet: cameras and APs without wall warts Learn how PoE works to power devices like cameras and access points using standard ethernet cables. Reading traceroute and mtr like a pro Learn to interpret traceroute and mtr outputs effectively for diagnosing network issues. Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF): the router's anti-spoofing check Understand how reverse path forwarding works to protect against IP spoofing and DDoS attacks. Router vs switch vs firewall vs access point: what each box does Learn the roles of routers, switches, firewalls, and access points in a network. Routing basics: default gateways, static routes, and one-way traffic Understand how routing works in a homelab setting, including default gateways and when to use static routes. Split-horizon DNS: one name, different answers inside and outside Learn how to configure split-horizon DNS so that a single domain name resolves differently depending on whether it's queried from within your local network or from the internet. TCP vs UDP: why game traffic is UDP and downloads are TCP Understand the differences between TCP and UDP, and why they are used for different types of network traffic. The OSI model, explained by following one real web request Understand how network communication works through a step-by-step breakdown of a web request. Unmanaged vs managed switches: what a smart switch actually buys you Learn the differences between unmanaged and managed switches, focusing on the benefits of managed switches for home labs. Wake-on-LAN: turning machines on remotely Learn how to wake up a powered-off computer using a magic packet sent over the network. WiFi 5 vs 6 vs 6E vs 7: what actually changed Understand the differences between WiFi generations and their practical implications for your home network.

Choosing a server distro: why boring wins Learn why choosing an older and more stable distribution like Debian or Ubuntu LTS is crucial for server reliability. Popular Linux distros compared: who each one is actually for A comparison of popular Linux distributions, their intended use cases, and recommendations for different types of users. Windows Server vs Linux for home services Understand the differences between using Windows Server and Linux for managing home services. Windows vs macOS vs Linux vs BSD, without the flame war A balanced comparison of operating systems optimized for different needs and use cases.

Emulation and the law: what's actually legal and what isn't Emulators are legal — that part is settled. The games are where it gets complicated. An honest walk through the case law, ROMs, BIOS files, dumping your own copies, and why 'abandonware' isn't a real legal category. What an emulator actually is: virtualization for consoles You know VMs and containers — an emulator is the third sibling, and the most extreme one. How software pretends to be a whole different machine, why a SNES needs 100x its own horsepower to emulate perfectly, and why PS3 emulation brings gaming PCs to their knees.

The *arr stack: automating a media library you actually own Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, Jellyfin — how the pieces of the *arr stack actually talk to each other over the network, and how to run it for media you actually own: disc rips, home video, and DRM-free purchases. No piracy how-tos here.

Docker in depth: images, layers, volumes, networking, and Compose Dive into how Docker packages applications, manages containers, and deploys multi-container applications. Hypervisors compared in 2026: Proxmox vs ESXi vs Hyper-V vs XCP-ng A detailed comparison of popular hypervisors for homelab and enterprise use, focusing on their features, licensing, and suitability. Kubernetes explained: the architecture, and whether you actually need it Understand Kubernetes' role in container orchestration and when to use it for your setup. Type 1 vs Type 2 hypervisors: what's the difference? Learn about type 1 and type 2 hypervisors, their differences, and which one to use for your needs. Virtual switches: how VMs and containers actually reach the network Understand how virtual switches enable virtual machines and containers to connect to a network. VM vs container: when each one wins Learn about virtual machines and containers, their trade-offs, and which to use based on your needs.

Email for your domain: why it's the hard part Learn why hosting email yourself is risky and explore reliable third-party options. How web hosting actually works: shared vs VPS vs dedicated vs static Learn about different types of web hosting and which one is best for your needs. Multi-tenancy: how one server hosts many customers safely Understand the isolation boundaries and security measures used in hosting multiple customers on a single server. SaaS vs self-hosted: the real cost math over 5 years Explore the true costs of hosting services versus self-hosting, including financial and time considerations over a five-year period. SEO fundamentals without the snake oil Learn the essential, free practices that actually improve your website's visibility and ranking. SSL certificates for site owners: what you're actually buying Understand the different types of SSL certificates and what they really provide for your website. Static sites vs WordPress vs site builders: choosing honestly Learn about the tradeoffs of static sites, WordPress, and site builders for building a website. Website performance: why sites feel slow and the fixes that matter Learn how to optimize your website's speed by focusing on images, JavaScript weight, caching, and hosting quality. What happens when you buy a domain (and the scams that follow) Learn about buying and managing domains, including registrars, DNS, renewals, and common scams. What is SaaS? Software you rent, explained honestly Understand what SaaS means and why it's a trade-off between convenience and control.