The Birth of My Homelab

Why I Built a Homelab

It all started with a simple realization: cloud services like AWS are fantastic but costly, especially when stability isn’t a top priority for my work. As someone who loves experimenting with servers and infrastructure, I stumbled upon the concept of homelabs while exploring alternatives. A homelab is essentially your personal server setup at home, and for me, it was a perfect playground to learn, create, and save costs.

My discovery began on Reddit, scrolling through endless posts about homelabs and mini PCs. The possibilities fascinated me—people hosting everything from game servers to enterprise-level setups at home. Initially, I considered buying equipment from Amazon, but the price tags were intimidating. That’s when I stumbled upon a local second-hand marketplace (당근마켓) in Korea and found an irresistible deal.

On impulse, I bought four mini PCs. I still vividly remember the adventure of riding my bicycle through the streets of Seoul, with these four “treasures” carefully packed and balanced. It was a sight to see! Here’s a snapshot from that day:

My Mini PC Specs

Here’s what I started with:

• Processor: Intel i5 (8th Gen)
• RAM: 8GB (single stick per PC)
• Storage: 128GB SSD

Not top-of-the-line, but they were perfect for my humble beginnings.

I couldn’t help but admire their sleek, minimalist design. Solid black with bold red accents—these little machines exuded a sense of high-end professionalism, almost as if they were built for the command center of a spaceship 🚀🖤🔴