🔗 https://github.com/ianleckie/homelab

Documentation and project files for my DIY mini rack and homelab/personal cloud setup.

Jump to: 👀 Overview | 📋 Rack Details | 🗃️ Project Files | 📷 Images

As a web developer, I have always overlapped with the devops world a bit. As I have been digging into that side more, I have found a need for infrastructure of my own to experiment with and setup how I really want to. I have also been becoming less and less comfortable recently with relying on cloud providers to store my personal data.

When I discovered @geerlingguy and the mini rack project, my homelab vision started to take shape.

I knew I didn't want to buy something off-the-shelf so while I researched and tracked down hardware, I started designing a rack that I could build myself. My design is based on inexpensive 6U rack rails found online. I designed and 3d printed templates to help make the rack sides themselves out of 1/2" birch plywood. The templates locate the bolt holes, and allowed me to shape the sides with a trim router.

💾 The template can be shortened to 4U by removing the spacers, or expanded to 8U+ by adding more spacers.

I then found and designed mounts for the hardware I wanted to house. I am working with a Bambu A1 Mini 3D printer, so everything had to be designed in multiple pieces that could be joined together after printing.

• 🔗 The hard drive mount was adapted from this file on MakerWorld
• 🔗 My A1 Mini profile is here
• 💾 Download other STL files below

Printing it harlequin-style was just more fun.

1. Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway
2. HDMI KVM
3. Ubiquiti Flex Mini 2.5Gb switch
4. GeeekPi/52Pi EP-0249 5v USB power supply module
5. Dev Server: Dell OptiPlex 3070 w/2.5Gb (Ubuntu)
6. Media Server: Intel Mac Mini (Ubuntu)
7. Reserved for RaspberryPi
8. NAS: Zima Blade w/2.5Gb (Debian/OpenMediaVault)
9. 2x10TB drives (mirrored)

• 6U Rack Rails
• GeeekPi 1U mini rack shelf
• Voltage regulator for HDs
• GeeekPi CAT6 keystones
• 40mm Fans
• Monoprice patch cables
• SATA Connectors

• Debian/OpenMediaVault
• Ubuntu
• UniFi
• Cloudflare
• Mullvad
• Backblaze B2
• Vault
• Docker
• Restic
• Roon
• Jellyfin
• Immich
• Paperless-ngx
• Baserow
• AppFlowy Cloud
• TRMNL BYOD/S
• Trellis

Everything in the rack is on a private VLAN managed via the gateway, and uses Restic and Backblaze B2 to implement a nightly 3-2-1 backup approach.

• UPS
• RaspberryPi / PiHole
• Remote KVM
• Move remaining network/cameras to Ubiquiti

📓 Setup Handbook
Reference on setting up and securing core services and applications.

⚙️ Config Files
Semi-templated files referenced by setup steps in handbook.

🗄️ 3D Files
STLs for parts I designed.
💾 Badge
💾 Dell Mount
💾 Mac Mini Mount
💾 Pi/Zima Blade Mount
💾 Top 2U Front Panel
💾 Misc. Back Parts
💾 Rack Sides Template Parts
💾 Rack Side Inserts